Best Way to Clean Power Cords

I have had great success with acetone rub down, water rinse and PB2 dressing.

Some swear by "Sav-A-Brush" paint brush restorer. It's about $2.00 at Ace Hardware.

If the plasticizers are gone the cord is on borrowed time.

A friend made his own with cordage from homedepotlowes and his own ends. It's not pretty yellow, but in comparison, it was pretty cheap.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

quote:
Originally posted by Cam

How about just wrapping the cords in electrical tape. If you take your time, it can look pretty nice and you can put just about any color you want on it. Will cost about $3.00 for the tape. As long as the cord is sound, I can't see why this isn't the way to go.

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It would end up being a huge, sticky mess after a short while.

Try acetone followed by several coats of Mop & Glow.

There is another cleaner that works even better than acetone that is sold in metal gallon containers around here. I can't recall the name of it off the top of my head. But when I remember or see it again I'll post it. The stuff isn't cheap but it works great.

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There is an Interlux mild vinyl solvent that works well, I don't recall the number. Worked great the one time we cleaned the cords, after which we used Mop N Glo which indeed took away all the stickiness. Lasted a couple of years. We haven't got around to re-cleaning them, and may never. Life's short.
 
Acetone will make the cord look good, but it damages the vinyl. The vinyl is the insulation and we need to remember that the insulation is what keeps the electricity inside the cord. Waxing it afterwards won't restore the plasticizers.

I've never tried it on power cords, but I used to use lanolin (non abrasive) hand cleaner on vinyl tool handles when they got really dirty with good results. I think it would work on power cords, but at some point, they need to be replaced.
 
someone here told me to use hand cleaner followed by mop and glow to protect the cord.

just could not get it clean enough to do a decent job with the mop and glow

RWS
 
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
 
quote:
Originally posted by KiDa

............ A friend made his own with cordage from homedepotlowes and his own ends. It's not pretty yellow, but in comparison, it was pretty cheap.
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That would be fine for a boat stored on land, but I wouldn't want to do this (or have a slip neighbor do it) for a boat that's kept in the water.

There are two or three companies making and selling these shore power cords and they are all priced about the same. If it was actually possible to make the same quality cord with the same safety features and long life for significantly less cost, someone would already be doing it and they would be selling the majority of the cords.

I'm a big fan of electricity and it has provided me with a good income over the years, but electricity and water can be a fatal mix. It's not the place to take shortcuts.
 
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)..
Click to expand...


I've used it on a power cord with limited success. There's a point where the cord is permanently dirty and the choice is to live with it or replace it. My choice was to replace it, but it was probably over ten years old, had been in use outside in the southern sun all that time, and it was a 30 amp cord and West Marine had some 40' cables they were discontinuing cheap.

I suppose it would work on a lightly soiled cord or if you used it on a regular basis to keep the cord clean.
 
I've also seen folks use Westley's Bleach White for whitewall tires followed by 303. I haven't tried that because my cord hasn't gotten that bad between cleanings. I would imagine there would be some factory finish loss, but it the cord is going to the dump if it doesn't get cleaned, why not give it a try.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

quote:
Originally posted by Cam

How about just wrapping the cords in electrical tape. If you take your time, it can look pretty nice and you can put just about any color you want on it. Will cost about $3.00 for the tape. As long as the cord is sound, I can't see why this isn't the way to go.

Click to expand...


It would end up being a huge, sticky mess after a short while.

Try acetone followed by several coats of Mop & Glow.

There is another cleaner that works even better than acetone that is sold in metal gallon containers around here. I can't recall the name of it off the top of my head. But when I remember or see it again I'll post it. The stuff isn't cheap but it works great.

Click to expand...


This is the stuff.

Marine Strip.

Best cleaner hands down for shore cords. Nothing even comes close. Clean a 50 foot cord in about 10 minutes.

http://www.restorationtechnology.biz/-products-.html

Don't waste time with the other stuff.
 
Hogan can you come and demonstrate this stuff on my boat?

Looks like good stuff!

"Will never raise the grain of wood, will not affect wood glue, will not harm fiberglass, never needs to be rinsed or neutralized. Does not burn the ski."

I really like that is Does not burn the "SKI" this could otherwise be a problem:)

I will try to find some somewhere I haven't found it online. I would love to clean my power cord and my fenders.
 
You have to call the company direct and order it.

Buy 2 quarts as the shipping is the same for one or two.
 
Rag soaked in 50/50 Clorox and water cleaned the sticky,dirty water hose(white & blue) hanging on the dock.Flushed with fresh water. Looks like new.
I will try small section of power cord.
 
quote:
Originally posted by In the know

quote:
Originally posted by dug50

I am looking for recommendations on how best to clean my dirty, sticky power cords. Also, is there anything I can treat them with to stop or at least delay cord deterioration and return of the sticky substance?
Carver 374 Voyager

Click to expand...


Replace them. Problem solved

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My 80' cable cost about $800 just for the cable.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Robyns Nest

quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

quote:
Originally posted by Cam

How about just wrapping the cords in electrical tape. If you take your time, it can look pretty nice and you can put just about any color you want on it. Will cost about $3.00 for the tape. As long as the cord is sound, I can't see why this isn't the way to go.

Click to expand...


It would end up being a huge, sticky mess after a short while.

Try acetone followed by several coats of Mop & Glow.

There is another cleaner that works even better than acetone that is sold in metal gallon containers around here. I can't recall the name of it off the top of my head. But when I remember or see it again I'll post it. The stuff isn't cheap but it works great.

Click to expand...


This is the stuff.

Marine Strip.

Best cleaner hands down for shore cords. Nothing even comes close. Clean a 50 foot cord in about 10 minutes.

http://www.restorationtechnology.biz/-products-.html

Don't waste time with the other stuff.

Click to expand...


That is the stuff. I just picked some up today to clean our 2-100a cords. It not cheap, $50.00 a gallon, but nothing works better. Just change your rags often and then follow up with Mop & Glow.

I'll post some before and after pics after we do our cords.
 
quote:
Originally posted by jmas

Rag soaked in 50/50 Clorox and water cleaned the sticky,dirty water hose(white & blue) hanging on the dock.Flushed with fresh water. Looks like new.
I will try small section of power cord.

Click to expand...

Tried Clorox on Power Cord, Does not work.

I will go with the Marine Strip.
 
quote:
Originally posted by jmas

quote:
Originally posted by jmas

Rag soaked in 50/50 Clorox and water cleaned the sticky,dirty water hose(white & blue) hanging on the dock.Flushed with fresh water. Looks like new.
I will try small section of power cord.

Click to expand...

Tried Clorox on Power Cord, Does not work.
Click to expand...

Clorox (chlorine bleach) does not clean anything. It disinfects and whitens organic stains and colors, but by itself it does not clean. It does kill mold and mildew, but by itself does not remove them.

I would not have expected it to clean a power cord.
 
I used Mr. Clean magic Eraser and Spray Nine and cleaned all the black off the cables. Need to finish with 303. Took a little time.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Sea Bitt

I used Mr. Clean magic Eraser and Spray Nine and cleaned all the black off the cables. Need to finish with 303. Took a little time.

Click to expand...
303 would be an excellent product to use for protection. 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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