rogera
New Member
my sails are in good condition but could do with a bath! has anyone got advice/experience to pass on re. the best method to use - short of using my local sail maker.
rogera
rogera
sail cleaning
- Thread starter rogera
- Start date
stevebirch2002
Well-Known Member
Every year I wash my mainsail and furling genoa in the bath. One sail at a time (27' Vega) and soak in the bath with Dreft or similar mild soap flake powder. Rinse three or four times with clean water after one day, hang over the bannisters to dry, fold and store until you need them. I take no responsibilty on what SWMBO will say or do to your manhood.......
manimbored
Active Member
If you have any green algae on them it should come off with a powerhose
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
I\'ve seen/used the following
and which one U use is dependent upon sail-size>
1. Powerwasher on the slip - got the salt out and most of the marks but collected lots of dirt from the platform.
2. Bath and a scrubbing brush - with or without soap. The most uncomfortable, saturating, inefficient and relation damaging method.
3. Finding a commercial laundry with a large-drum machine (the cheapest and most effective, providing you watch out for them tryin g to bleach and boil sails to whiteness).
4. Bypassing sailmakers and going to their launderers - very inconvenient as there are only about 6 in the UK and all of them appear very suspicious of yotties.
Best thing to do is to regularly hose down your sails, after a thresh to windward, to remove the salt before it dries into the fabric.
I did once use a Hotpoint top-loader at home (they had an enormous drum and an alleged 12kg load, far larger than modern machines). This was economically disastrous as a new machine was far more expensive than the sailmaker.
and which one U use is dependent upon sail-size>
1. Powerwasher on the slip - got the salt out and most of the marks but collected lots of dirt from the platform.
2. Bath and a scrubbing brush - with or without soap. The most uncomfortable, saturating, inefficient and relation damaging method.
3. Finding a commercial laundry with a large-drum machine (the cheapest and most effective, providing you watch out for them tryin g to bleach and boil sails to whiteness).
4. Bypassing sailmakers and going to their launderers - very inconvenient as there are only about 6 in the UK and all of them appear very suspicious of yotties.
Best thing to do is to regularly hose down your sails, after a thresh to windward, to remove the salt before it dries into the fabric.
I did once use a Hotpoint top-loader at home (they had an enormous drum and an alleged 12kg load, far larger than modern machines). This was economically disastrous as a new machine was far more expensive than the sailmaker.
John_N
Well-Known Member
A wheelie-bin is much more convenient than the bath. Keeps SWMBO happy too (although she prefers the bath for her own ablutions!)
stevebirch2002
Well-Known Member
That has sorted out SWMBO birthday pressie next week, she will be 50 (dont say I said) and I think if I could get a Wheelie Bin in blue then that would be great... I'll let you know how it goes!
