Rinsing off Oxalic Acid

Oxalic acid is toxic, as described above. However, it is also not very soluble: so actually there is little in the solution you use to clean your topsides. However, do wear gloves and specs for you eyes.

I would really discourage the use of wall paper paste (or flour!): it is just too messy. This year I found that it is MUCH more effective to mix you oxalic acid solution 1:1 v/v with Fairy Liquid (or equivalent), then shake to bottle up and squirt the dense goo over the boat, spreading it with a sponge. The green dye in Fairy liquid is enough to show where you have put the mix and it stays there for a while. It is VERY easy to remove with water - with the added advantage that the detergents (mild) in the Fairy Liquid also help to remove greasy grime.

Hope that helps.

With regards to environmental issues: oxalic acid is toxic, but can be easily metabolized by lots of microorganisms in the soil, so I guess its persistence will be very limited: maybe someone has done the research...
 
I thought detergents a la Fairy liquid were alkaline - is that not going to reduce the effectiveness of the aid?

Never had a chemistry lesson in my life, so may be wrong. Pity, not much use for Latin in maintaining a boat.
 
I've recently been using Xanthan Gum for a solution I needed to thicken in order to paint a vertical surface. It's used to thicken such things as salad dressing and soup. I got very good results, and you don't need very much: from about 5ml per litre.

This is the best price I could find for a small quantity: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B006JILF2O/dolcetto-21
 
I very rarely use Oxalic acid, in fact it is only used by me to remove stains from gel coat in small areas that cant easily be reached. I use it more in antique restoration than I do on boats.

The standard mix is 10% with warm water, I have found that increasing the mix further has little effect.

I can see the relevance of adding a cleaning solution to the mix to see where you are going, but fairy liquid has a massive amount of salt in its content, also if the solution is not working to the point where you can see where you have cleaned - why bother? unless your name is VicS, stay away from mixing chemicals, I know you are safe and there will be no harm done in this instance, but just as a rule.

Once rinsed with water the area will need working again with a cleaning solution to completely rid the surface of oxalic, a rinse may look as if it has done the job but it wont have under close inspection.

Seajet, I thought you purchased a bottle of unknown cleaner from a chandlers that gave the reaction down your arms, the chances of them selling you a bottle of oxalic and water is odd. Are you sure it wasn't a boat barnacle remover or similar, or a hull cleaner perhaps?

If general / regular washing, only use what you would be willing to bath in yourself.

Believe it or not, I had to rescue a small child wielding a bottle of barnacle remover the other week, she was about to be 'helping daddy' with the cleaning. Of course no glasses, mask or gloves, she could only have been around 10.
I did try to explain to the dad just what was in the bottle, he seemed clearly more interested in how his pressure washer went together, perhaps I had overstepped the mark, so I mentioned that I have a medical kit in the van that included an eye bath station, there must have been something in those words because as soon as I said it, he seemed somewhat more interested in what she was doing.

To the OP, use common sense and treat it as unknown, gloves, goggles and a mask for when it is dry and in the air.
 
TiggerToo said:
Oxalic acid is toxic, as described above. However, it is also not very soluble: so actually there is little in the solution you use to clean your topsides. However, do wear gloves and specs for you eyes.
This year I found that it is MUCH more effective to mix you oxalic acid solution 1:1 v/v with Fairy Liquid (or equivalent), then shake to bottle up and squirt the dense goo over the boat, spreading it with a sponge.
Click to expand...

Appreciably soluble: about 14g/100ml @25C so there is a fair quantity in a saturated solution.

jwilson said:
I thought detergents a la Fairy liquid were alkaline -
Click to expand...
as near as I can tell with a wide range pH paper its neutral. pH 7

I'm not sure of the connection with Latin but that, along with some science, is something everyone should learn. Sadly, although I can still remember some science, my Latin is very rusty.

Marine Reflections said:
unless your name is VicS, stay away from mixing chemicals,
Click to expand...
I can remember pipetting saturated oxalic acid solution by mouth ... on a regular daily basis :eek:
 
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VicS said:
Appreciably soluble: about 14g/100ml @25C so there is a fair quantity in a saturated solution.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know that. But let's say you are a small guy, like antarticpilot. He says he needs 50g to kill him. That means he would have to drink over half a pint of that. Now, we are talking skin absorption here, so I really doubt you'd be taking up anything near that with a few splashes of diluted (not saturated) solution. So, with regards to risk assessment: use PPE (gloves, lab coat/overall, safety specs) and work sensibly. Seems OK to me.

It is OBVIOUS that Fairly Liquid is neutral: has anyone ever seen any of the ads for the last 30 years.... it is GENTLY FOR THE HANDS!!!!! . You don't need Latin, to understand ITV. :rolleyes:
 
Noahsdad said:
Conjugate the verb to clean!
Click to expand...

