Olive Oil Spill

[Datenight]

So I had just made a fresh tomato salad Sunday and was headed out to the dinghy. Spilled the bowl on the Flexiteek cockpit deck. Scooped it back into the (don't tell anyone in Shennecossett Yacht Club) bowl.

Since there was olive oil in the salad, about 3 tablespoons, I brought out the Dawn, squirted liberally and scrubbed away. Rinsed and repeated. Looked good with a wet deck.

When we came back later that afternoon the olive oil stain was still there. Sprayed with Greaze Off or maybe Spray Nine heavy duty cleaner. Don't remember which. I let it soak in then scrubbed with nylon scrub brush.

As the photo shows, it did not touch it. Any suggestions? I will call Flexiteek tomorrow. Never would have thought it would be so hard to remove the stain esp. since I was right on it.

Thanks,

Rob

 

[markpierce]

wipe olive oil on all the wood to obtain a uniform look

 

[Datenight]

wipe olive oil on all the wood to obtain a uniform look

It's a synthetic product. Did not expect it to absorb the way it did. If I oil the whole thing I think it will attract more dirt and grime.

Rob

 

[HopCar]

Next time put teak oil on your salad

 

[FWT]

Google solves many things. A quick search for stains on clothes:

Dry baking soda to absorb it. Brush off and repeat as needed. End with liquid dish soap. But don't let heat bake it in or it sets permanently. On your deck, in the sun, you might already be beyond the point of no return.

 

[O C Diver]

So Olive Oil was thrown to the deck, and you're not worried about what Popeye is going to do. Maybe it should have been a spinach salad.

Ted

 

[koliver]

Treat with sunshine and time.

 

[GoneDiving]

Don't know for Flexi teak but for oil stains on my garage floor I use dry cement powder. Takes a few days but will remove even years old stains. Perhaps spot test first

How bad do you want the stain gone? How dry can you keep you cockpit for a few days?

Good luck ?

 

[Datenight]

Next time put teak oil on your salad

So Olive Oil was thrown to the deck, and you're not worried about what Popeye is going to do. Maybe it should have been a spinach salad.

Ted

Don't know for Flexi teak but for oil stains on my garage floor I use dry cement powder. Takes a few days but will remove even years old stains. Perhaps spot test first

How bad do you want the stain gone? How dry can you keep you cockpit for a few days?

Good luck ?

Like al the answers! The spill is under the covered cockpit so not direct sun. Been raining pretty hard last night and so far today, might help.

Good idea Gone Diving, I'll try some kitty litter. Calling Flexiteek is also on the agenda today.

Rob

 

[jleonard]

I once got some diesel spill on the teak deck. I used a couple of rags dampened with acetone. A little elbow grease later and overnight to let it all evaporate, it was 100% back to normal.

 

[KnotYet]

Orange oil, aka d-limonene, on a rag should dissolve and lift the olive oil.
It is a light enough solvent that it evaporates if any remains on the surface.

 

[Airstream345]

Your flexi-teak looks amazingly realistic!

 

[Datenight]

I called my local Flexiteek distributer today. They recommended Dawn or the Spray Nine product. Said to keep doing it until the stain came out. I had hoped for more.

They also suggested sanding with 60#. Seems coarse to me. If the Dawn does not do it I will try sanding though I will start with 100#.

Too wet today to try the kitty litter.

Rob

 

[Datenight]

Your flexi-teak looks amazingly realistic!

Thanks!

 

[fgarriso]

I would be VERY careful with the sandpaper

 

[backinblue]

I agree, go easy with sandpaper. Alledgedly you can sand syn teak as the pattern is consistent through the depth, but that would be my last option and I would first try it on a sample, not on the actual deck. I also would start even finer than 100, maybe 150 with a light manual touch.

That aside, some of the responses to this thread are very clever and made me laugh. Thanks for that everyone!

 

[backinblue]

Your flexi-teak looks amazingly realistic!

Not sure if that's sarcastic because of the staining or sincere. I almost bought Flexi-teak, I think it's one of the best products available. I instead went with Perma-teek which I think is equally as good and looks amazing on my boat. I also got a little better pricing from the local Perma-teek installer vs. the Flexi-teak guy. There are a number of products out there and quite a range in price and quality. You get what you pay for if you go with the cheapest, but it does pay to shop and compare products.

 

[Comodave]

I called my local Flexiteek distributer today. They recommended Dawn or the Spray Nine product. Said to keep doing it until the stain came out. I had hoped for more.

They also suggested sanding with 60#. Seems coarse to me. If the Dawn does not do it I will try sanding though I will start with 100#.

Too wet today to try the kitty litter.

Rob

Maybe the 60 grit matches the grain pattern manufactured into the teak? A finer grit may give you a smoother spot on the teak.

