Cleaning Fenders...

[sailorgirl]

Have spent most of the afternoon scrubbing six fenders with a scourer and Cif. They are visibly cleaner but still orange from a Moroccan fisheries boat we moored along side last month in a swelly harbour, brown or grey round the tops where the UV has got to them and also lots of scratches embedded with black stuff.

Read in an old thread on here that acetone would do the job but later posts in the thread seemed to express some concern that it alters the surface in some way attracting more dirt - can anyone advise before I attack the worst of ours which has a definite rusty tinge.

And I know it would seem a bit extreme but does waxing/polishing fenders help them stay cleaner? Don't mind the work as it was pleasant to sit on the pontoon in the sun dangling my feet in the water

 

[nigelmercier]

Acetone will take off the surface layer, which may or not be what you want.

 

[duncan99210]

SWMBO swears by Cif to get rid of gross dirt then acetone as final clean up followed by a good rinse with water to remove the traces of acetone. We had one poor quality fender that didn't like the treatment and went all manky but the others are fine after five years of this treatment once a season.

 

[sailorgirl]

Acetone will take off the surface layer, which may or not be what you want.

Don't think it'll do much more damage then... at least one is quite chewed up already it is so badly scratched. And presumably if I wax it afterwards it'll resurface it albeit with something that'll wear off over time

 

[johnalison]

When I first bought my Yachticon Anti-Gilb in Germany I had trouble talking to the shop assistant but he was able to tell me that it was for cleaning fenders etc. It is much the same as Y10 but more liquid and comes in handy bottles and does a good job on yellow hulls and fenders. I think Y10 would do the same but at higher cost.

 

[Artic Warrior]

Hi young lady,

Bleach them, but try to avoid scourer as a rough surface will allow new dirt and stains to stick,
After bleaching, which you can leave on for a few hrs, wash of with soapy water, then polish the fenders, which helps stop new dirt sticking,

Its a bit like when you see water beeding on a new cars paint,,,,it just runs off,
Acetone will change the surface tension creating more problems,

Colin

 

[PlankWalker]

There is stuff you can get for cleaning UPVC windows (smells of ammonia) can't remember the name but its better than Cif.

Plank

 

[lpdsn]

When I first bought my Yachticon Anti-Gilb in Germany I had trouble talking to the shop assistant but he was able to tell me that it was for cleaning fenders etc. It is much the same as Y10 but more liquid and comes in handy bottles and does a good job on yellow hulls and fenders. I think Y10 would do the same but at higher cost.

I believe the active ingredient in Y10 is Oxalic acid, which you can buy by the Kg quite cheaply. Last time I looked, you could get it on Amazon.

 

[Momac]

Try ..... Bar Keepers Friend.
.

 

[sailorgirl]

Hi young lady,

Flattery will get you no where!

 

[sailorgirl]

Tried acetone on the worst offender (excuse the pun) - it was brilliant! Most of the Moroccan orange has now been removed and it showed up just why you need fenders... the whole thing is covered in deep black scratches, rather the fender than our topsides. Finished the job off with a coat of wax polish so the fender is now shiny with random black lines and odd rusty coloured bits but a great improvement on its previous state. Not certain I'll bother with the rest as Cif and elbow grease seemed to do a reasonable job.

 

[debenbar]

We used a cleaning block called a 'Magic Eraser' to clean our fenders and it did a first class job, also useful for marks on grp.

 

[rudolph_hart]

I do mine once a year before the season, using Fairy Power Spray. Brings them up a treat. They're now 19 years old :encouragement:

 

[l'escargot]

I have used cleaner for RIB tubes with good results - can't remember which one off hand but plenty available.

 

[Artic Warrior]

Flattery will get you no where!

Why not young lady,,,worth a try ....sailorgirl

 

[LittleSister]

Who could forget the old George Formby hit, 'When I'm Cleaning Fenders'?

 

[Billjratt]

You may see a tall thin can labelled "Limpior Defensa" (sp?) next time you're in a Spanish chandlery. The stuff was designed to deal with your problem - gets the 'melted' dirt off the sides and the crusty UV degraded stuff off the top surface. It's worth covering the top end with a UV-proof sock or something -even if you don't like full length fender socks.
If you have an Avon tender, you'll probably benefit from cleaning the black rubber rowlocks for the same reason - stops the black powder going all over the hull when she's alongside.

 

[MoodySabre]

We used a cleaning block called a 'Magic Eraser' to clean our fenders and it did a first class job, also useful for marks on grp.

+1 get it from Robert Dyas stores. Big supermarkets do their own versions - it's a melamine sponge with no additives and is used with water. Also great at cleaning UPVC window frames and manky garden furniture.