Cleaning Sun Shades?

[Djoub]

Does anyone have recommendations or secret tips on how to clean white external sun screens? I just bought the boat and the screens have stains and looks like some black mold starting. No $$$ to replace right now and boat is slipped in Florida. Tough on the AC with them off. They feel like heavy canvas with a vinyl (?) coating. Ideas?

[menzies]

Originally Posted by Djoub

Does anyone have recommendations or secret tips on how to clean white external sun screens? I just bought the boat and the screens have stains and looks like some black mold starting. No $$$ to replace right now and boat is slipped in Florida. Tough on the AC with them off. They feel like heavy canvas with a vinyl (?) coating. Ideas?

Probably happens because your windows are in the water all the time based on your photo!

Seriously though, do you have a pic of the screens? There are some good, non bleach, mold cleaners out there. I would also like to see if your screen are washing machine capable.

[Comodave]

You might try Mildew Stain Remover.

[O C Diver]

You may have Phifertex screen / shade material. Mine are difficult to clean. On mine the edges are folded twice, creating 3 layers, and then stitched together. Being a mesh, stuff grows between the layers and is near about impossible to clean out. I can get mine sort of clean with mildew cleaner and some bleach. The bottom folded edge never gets real clean.

[siestakey]

fold and soak in a solution of oxyclean works wonders BTW I will be in Parrish next week

[Simi 60]

Cheap no brand vinegar.

https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-l...g-rid-of-mould

[Dougcole]

Coming from someone who lives in the moldiest place on earth, I can tell you that for anything that "grows" on a boat bleach is your friend. I'm not talking about common dirt, I mean plant like stuff. Mold, mildew etc.

The trick is to use the weakest solution that will get the job done. Lay them out on the dock and soak them in a solution of soapy water mixed with bleach. If they are really moldy I'd start with about 4 ounces per gallon. Work up from there if needed. My guess is that 8 oz per gallon will do the trick, but again use as little as possible. You don't really have to scrub but you can if you want to.

We live over a swamp. I had some stuff growing on the screens on the back porch of our dirt house, that nothing would touch. I tried every commercial house cleaner I could find, vinegar, a pressure washer, you name it. I eventually used pool chlorine in a pump sprayer mixed about 70% chlorine to 30% water. That finally cleaned them.

Bleach is hard on the stuff around it though, so be careful.

[boathealer]

The brilliant previous owner of my boat solved that problem............black.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Dougcole

Coming from someone who lives in the moldiest place on earth, I can tell you that for anything that "grows" on a boat bleach is your friend. I'm not talking about common dirt, I mean plant like stuff. Mold, mildew etc.

Common misconception.

Bleach does nothing more than bleach the spores.
It does not kill them.
Vinegar kills the spores.

Some reading

http://www.mycologia.com.au/dont-use-bleach/

Also don't mix bleach and vinegar, it makes toxic chlorine gas.

[FoxtrotCharlie]

Correction - a mild solution of bleach to water - max 15% bleach - will kill the mold. Pure bleach puts the mold spores into shock, and the spores stop taking any liquids over the membrane, hence pure bleach will not kill the spores. But the weak solution will cross the membrane, thus killing the spores. Learned this while helping on the MS coast after Katrina

[siestakey]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Common misconception.

Bleach does nothing more than bleach the spores.
It does not kill them.
Vinegar kills the spores.

Some reading

DONT USE BLEACH — MYCOLOGIA

Also don't mix bleach and vinegar, it makes toxic chlorine gas.

True and I live very near DougCole Vinegar does wonders killing the spores but in most cases does not clean the mess

So on the hard stuff we use both NOT AT THE SAME TIME

[Djoub]

So what I am reading is: Oxyclean, Vinegar, Bleach(15%), or a Clorine Mixture. I’m getting some Oxy tomorrow, will try a couple of tests to see what might work best. Tried putting the small side one in the washing machine with some bleach, came out cleaner but not great and it left the fabric wrinkled. Will use the bath tub for the bigger ones. Will let you know what worked best. Thanks for the inputs.

[dhays]

One of the things that I've always had on hand on my boats is a spray bottle with a 10% bleach solution. (ie 1:9 ratio of household bleach to water). It gets used on any surface that has mildew or mold problems AFTER the item has been cleaned with soap and water.