Green on Teak - How to get rid of it

[Norrsken]

My Teak deck started to go green and I tried many cures. I also had the same problem with my spray hood. I was advised to use BIOTECH, available from Sainsburys on the hood and it worked, so I tried it on the deck. I used about a cupful to a bucket of water, and mopped it on. I left it for about 15 minutes to half and hour and then hosed it off. Result - the green is gone.

I do not know what if anything it does to the teak but I would have thought it less harmful than oxalic acid as it says on the box that Biotech is a clothes prewash to remove grass stains and similar. If you are looking for it it is in the washing powder section in a green box.

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[Robin]

How did you treat the hood with it, just wet it with the solution or did you scrub it? We have used Starbrite Canvas Cleaner before but now the 'green' is right in the cloth it seems in some places. Fortunately we are replacing all the canvas at present so were are starting with a a clean sheet again, but I would love to find something that would prevent it. I asked Kayospruce who supply the acrylic to the hoodmakers and they said they didn't know of a preventative we could apply.

Anyone know what the green actually is and if something exists that might stop it starting??

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[robp]

The guy from Covercraft told me that the biggest enemy of the flexi windows in sprayhoods is dust! So I suppose it follows that the dust in the canvass turns to mud and then green. Regular washdown with soap solution?

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[sailorman]

i have "stratoglass" in my new hood, its very "see-through" & clear.
its thicker than the usuall stuff & supposed to lasts longer
contact
Gowen Ocean Sails
110 COAST ROAD
WEST MERSEA
COLCHESTER
ESSEX
CO5 - 8NA
01206 38 44 12

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[Robin]

Yes but that is the see through bit, the green appears on the acrylic canvas, our windows are still as clear as when new. The new hood is being done with Stratoglass though.

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[willothewisp]

would that by any chance by BIOTEX- as in detergent?

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[LORDNELSON]

Well, at the end of winter when the green has grown on my teak deck and rubbing strake I always wash & scrub it off as well as I can with fresh water. Then I scrub it over with a 25% solution of kitchen bleach, leave it half an hour and then hose and scrub it off. Leaves the teak looking clean and I hope it kills the green bugs whatever they are. Would not advise it for canvas though - I have always found scrubbing (in a concrete yard using a strong broom) with weak washing up liquid mixture works very well - the difficulty being to get rid of all the bubbles!

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[John_Clarke]

PVB gave excellent advice on this forum in March 03 which he got from Hallberg Rassy. Use one of the products for killing mould prior to decoration. They contain 3%w/w disodium octaborate (a fungicide) and 1.5%w/w benzalkonium chloride (an algaecide). B&Q stock Cuprinol Mould Killer and Polycell 3-in-1 Mould Killer, Homebase stock Weathershield Multi-Surface Fungicidal Wash; they cost about £5 per litre.
I have found that it keeps green algae and black mildew spots away from the teak for about 6 months so a coat in the spring and autumn seems to do the trick. It takes so little effort and it keeps it at bay for much longer than oxalic acid. Do not wash it off after application. The algae first reappears in the wettest areas with the most water flow past them – the toerails at the lowest point on the deck.

It is a thin water based fluid so a bristle or foam brush does not hold it well for vertical surfaces like rubbing strakes. I have been experimenting with a brush made of a folded J Cloth taped to a flat piece of plastic; this held the fluid well but was hard to hold and wore out so I am going to try chamois leather on an old brush handle with the plastic spreader let into the handle.

I cleaned the teak the first time with the excellent 3M Scotchbrite pad (the white one is the least abrasive and will not wear away the teak as fast and does not scratch GRP surfaces) on the equally excellent 3M pad holder (tape some closed cell foam into the grooves on the handle to make it float – I lost one before I added this). I now apply the mould killer without cleaning the teak first which makes it even easier.

I have heard it is also very good against algae on sprayhoods and stops mildew on sails. I am going to use a sponge mop to apply it to my genoa which has a rash of spots and see if it can stop them increasing; I plan to tie it out on a grassy area and let it dry on before taking the sail onboard.


