Mildew stains

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BoatCrazy

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Dropped the canvas off at the mechanic the other day so he can put it on the boat. He told me the under part of the bimini has mildew stains. The under part is a sunbrella vinyl.

What can I use to clean it? Can I put bleach right on it? Im not sure if it will discolor it or not?
 
I've had success with many products, mostly canvas cleaner and vinegar, but even soft scrub for tough ones (I'd dilute some in water and brush on the canvas). I then had to re-treat the canvas with waterproofing afterwards.
 
The bimini top of my enclosure is also Sunbrella with the vinyl underside laminate/coating. The major drawback with that product is it doesn't breathe like plain Sunbrella. As a result mildew tends to form on underside. Sunbrella in itself is bullet proof when it comes to bleach. I have taken a 3x3" (teal colored) piece & soaked it in straight laundry bleach for 24 hours & saw no change vs control. I have used 50/50 bleach & water to remove mildew but even better (best)is a Lysol spray mildew remover. Works better than straight bleach.
 
I was thinking of using a "house hold" cleaner or a bathroom cleaner to get the mildew out, but I was skeptical. Looks like Ill give it a try.

should I use a soft brush or a hard brush?
 
quote:
Originally posted by BoatCrazy

I was thinking of using a "house hold" cleaner or a bathroom cleaner to get the mildew out, but I was skeptical. Looks like Ill give it a try.

should I use a soft brush or a hard brush?

Click to expand...

I don't use a brush at all. If I use the Lysol product; I just spray it on; let sit for a minute or two & rinse off. If there is some white residue left behind; try re rinsing with clean water. If installed use wet rag to remove any residue. If still present, I apply 303 Vinyl Protectant; "NOT" Fabric Guard.
 
Non scrub, even better!

Thanks, ill see this weekend if it works.
 
The bimini on my old boat was the vinyl backed Sunbrella. I found that Spray Nine did a good job of cleaning, but more important seemed to prevent mildew from forming.
 
I ve had good luck using the thicker chlorox bleach gel (supermarket laundry aisle) with mildew stains on vinyl cushions scrubbing with a stiff brush and then leaving it on a few minutes
 
I just cleaned my cockpit Sunbrella cover. While the outside seemed ok, the inside was full of mildew. I used a spray bottle with diluted bleach (about 6-1 ratio) and a brush to lightly srub it. The mildew was mostly gone but I could still see some staining as I held it up to the sun. I put it in the washer, added about quart of bleach and left if soak for 2 hours. Ran the washer and then set it out to dry. Looks like new again. More than likely I will have to wet it down to get it back on the boat due to shrinkage and let dry while snapped in place. Once dry I'll apply water proofing.
 
I checked with a canvass guy a couple of years ago when I had the same problem with mine. He told me he uses plain old Tilex Mold & Mildew. I was skeptial about using it on my navy blue canvass, but it worked well and didn't discolor it at all.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that it will come back.
Not so much because the Tilex doesn't work, but more because the conditions that created the mildew in the first place still exist.
I found that having a set of screens made up for my side windows instead of just the eisenglass helped a lot becaue of the airflow under the canvass when the boat was closed up. The bad part about that is the interior will get wet and a bit dirty when the rain comes down on a cetain direction.
I use the screens during the hotter summer months, and put the plastic windows in for the spring and fall.
 
John, on my back drop of the canvas I have a screen. Its a piece of eisenglas that rolls up and then the screen is there. In the front I have horse shoes cut out in my front stratta glass. I do not leave them fully open, but I leave them cracked so I can get the air to flow through. Yet, I still get the mildew.

I tried a bunch more cleaners, and nothing really worked. Maybe I am not patient enough...?

Looks like straight clorox for colors is my next try..
 
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