Non sudsing or low sudsing detergent for gelcoat washing

[Irish Rover]

Here in Türkiye it's forbidden to use detergents for boat washing. The rule is mostly ignored but recently I've been told by the marina that someone has complained about me using detergent - I was actually using a biodegradable washing up liquid. The nosey parker may well complain to the coast guard station in the marina if i ignore him. I know some owners are using diluted chlorine but I'm concerned this can damage the gelcoat, window rubbers, etc. Does anyone know of a decent non-sudsing detergent or other product I can use?

 

[Refueler]

Sounds like a trip to a quiet little cove and get job done there !!

I would assume their interpretation of Detergent will be quite wide ranging ... incl literally any cleaning medium ...

 

[Minerva]

I use a spray bottle filled with Oxalic acid crystals & water made to a strong mix. Into it I put a decent squirt of Ecover washing up liquid. A quiet anchorage and a pleasant hour going round the hull spraying and wiping with a sponge in the tender gets the boat back to pure white very nicely indeed with minimal effort.

You could use bilt hamber surfex hd inplace of the washing up liquid - less foamy than washing up liquid but still some foam and still ecologically sound...

 

[Irish Rover]

Sounds like a trip to a quiet little cove and get job done there !!

I would assume their interpretation of Detergent will be quite wide ranging ... incl literally any cleaning medium ...

Plenty of quiet coves around, but not with fresh water on tap. I know I can rinse off with sea water but it's a lot of faffing on a 43' catamaran.
No suds, no lasting evidence.

 

[Irish Rover]

I use a spray bottle filled with Oxalic acid crystals & water made to a strong mix. Into it I put a decent squirt of Ecover washing up liquid. A quiet anchorage and a pleasant hour going round the hull spraying and wiping with a sponge in the tender gets the boat back to pure white very nicely indeed with minimal effort.

You could use bilt hamber surfex hd inplace of the washing up liquid - less foamy than washing up liquid but still some foam and still ecologically sound...

Thanks. I use oxalic acid on the deck but I find it needs a lot of rinsing afterwards with fresh water to stop white streaking. As regards bilt hamber surfex hd it's €85 a litre here.

 

[Minerva]

Thanks. I use oxalic acid on the deck but I find it needs a lot of rinsing afterwards with fresh water to stop white streaking. As regards bilt hamber surfex hd it's €85 a litre here.

Oooft! Think I paid about £25 for 5l! Great stuff mind you.

 

[Refueler]

I use a spray bottle filled with Oxalic acid crystals & water made to a strong mix. Into it I put a decent squirt of Ecover washing up liquid. A quiet anchorage and a pleasant hour going round the hull spraying and wiping with a sponge in the tender gets the boat back to pure white very nicely indeed with minimal effort.

You could use bilt hamber surfex hd inplace of the washing up liquid - less foamy than washing up liquid but still some foam and still ecologically sound...

Oxalic is bad news in the water .... I appreciate that the amount we put into the water is miniscule in the way of things - but its still not good.

 

[Baddox]

Laundry detergent designed for front loader machines contains sud suppressors. The detergent powders may contain oxygen based bleach, have a higher pH and will clea slightly better than liquid laundry detergent.

 

[ducked]

Oxalic is bad news in the water .... I appreciate that the amount we put into the water is miniscule in the way of things - but its still not good.

Is it?

As a naturally occuring organic carbon source I would expect it to be readily biodegraded by a wide range of common microbes,

Role of oxalic acid in fungal and bacterial metabolism and its biotechnological potential - PMC

 

[Refueler]

Is it?

As a naturally occuring organic carbon source I would expect it to be readily biodegraded by a wide range of common microbes,

Role of oxalic acid in fungal and bacterial metabolism and its biotechnological potential - PMC

The common source of Oxalic is Rhubard ... and the amount contained in a large Rhubard plant will be miniscule compared to the amount you would use to clean a small boat.
Yes its a biological derived substance - but in the concentrations we use .. it is a poison. The amount we use would overwhelm any natural breakdown other than dilution in large volume of water ... and preferably moving - so it dissipates better.

There are others that fall into similar category ... Rhodedendrum ... Deadly Night Shade .... and many others.

Check out its MSDS and other references ... why do you think its banned from being flushed into marina waters etc ?

 

[rotrax]

We had our Island Packet SP Cruiser professionaly polished some years ago using a local highly recomended guy and 3M products. He advised only using fresh water to clean as detergents and cleaning products remove the wax/polymers he had expesively applied.

By comparison to a friends boat of the same model who uses a power washer and detergents, it was good advice. Five years on we still have a shine, his boat is dull and has 'lifeless' paint.

I use a hose and a brush on a handle, sized to let me get around the deck fittings easily. It is hard work for an old guy-I am 78-but it keeps me fit I suppose.

His advice was certainly worth it.