Best Way to Clean Power Cords

quote:
I don't know how the Mop & Glow thing ever got started, but I can't see using indoor floor wax on an outdoor power cord and having it hold up or protect the cord from sunlight.

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While it does sound strange, it does work. In fact it's so popular here in Ft. Lauderdale that Boat Owners Warehouse stocks Mop & Glow on their shelves just for that use.
 
Here are a couple of pictures of cords cleaned with Restoration Technologies Marine Strip and a Magic Eraser:





The clean sections had not been treated with any preservative.
 
It's not difficult to find a chemical that will make the cord appear clean, but the real question is; Does the product or procedure damage the insulation in the short term or in the long term?

So is this product declared by the manufacturer as safe for Shorepower cords? I would much rather have a dirty cord than one where the insulation cracks and lets moisture in or becomes a shock hazard when wet.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

Originally posted by rawidman

It's not difficult to find a chemical that will make the cord appear clean,

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Actually, as this thread has shown, it's harder than you might think. At least to find one that doesn't melt the outer insulation layer and make the cord sticky.

As to the rest of your concerns, the outer insulation is very thick on shore cords. Plus each individual inner wire is insulated as well. Cleaning your cord is hardly likely to shorten it's working life much, if any or cause any kind of shock hazard. The ends are where most shore cord problems start.

But if having a dirty cord dragging around your boat and through your hands makes you happy, enjoy.
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I've never had any luck with acetone or other solvents on this type of insulation without the cleaner causing a sticky feel. I have had good luck with Simple Green on just about anythunbg, it's much cheaper to try, and it just hoses off. Try some one small section and rub with a towel or paper towels as a test.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

Originally posted by rawidman

It's not difficult to find a chemical that will make the cord appear clean,

Click to expand...


Actually, as this thread has shown, it's harder than you might think. At least to find one that doesn't melt the outer insulation layer and make the cord sticky.

As to the rest of your concerns, the outer insulation is very thick on shore cords. Plus each individual inner wire is insulated as well. Cleaning your cord is hardly likely to shorten it's working life much, if any or cause any kind of shock hazard. The ends are where most shore cord problems start.

But if having a dirty cord dragging around your boat and through your hands makes you happy, enjoy.
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Having spent my entire life in the electrical and electronics industry, I have a pretty good handle on the thickness of the insulation and the fact that the individual conductors are also insulated. You probably didn't know that so I'm not offended by your reply.

I'm familiar enough with plastics to know that many chemicals will damage them. Sometimes the damage is obvious, sometimes it is not, it's more of an incremental thing.

I don't enjoy having a dirty power cord, nobody does. MY point is, it's better to leave it dirty than to harm it trying to clean it. If it really bothers you, replacing the cord is the best bet. You can buy covers for power cords, but from my viewpoint, covers are more trouble than they are worth unless it's going to be set up in one place more or less permanently.
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I've been using Marine Strip for about 3 years now and have had zero stickyness with the cords. No breakdown of the outer casing.

This is the answer to the problem. Trust me.
 
Dug50;

a solution to part of your challenge may be a little simpler than you may have thought. i'm assuming the cord in question is the one left out in the sun at the dock when the boat is not being used. get an amp meter and see how much your max connected load is when you are not on the boat. see if you can get the max load down to a manageable 20 amps and then use a 30 amp cord with appropriate connectors to change up to 50amp connection on the boat.

you will still need a fresh 50 amp cable for travel but it will stay in a locker out of the sun.

if you can get the boat to run on one a/c unit and battery charger when not in use you'll be good. on the surface what I'm describing is not the cheapest route but going forward you will only need to replace a pair of $50.00 cord and having a dual 30/50 amp up converter on board is likely to come in handy when you travel.
 
quote:
Originally posted by rawidman
Having spent my entire life in the electrical and electronics industry, I have a pretty good handle on the thickness of the insulation and the fact that the individual conductors are also insulated. You probably didn't know that so I'm not offended by your reply.

I'm familiar enough with plastics to know that many chemicals will damage them. Sometimes the damage is obvious, sometimes it is not, it's more of an incremental thing.

I don't enjoy having a dirty power cord, nobody does. MY point is, it's better to leave it dirty than to harm it trying to clean it. If it really bothers you, replacing the cord is the best bet. You can buy covers for power cords, but from my viewpoint, covers are more trouble than they are worth unless it's going to be set up in one place more or less permanently.

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I wasn't aware of you back ground and I wasn't trying to offend you.

While I'm sure cleaning the cord does cause some wear/damage to the outer insulation, I have never seen it cause anything like what I would call premature wear that would shorten it's life span.

And 50 amp, not to mention 100 amp, cord sets are just way to expensive to throw out just because they are dirty.