Simple present
I clean
you clean
he cleans
we clean
you clean
they clean

Present progressive/continuous
I am cleaning
you are cleaning
he is cleaning
we are cleaning
you are cleaning
they are cleaning

Simple past
I cleaned
you cleaned
he cleaned
we cleaned
you cleaned
they cleaned

Past progressive/continuous
I was cleaning
you were cleaning
he was cleaning
we were cleaning
you were cleaning
they were cleaning

Present perfect simple
I have cleaned
you have cleaned
he has cleaned
we have cleaned
you have cleaned
they have cleaned

Present perfect progressive/continuous
I have been cleaning
you have been cleaning
he has been cleaning
we have been cleaning
you have been cleaning
they have been cleaning

Past perfect
I had cleaned
you had cleaned
he had cleaned
we had cleaned
you had cleaned
they had cleaned

Past perfect progressive/continuous
I had been cleaning
you had been cleaning
he had been cleaning
we had been cleaning
you had been cleaning
they had been cleaning

Future
I will/shall clean
you will clean
he will clean
we will/shall clean
you will clean
they will clean

Future progressive/continuous
I will/shall be cleaning
you will be cleaning
he will be cleaning
we will/shall be cleaning
you will be cleaning
they will be cleaning

Future perfect
I will/shall have cleaned
you will have cleaned
he will have cleaned
we will/shall have cleaned
you will have cleaned
they will have cleaned

Future perfect continuous
I will/shall have been cleaning
you will have been cleaning
he will have been cleaning
we will/shall have been cleaning
you will have been cleaning
they will have been cleaning

Conditional
Simple
I would/should clean
you would clean
he would clean
we would/should clean
you would clean
they would clean

Progressive
I would/should be cleaning
you would be cleaning
he would be cleaning
we would/should be cleaning
you would be cleaning
they would be cleaning

Perfect
I would/should have cleaned
you would have cleaned
he would have cleaned
we would/should have cleaned
you would have cleaned
they would have cleaned

Perfect progressive
I would/should have been cleaning
you would have been cleaning
he would have been cleaning
we would/should have been cleaning
you would have been cleaning
they would have been cleaning
 
Spirit of Glenans said:
Sadly, there's only me here to do the pedantic bit: The horizontal surfaces on boats are usually referred to as decks, the topsides are the vertical surfaces of the hull between boot-top and toe-rail.
Click to expand...

Thanks, was getting to me also... Not much room in the pedantic room at present though, I normally take up two seats at least!
New thread needed, what do folk consider to be 'the topsides' ?

I get it all the time...I try to explain that the topsides are not exactly 'on top' and get looks that make me question it again and again, so many people assume topsides are the decks or superstructure, be interesting to know how many will admit it.
 
Marine Reflections said:
Thanks, was getting to me also... Not much room in the pedantic room at present though, I normally take up two seats at least!
New thread needed, what do folk consider to be 'the topsides' ?

I get it all the time...I try to explain that the topsides are not exactly 'on top' and get looks that make me question it again and again, so many people assume topsides are the decks or superstructure, be interesting to know how many will admit it.
Click to expand...

You are right about the meaning when applied to yachts but different when applied to ships.

From the Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea

topsides
1 That part of the side of a ship which is above the main wales. The term referred particularly to square-rigged sailing warships, where the main wales ran level with the bottom of the upper deck gunports. In its modern meaning it usually refers to that portion of the ship's side which rises above the upper deck though the term is often loosely used to refer to the upper deck itself. For example ‘I'm going topsides’ means ‘I'm going on the upper deck.’

2 The sides of yachts, above the boottop, are also known as topsides.​
 
Highndry said:
What precautions do I need to take regarding the Oxalic/wallpaper paste mix as I rinse it off my topsides? Is it a case of as long as it's diluted enough, it's safe?
Click to expand...

Sorry, should have read 'as I rinse it off the mostly horizontal bit'. To clarify, I'm only planning on using it on the slightly yellowed 'white' bits - cockpit, seats, deck, anchor locker and either side of the companionway. Essentially everything above the 'rubbing strake'?
 
Highndry said:
Sorry, should have read 'as I rinse it off the mostly horizontal bit'. To clarify, I'm only planning on using it on the slightly yellowed 'white' bits - cockpit, seats, deck, anchor locker and either side of the companionway. Essentially everything above the 'rubbing strake'?
Click to expand...

Mentioned the Personal protection.
I would also consider the cleaning / whitening effect it may have on the vertical 'topsides' as it runs off.

You could be left with 'clean' runs down the surface.
Where it does run off and the areas you work, you will have to clean over again with a normal soap type wash to remove all traces of oxalic.

I would test the solution (whatever you decide to use) on each and every cosmetic it will come into contact with for adverse reactions.

In my opinion a 10% solution added to warm water alone will work.
 
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