Cleaning Sprayhood

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Lodds

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Home: Heathrow area. Boat: Emsworth Marina
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Can't see this in past topics though i do suspect it is there somewhere.

As I'm bent over the bath cleaning my spray hood with a scrubbing brush and patio cleaning. A thought crossed my mind as to what would happen if i put the whole thing in my washing machine, and then added a couple of pints of patio cleaner to the wash?

Has anyone tried this if so did it work?

I can't imagine that when you send this type of kit away for cleaning they clean it by hand.

Appreciate your thoughts on this.

Tony
 
Isn't the canvas too stiff to bend easily in the washer ? That might limit the effectiveness of the process. And the spin cycle could crease the cloth.

Patio cleaner (benzalkonium chloride) - I assume you mean ready diluted solution ?
 
I did mine when it was on the boat. It's pretty old anyway so wasn't to bothered about the outcome. I sprayed it with Mould and mildew cleaner from poundland. It's a 10% bleach solution. It worked wonders. Sprayed it on left it for 20 mins and brushed it off and rinsed it with a hose. It removed all the green mould. It didn't affect the colour. Only downside was it leaked like a sieve afterwards. I sprayed it with Fabsil and that fixed it. Good as new. Well as good as a 20 odd year old sprayhood could be.
So be aware your patio magic may remove all the water repellent properties of the canvas.
 
sarabande said:
Isn't the canvas too stiff to bend easily in the washer ? That might limit the effectiveness of the process. And the spin cycle could crease the cloth.

Patio cleaner (benzalkonium chloride) - I assume you mean ready diluted solution ?
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If you soak the canvas thoroughly then it becomes quite supple.
I would plan to put undiluted cleaner as the wash cycle would add enough water to dilute the mixture.
Didn't think about the creasing though. fair point.
 
I would apply Patio Magic and leave for around a week. Then use a brush or light pressure wash and all the grime will come away. Finally, it will do well for a treatment with a colour restorer (if needed) - Renovo is excellent, really works and lasts, and then a waterproofing. It will be as good as new!
 
LOdds, if you put neat (or any concentration) of Patio Magic in a washing machine methinks you will be buying a new machine very soon thereafter. Best have AO.com open on your pooter when you do it!
 
Took ours down to the launderette and stuffed it into a large machine on a warm wash. Did a pretty good job of cleaning it up.
 
Just bunged two of those capsules in and hoped for the best. Dire warnings on here that it would shrink turned out to be false, after all its been out in all weathers for 8 years and if it didn't shrink during that time a warm wash isn't going to affect it.

Pete
 
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Lodds said:
As I'm bent over the bath cleaning my spray hood with a scrubbing brush and patio cleaning. A thought crossed my mind as to what would happen if i put the whole thing in my washing machine, and then added a couple of pints of patio cleaner to the wash?
Click to expand...

Patio Magic and similar benzalkonium chloride products have a fairly slow action, and are best applied and left for a while. If you put it in the washing machine, it'll get rinsed away in a short space of time, so you won't get brilliant results. The easiest way to apply this type of cleaner is when the sprayhood is on the frame on the boat.
 
If it had mildew the dark blue colour meant it didn't show. We did have the green slime on the sides and some sort of mould or moss growing on the top. The green slime has gone and the moss has just left a faint mark on the material, so pretty good for the £3 fee. Didn't bother tumble drying it, just too it home and left it in the conservatory.

As Pvb says PM needs time to work. We use it at home on a path that doesn't get much sun and it works really well, just needs a week of dry weather to do its stuff.

Pete
 
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I do my sprayhood (and all the other canvas) in the machine every year. Just a bit of powder on a 30deg wash with the slowest spin. I don't get mildew on my hood and I've not yet needed to re-proof it. I always try to get the windows folded on the inside so they can't contact the drum.
It all works for me, just don't tell the missus.
 
alahol2 said:
I do my sprayhood (and all the other canvas) in the machine every year. Just a bit of powder on a 30deg wash with the slowest spin. I don't get mildew on my hood and I've not yet needed to re-proof it.
Click to expand...

Well I finally bit the bullet and shoved the Sprayhood in the washing machine. I put it on a 30 degree wash one capsule of soap and no spin.
Result no damage to canvas or windows and appears to have got rid of a lot of the mildew though some remains. I will need to reapply some Patio Magic when it is re-installed on the Boat and then re-proof the fabric.

This is the first time in 4 years (since new) that I have cleaned it so it was a bit grubby. One thing for sure is that I need to do this more often.

Now to try some of the other canvas bits!

Thanks for all your suggestions, they have been very helpful.

Tony
 
ip485 said:
I would apply Patio Magic and leave for around a week. Then use a brush or light pressure wash and all the grime will come away. Finally, it will do well for a treatment with a colour restorer (if needed) - Renovo is excellent, really works and lasts, and then a waterproofing. It will be as good as new!
Click to expand...

I've also used Renovo products and been pleased with them. Their colour restorer (can't remember the exact name) and reproofer made a lovely job of my sprayhood and canopy, applied with brush over the garden seat last year. They are intended for car soft tops and available on the net or from car accessory dealers.
 
I've just asked a local sailmaker for a quote to replace the sailhood. It's about 10 years old and still functional but doesn't fit as well as the previous one.
I mentioned that it's covered in green (algae?) yet again, despite being washed in the summer. I blamed it on the damp weather. The sailmaker advised me that if, after washing, the soap isn't very thoroughly washed away with with fresh water then the green will be worse than ever.
It was news to me but perhaps not to others.
 
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