 

[47Rah1980]

Per the Flexiteek cleaning guide
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
Occasional Cleaning
Do clean occasionally with just a nylon brush and water, or one of our Flexiteek 2G general cleaners. Please be careful to scrub across the grain.
Pressure Washing
Do pressure wash! A great way to get a deep clean with less of the “scrub”. Most domestic pressure washers can be used. Work along the planks in the direction of the grain for best results. A working height of around 20 to 30cms should be sufficient and a maximum pressure of 135 bar.
Stubborn Stains
Do, for stubborn stains try our Flexiteek 2G spot cleaner with a brush or a synthetic scouring pad. If it’s still not gone sand with 60 grit sandpaper, sand in the direction of the grain. This will lighten the surface, which will gradually blend back in with the surrounding decking.
Deck Colouring
Your Flexiteek 2G deck may gradually darken with age and may lose some of its graining structure, don’t worry! This is easily rectified as Flexiteek 2G can be re-sanded just like a teak deck. Use 60 grit sandpaper and sand in line with the grain to bring back the colour and the grain, in no time your deck will look like new. We can also offer you this service; please contact your nearest Flexiteek expert about having this service done for you.
Oils, Chemicals and Acids
Do not apply any teak oils, deck brightening chemicals, or any other product designed for use on a teak or a wooden deck.
Do not use any acids, such as oxalis, phosphoric, sulphuric, hydrochloride, acetic or citric, to name just some of the ones found in cleaners. Be wary of general deck cleaners offered in chandleries, many of which contain a variety of ingredients which may bleach or discolour your Flexiteek 2G deck, even when diluted correctly.
Do not use any chemicals, solvents, natural solvents or strong alkalis on Flexiteek 2G.
Flexiteek 2G Care and Maintenance Guide. Rev 4_091220

Other Cleaning Materials
Do not allow cleaners used on your decking or the other surfaces on your vessel to evaporate on the surface of Flexiteek 2G. Check contents and ingredients of all cleaners; increasingly these contain chemicals, solvents and acids that are aggressive and may damage Flexiteek 2G especially in hotter temperatures, always wash your deck with copious amounts of freshwater if you think any residue has contaminated the surface.
Do follow the instructions on the cleaner you use. The temperature for using some products refers to the temperature of the deck rather than the air.
Sanding
Do not use power sanders on Flexiteek 2G. This is a skilled job and requires someone trained to perform.
SPILLAGES
Everyday Spillages
Do clean up spills promptly to save you time later. Flexiteek 2G is ever so slightly porous which is what gives it the texture of wood and the look when it’s wet. The longer you leave spillages on the surface the more difficult it will be to remove. Use warm soapy water, methylated spirit or baby wipes.
Oil, Diesel and Petrol Spillages
Do leave detergents to “sink” into the Flexiteek 2G deck for a few hours on oily, diesel and petrol stains so they can work and help to “lift” the stain out. A good scrub should leave the surface like new

 

[Capt Ray]

wipe olive oil on all the wood to obtain a uniform look

Honestly, this really IS what I would do.


Ray

 

[CarlF]

I've done the Spray 9 (let it sit for an hour for much better results) on stains on my Flexiteak. It got a lot of it out. The rest I got out with the 60 grit sandpaper. Worked great. Didn't take very much sanding. Where you sand it gets a bit lighter so it looks uneven but after a month it's all evened up again.

The sanding put some roughness back in the plastic so it actually looked more like teak.

 

[Datenight]

Will be at the boat again tomorrow to work on the stain again. I will try acetone on a small spot. I have let the Spray 9 sit for an hour (thanks Carl) and will try it again. Seems like the electric pressure washer may get a workout as well.

Sanding is the least of my worries as I have been sanding floors (family business) for over 60 years. I generally refinish 1-2 veneered teak and holly boat soles per year. Flexiteek is much thicker than veneered teak and holly plywood.

Thanks again for all the good suggestions.

Rob

 

[Comodave]

Will be at the boat again tomorrow to work on the stain again. I will try acetone on a small spot. I have let the Spray 9 sit for an hour (thanks Carl) and will try it again. Seems like the electric pressure washer may get a workout as well.

Sanding is the least of my worries as I have been sanding floors (family business) for over 60 years. I generally refinish 1-2 veneered teak and holly boat soles per year. Flexiteek is much thicker than veneered teak and holly plywood.

Thanks again for all the good suggestions.

Rob

How many more olive oil salads are you going to have on board???

 

[thataway]

We have had very good "luck" with a product called "Incredible! " It is available at Amazon and Bed Bath and beyond (If your local store is still in business). It works very well on many stains--including on Sunbrella, and on teak decks. Apply, let soak in and then scrub with a soft brush, blot up. As any of these, try in a small area first. We find it much better than the "9's, or "shout" etc. However we have also had very good results with many cleaning jobs with the citrus cleaners--some times with and some times without the pumice as found in hand cleaners.

 

[BruceK]

Fortunately it was virgin olive oil. Otherwise you`d have been ducked while scrubbing it clean.

 

[timb7734]

K2R makes a spray (non aerosol) that works for me on both Flexiteek and natural teak, generally special order from West Marine, I keep several bottles at all times.