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[pvb]

Prevention is better than cure...

There’s a way of helping to keep this green stuff at bay, and it involves almost no work. Hallberg-Rassy recommend a product called Boracol, which is generally sold as a timber preservative. It’s highly effective in killing green algae, mould spores and termites. Unfortunately, in the UK it’s only licensed for professional use. However, the two active ingredients - disodium octaborate (a fungicide) and benzalkonium chloride (an algaecide) - are available in various amateur products. Easiest to find and use is Polycell 3-in-1 Mould Killer (about £5 a litre from bigger B&Q stores). It’s a colourless liquid. I’ve used it for a couple of years now, and I’m very pleased with the results. In comparison with neighbouring boats, my deck looks pristine.

To apply it, first clean the deck thoroughly and allow at least 24 hours to dry. Choose a day when rain isn’t expected for 24 hours and apply the liquid liberally with a soft paintbrush. I use about 2 litres on my 35-footer. You should wear protective gloves and safety glasses. Wash splashes off skin immediately. Reapply every 4-5 months.

I use the same liquid on the inside and outside of my canvas sprayhood, again with good results.

Most mould and mildew products are basically bleach. This Polycell product contains no bleach, but has the powerful fungicidal ingredients which get rid of the mould. It also has a medium-term residual effect, so a treatment every 4-6 months should keep your deck and sprayhood looking good.



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[pvb]

Snap! ...

Thanks for repeating that - your typing's obviously quicker than mine!

Strange thing is that lots of people won't try this Polycell stuff because it seems too easy. Maybe they enjoy all the exercise they get when scrubbing.

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[StephenW]

The green growth is plurococcus (unsure if that is exact spelling) - grows on the damp side of trees in woods etc.

Thrives on damp and dark, so on material a silicone treatment is likely to help resist it.

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[heerenleed]

miracle product

we use a product available in garden centres. It is a terrace cleaner, environmental friendly, called ECO. Of course, I don't know under what brand it would be available in the UK, but there must be equivalents. We also use it for algae on sail covers and other textile items. Just spray it on when the weather is humid (no problem in our climes) and WAIT. After a couple of days your deck - or whatever you treated with the stuff - is CLEAN. No brushing, no scrubbing, couldn't believe my eyes at first, but keep on using it ever since we first discovered it some years ago. Best of all: NOT available through chandlers et al, so UNEXPENSIVE (for once)..

You don't really need to rinse the stuff off. Whenever it gets humid again, it starts working. It won't attack varnish or deck caulking.
cheers

<hr width=100% size=1>Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by heerenleed on 27/02/2004 18:46 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Norrsken]

With the hood I took it off and laid it out on the jetty. I then soaked the hood in Biotech solution for about an hour, but the longer the better as long as you can keep it damp. I then scrubbed it with a biologiacl washing powder. The hood is fine in the dry but still shows a few signs of green when wet and goes a bit green over winter.

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[Norrsken]

Yes

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[willothewisp]

Re: miracle product

Could you give me the name of the garden center (chain) since I've tried the stuff sold at Kruidvat, but it was no good compared with f.i. Teak Cleaner from StarBrite. BTW, what's the chemical actually doing the job? Unless you've bunged the empties in the bin, that is..


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[heerenleed]

Re: miracle product

Coby, the stuff is called Eco-Cleaner and is sold at the Boerenbond.

Whereabouts are you in the Netherlands?

cheers

<hr width=100% size=1>Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands

 

[alant]

As mentioned on previous threads this problem, Dishwasher Powder works well.

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[Oldhand]

Sponge with sugar soap, no scrubbing!

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[Vara]

I echo this dish washer powder made to paste works well on teak and fibre glass,hav'nt tried it on fabrics though.
It seems to mimic oxalic acid in stain removing powers(rust etc) without toxicity.

<hr width=100% size=1>If it can't be fixed with a lump hammer dont fit it!