DaySailer.org Forum

My wife and I just bought a used Widgeon that is in need of a good cleaning. What would be a good cleaner to use to get out stains and mold on the fiberglass? Also, could you suggest a good boat paint? Thanks.

I would start with any household cleaners you think may work, like mr clean magic eraser, tilex, etc. For fg work try to stay away from the abrasives like comet, or chemical cleaners that will soften the gelcoat like acetone.

When (and where) those fail, move on to the heavier duty (and more hazardous) cleaners like oxylic acid, mild muratic acid, and the like. Make sure you understand the hazards and protect yourself accordingly.

I used "Comet with bleach" and some scrub brushs to clean my boat up. Others sugested softscrub with bleach

I just cleaned mine a few days ago with regular car soap. I also took the time to wax the topsides, excluding the nonskid areas... I'll will likely never wax it again. Slipped on a waxed section while stepping the mast, it could have been very bad ... just my two cents.
Bob

A friend of mine suggested that I use smooth top range cleaner on my boat. He said that it worked really well on his and makes the fiberglass look wet and shiny all the time. I haven't tried it yet, but bought a bottle for my next boat wash.

Sean McGuire
1984 DSII "Iona"

Thanks everyone for your input. I will try cleaning this weekend.

A buddy of mine suggested Sno-Bol. He used it on his ski boat and it really shined 'er up. It didn't really seem to do much good when I tried it on The Red Witch, tho ...

I have used soft scrub w/ clorox and it worked well, but I have recently used Tri Sodium Phosphate ( TSP) and it worked on my old DS 1 very well. The old green deck color went from moldy and old to just old in no time. Accually it looked much beter than I could have hoped for.