Handheld Steam Cleaner?

[neil1967]

Despite applications of various chemicals and scrubbing, the bilge on our yacht is not clean enough to flowcoat it (which I want to do as the surface is also quite rough). Has anyone used one of these (cheap) handheld steam cleaners for such a purpose? Any good and any recommendations?

 

[sarabande]

the surface will be too cold, and remain cold, to allow the steam to do a proper job.


Have you thought of using a biological cleaner ?


I keep recommending Oiltechnics - despite the fact that I receive absolutely zilch in commission Their support/technical advice is excellent.


http://www.oiltechnics.co.uk/Oil_Stains/index.html

 

[VicS]

There's one'which SWMBO bought, kicking around here somewhere unless its been chucked.

B*****y useless even for the domestic jobs she thought it would be useful for.

 

[pvb]

There's one'which SWMBO bought, kicking around here somewhere unless its been chucked.

B*****y useless even for the domestic jobs she thought it would be useful for.

Falls into the category of "never buy things they advertise on telly shopping channels" maybe.

 

[Seashoreman]

You could try taking the operating end off an old wallpaper steamer? I, like many people have one in the shed.

 

[sailorman]

Or Danboline and a few biers in the time & effort saved

 

[VicS]

Falls into the category of "never buy things they advertise on telly shopping channels" maybe.

or one of those little catalogs that comes in the post.

Still there at the back of the cupboard under the stairs look:

 

[LittleSister]

Handheld Steam Cleaner?

How dirty is your steam?

 

[lw395]

Scrubbing with old fashioned Vim is pretty effective.
It's abrasive so keys the surface as well.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I saw a little steam cleaner in Lidl yesterday. We've not had much luck with them in the past.

 

[sailorman]

I fail to see how one can clean old bilges sufficiently to apply flowcoat & it stays put.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

We've got a steam cleaner for clothes; works fine on things that can't be washed, and can be used to "iron" things like curtains in place. However, the water reservoir would be quite inadequate for a large project like cleaning bilges, and the steam isn't all that hot, so comments about it not being sufficient to heat the surface are also valid. Note that it doesn't wet things (that's the point!); it really works by sterilizing and hopefully evaporating residues. I can't imagine it doing much on mud!

 

[lw395]

I fail to see how one can clean old bilges sufficiently to apply flowcoat & it stays put.

Assuming they are grp and not porous, it should not be too hard.
scrub with detergent
Rinse, repeat?
scrub with abrasive like Vim, or wire brush perhaps.
Rinse well
swab with acetone.

It's worked for me, albeit on an old tender that had had oil and diesel spilt in it.
Glassed in some floor bearers no problem.

 

[rob2]

A lot must depend on the shape of the bilge as to what tools can get in there. You might consider actually removing the surface, at least sufficient to get a finish that will allow you to get something to stick! I was thinking initially of the bilge sump in my own boat, which is fairly simple as it is rectangular and, having an encapsulated keel, there are no keel bolts to work around. If mine were not already flow coated, I would consider a light application of a knotted wire wheel. They use these to rip serious rust off lorry chassis (pl?) so care is necessary to avoid seeing daylight through the hull. They also create a lot of dust and fibrous matter which WILL cause dermatitis, at least in the short term - cover all skin, dust mask and goggles required (vacuum running throughout). But a very light whizz over will remove the contaminated surface. I'd then resurface using a light cloth and epoxy for best adhesion and water proofing and to make up any lost thickness. To ensure the epoxy doesn't suffer, although not much UV gets into most bilges, I'd paint with Danboline which in the past I've found to last a decade before needing a touch up.

Rob.

 

[GrahamM376]

Or Danboline and a few biers in the time & effort saved

+1

Good scrub with detergent, a wipe over with acetone and Danboline sticks like the proverbial to a blanket.

 

[PCUK]

You need to grind the surface.
I use a small steam cleaner for steaming timber inside a plastic drain pipe. Works superbly!

 

[jwilson]

A wallpaper steamer used with just the tube end used each summer gets a years worth of grease and muck out of non-slip-textured-type tiled kitchen floors in a student house better than anything else. Transforms them from truly vile to looking like new. Only twice in 15 years have the students renting actually made any real effort to clean the floors when moving out. Even then we do it again.....

I spray on some neat strongest Cillit Bang or equivalent and then steam followed by a scrubbing brush. Don't steam the brush or the bristles melt. Then a wash off.

Suspect these floors dirtier than your bilges. After the bilges dried, if you finished with a quick rub with coarse wet and dry followed by a wipe over with acetone with all hatches open on a breezy day I think you'd get the bilges clean enough and keyed enough to flowcoat.

Danboline works well, but not on much grease/oil, but flowcoat is probably better on a GRP boat.