Cleaning Fenders

The reason I clean them is that it's easier to clean the fenders than it is to clean the hull of my boat, even from our pontoon.

I realise those of you with shiny boats probably do need to do this chore occasionally.

Mine is matte black, with visible brush strokes in the paint :D

Pete
 
I have used a water based paint brush cleaner.

Water-based paint brush cleaner? Isn't that water? :confused:

I used acetone last year. It cleaned the fenders well, but took some of the blue off like Snowleopard says. They are now in a terrible state, and I suspect the acetone left them with an "active" finish that encouraged new dirt. I've already tried car shampoo and WD40 and made very little impression. I think I'll try Cif or Cillit Bang next. If that fails, it will be acetone again, or maybe paint brush cleaner.
 
I used some stuff from the chandlers for cleaning inflatable boats and that worked very well. I will wear gloves next time as it was caustic and all my fingerprints dissolved. I suspect it was sodium hydroxide based.
 
I have got lots of fenders which to be honest are pretty dirty.
I tried cleaning one with some expensive fender cleaner. It took about an hour to do but it did as they say scrub up nicely.
Does anyone know of a easy method of cleaning them and is there a cheaper method than buying expensive products?

I use Ecover spray-on multi surface cleaner and a standard sponge/scourer pot cleaning thingie on the very rare occasions when I clean 'em.
 
Fender cleaning is firmly a 'pink' job and SWMBO tells me that she's used acetone up until this winter, when she made fender socks up out of cheapo fleece. Now a couple of loads though the washing machine will remove the need to clean the fenders themselves.

Fender socks are a d...d menace
Twice now people have rafted up against me & bits of dirt or grit in the socks have left stupid half circles of deep scratches on my hull
 
Tie alongside the outer wall in Horta, sit there for three days during a good swell. Voila! Incredibly clean fenders........... No elbow grease required, ecologically sound- no chemicals.
 
If you have a nice white hull, then cleaning fenders has to be done. I like Starbrite Fender cleaner. It does what it says it will. It cleans and polishes. It does not remove the blue at the ends.

TudorSailor
 
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