Steam cleaning

[Guest]

After my recent water in bilge problem which carried on for some time but now cured, I am left with a
pretty dirty bilge keel area between the two engines (Crown 37 twin HT6354's)

Most of it from the flooding but some from the engines. Is it possible to STEAM CLEAN an engine
bay, if so does it work and who could do it, or can you hire the equipment your self.

Obviously I would have to clear the resultant water prgressively using my portable pump due to
the oil content.

cneighbour

 

[hlb]

You can but at risk of upsetting the electrics. Much easier to use a degreaser or bilge cleaner and wash off. If you can find a garden spray or borrow the wifes purfume spray thingy! It spreads it about better and just wash off after a few minutes.
Try to miss the electric bits.

Haydn

 

[boatmad2]

If you do youll get the worst case of condensation you can imagine. you can hire pressure washers some have pressure control so you can reduce the pressure down. I would rather use something like gunk and water finally blotting the last up with a cloth

 

[DepSol]

See toobaz for some bilge cleaner, he has the really good stuff.

Dom

 

[ccscott49]

I use a really powerful liquid detergent we have on the rig, I liberate about a litre at a time, which lasts ages. But! You can go to a fishermans type supply place, I know one in Brixham, but they must be evrywhere, and they have this type of degreaser, it doent smell like gunk or any of the others, its biodegradeable and b
reaks down the oiul, so you can pump it out offshore, legally! Dont use a pressure washer, you will regret it, I know. Daz also works a dream, get in there with hot water, daz and an old washing up brush, steal one! and then beg or borrow a wet and dry vacunm, the result will be spotless bilges, but a dirty skipper or crew, small people are better at this, if you know what I mean, nudge nudge!

 

[longjohnsilver]

Bilgex

Try bilgex, it's excellent for dispersing oil and leaves a pleasant smell unlike gunk etc. You shouldn't need a steam cleaner, just do as csscott says.

 

[piratequeen]

After reading all this Himself has got the steam cleaner out of the attic and is going to try steam cleaning in between the slats on the inside of the cabin, which we do each year with jif and a brush, but means the slats have to be unscrewed and taken off, a long and fiddly job! Will let you know how he gets on. (By the way I'll be at work in a nice clean dry office!)