Sail cleaning

[spidy]

Can any one tell me if i read a thread on here or read it in the PBO mag about sail cleaning.
It said about using a jet washer to do the job, and would like to give it a go as my sails this year are covered with dead flys and the usual end of season grime, and what detergent to use, no not expensive stuff am only a poor sailor and no she won't let me put them in the bath and they won't fit in the washing machine. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[AIDY]

I always clean mine on a nice sunny day when their is no wind in the marina...

unfurl the genoa and hoist the main and get the hose pipe out. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

simple as that.

 

[Bosunof]

Local sail loft use a tarpaulin on a car park and then hose down with a high pressure hose with no detergent. Seems to do the job. Drying it properly is a must though. Mould can develop quickly and will stain permanently, so I believe.

 

[Allan]

To clean the sails on my old boat I made a tank from a plastic sheet and wood, bricks etc. I filled this with water and biotex. I left them to soak overnight then rinsed them in the tank and with fresh water from a normal hose. The sails both looked great afterwards. Personally I would be reluctant to use a pressure washer, in case it damages the cloth.
Allan

 

[castaway]

I was talking to Mark Flew at Flew Sails yesterday about this, and apparently the sail laundry have a smooth rasin coated concrete floor and use a pressure washer with some sort of rotating end on it...not used close up to the cloth.. as this could easily damage it. After pressure washing on the 'floor' it hung up and rinsed, then the other side done.

Then the sail is hung up to thoroughly dry.

Nick

 

[Billjratt]

Karcher now do a wand with multi jets instead of the old continuously variable "fan to needle" style. One of the new options is a rotating squiggler, which sounds right for this job.

 

[mikehibb]

The swimming pool at our complex in Turkey is due to be shut down for the winter after the families finish the half term break end of next week.

Wonder if I can persude them to let me use it for a couple of days the following week. (reduce the chemical mix of course)

 

[Greylaguk]

I picked up some good advice from a previous thread of about 5 years ago - I can’t find it now. Use a cleaned out wheely-bin, partly filled with warmish water and with 2 pkts of biotex dissolved into it. Tip in your sail and top up the water to cover it, or better still, weigh it down so that the sail is totally immersed. Soak for about 24 hours; best if you can sit the bin in the sun - if you can find any. A black plastic bin keeps the heat better and it can be moved around to follow the sun if necessary. After the soak remove the sail and scrub off any stubborn stains before hosing down with clean fresh water. I scrub down on a large tarpaulin or one of those large disposable plastic dustcoat sheets which is placed on any available flat surface. To drain and dry off, I hoist my sail up an extending ladder leant against a convenient wall. It works for me.