Plus at this level of boating it's a lot about the show and trying to keep things looking squared away, ship shape and well taken care of. And having dirty cords all the time is considered bad form by many. So I'll take my chances with cleaning them a few times a year.

Besides, it helps keep the mate/deck hands busy and out of the rum locker. :-)
 
My point is that some cleaners or chemicals have been recommended that may damage the cord over the long term. Acetone, in particular. The recommendation seems to be to clean the cord with acetone and then repair the damage with Mop & Glow interior floor wax.

The other day, I was cleaning something in my shop and poured a small amount of acetone into a plastic cup. When I turned around a minute or so later the entire cup was gone! The acetone dissolved it. Acetone is a great cleaner in the proper situation. Plastic is not something that should normally be cleaned with acetone.

If the Marine Strip product mentioned above is approved for power cables, that would seem to be a good choice. None of us have the testing facilities and expertise to determine the extent of damage of cleaning products and anything that requires repairing the cord after cleaning is not a good idea.
 
And my point is I already have a lab that I do my testing in. It's called the real world. And it's work well enough for me over the years that I have not seen the need to invest in my own personal multimillion dollar test facility.

"The other day, I was cleaning something in my shop and poured a small amount of acetone into a plastic cup. When I turned around a minute or so later the entire cup was gone! The acetone dissolved it. Acetone is a great cleaner in the proper situation. Plastic is not something that should normally be cleaned with acetone."

See, real world testing works. Now you know not to put acetone in plastic cups made out of that particular type of plastic. Those of us who have tested it on shore cords have found it does not dissolve our cords to the point of putting holes in them. :-)

But I would recommend the Marine Strip or Vinyl Prep before acetone.
 
So you're not going to let this go. [:-irked]

Your "real world" lab hasn't tested the long term effect of acetone on a shorepower cord. You haven't cleaned one with acetone twic a year for five years and then compared it under a microscope against one of the same age that was kept in the same location for the same amount of time but never cleaned.

You haven't tested it to see if it's lost any of its insulating or dielectric properties.

We know from reports of people who have used acetone to clean power cords that it leaves the surface sticky and they have to resort to floor wax in an attempt to restore the surface. That's enought to tell me it's a bad idea. If you or anyone else thinks otherwise, that's fine. I'm not trying to force anyone to do anything or not do anything. I'm just trying to educate by putting the information out there for them to consider.
 
Ron, Capt Bill is for real and so are you. I happen to agree Acetone shouldn't be used on wires with insulation. I don't think he advocates using Acetone.
I just tried some cleaner made or I should say distributed by one of the power cord manufactures so far I'm not impressed.
I'll probably just replace my 2 30 amp 25' cords.
Bill
 
"So you're not going to let this go."

Would you like to be the kettle or pot on this one? :-)

"I'm not trying to force anyone to do anything or not do anything. I'm just trying to educate by putting the information out there for them to consider."

Nor I'm I and as have I.
 
I sent an E-mail to Hubbell Wiring Technical Service and this is their response.

"Any PVC cleaner or mineral spirits will work. Have a good day."

Technical Service Department
Hubbell Wiring Device - Kellems
Phone (475) 882-4820
 
Water-less hand cleaner without pumice. Cheap, works great, does not harm the cable. Used it for many years, surprised others haven't.
 
quote:
Originally posted by marathon man

Water-less hand cleaner without pumice. Cheap, works great, does not harm the cable. Used it for many years, surprised others haven't.

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That's what I suggested earlier in this thread.
 
quote:
Originally posted by ranger42c

Star Brite Power Cable Cleaner/Protector works pretty well on fenders, so I assume it'd work equally well on shorepower cable. It's not magic -- took me almost an hour to clean one fairly grim 12x30" fender -- but it does the job. I can only assume it doesn't damage the vinyl and it adds some protection, since it's purpose-made (or at least purpose-marketed).

Marinco makes some fabric sleeves for encasing shorepower cables (link posted, above), and we use those on our stationary (stay at home) cord. The fabric deteriorates after a 2-3 years in the sunlight, but the sleeves do help ward off the dirt and grime, and they seem to protect the integrity of the vinyl insulation.

FWIW, even with the cost of 50-amp cable, we've found it useful to leave one reasonably well protected cordset at our home slip, and travel with another cordset. The latter doesn't suffer all the abuse of constant sunlight, etc., so stays cleaner anyway. The home/travel arrangement also makes it easier/faster to arrive/depart our own slip, especially given the weight and bulk of 50-amp cables.

-Chris

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An update: Starbrite Inflatable Boat & Fender Cleaner/Protector worked slightly better on our remaining fenders (after I used up all the cable cleaner). Haven't tried on shore power cable yet...

-Chris
 
I’m really supersized that no one gave the best answer to this perplexing question – let you wife do it!
 
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