Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 02-21-2021, 11:15 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
City: MIAMI
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 244
Aluminum safe bilge disinfectant / cleaner

Well I just discovered my vacuflush pump was spraying a horrific mixture of brown liquid and disintegrated toilet paper globs in my engine room. Then it leaked down into bilge.

My plan of attack is:
1. Disinfect
2. soap/scrub/wet vac out liquid/tp
3. Degreaser/disenfect
3. Fill bilge up high with water / agitate
4. Pump out thru bilge
5. Fill bilge again (to rinse) and pump out thru bilge pumps

Question is what degreaser and disenfectant should I use?

The lowest point of my bilge is near an aluminum water tank (the bottom of which is essentially inaccesable). So that just gives me pause whether I should be putting bleach / purple power in my bilge.

Opinions / recommendations?
ERTF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2021, 11:53 AM   #2
Veteran Member
 
City: Boulder
Vessel Name: Skipper
Vessel Model: Everglades DC230
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 52
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERTF View Post
Well I just discovered my vacuflush pump was spraying a horrific mixture of brown liquid and disintegrated toilet paper globs in my engine room. Then it leaked down into bilge.

My plan of attack is:
1. Disinfect
2. soap/scrub/wet vac out liquid/tp
3. Degreaser/disenfect
3. Fill bilge up high with water / agitate
4. Pump out thru bilge
5. Fill bilge again (to rinse) and pump out thru bilge pumps

Question is what degreaser and disenfectant should I use?

The lowest point of my bilge is near an aluminum water tank (the bottom of which is essentially inaccesable). So that just gives me pause whether I should be putting bleach / purple power in my bilge.

Opinions / recommendations?
Most degreasers (oven cleaner, dishwasher detergent, windex, fantastik) are all alkaline (high pH) for dissolving grease. Aluminum is generally incompatible with any alkaline substance (those listed above plus bleach, baking soda, lye, caustic, etc.).

Mild acids and neutral cleaners are OK for use on aluminum. I'd read up on the citrus type cleaners that are typically good degreasers. Maybe Simple Green. Those are the only two non-alkaline degreasers that I know of. Any surfactant is OK too, like Dawn dish soap. They work differently than alkaline cleaners.

After a good cleaning, a very dilute solution of bleach should be fine, because you'll only be rinsing it and short contact with aluminum and dilute bleach won't be an issue.
H2O_Doc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2021, 02:26 PM   #3
TF Site Team
 
Bacchus's Avatar
 
City: Seneca Lake NY
Vessel Name: Bacchus
Vessel Model: MS 34 HT Trawler
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 7,826
Common Simple Green isn't good around alum but they make an alum safe version. Check directions & details.
I believe the alum safe is Simple Green Pro HD and they make an Simple Green Aircraft cleaner as well.
Don't use stronger solutions than recommended.
__________________
Don
2008 MS 34 HT Trawler
"Bacchus"
Bacchus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2021, 04:24 PM   #4
Guru
 
City: Newport, R.I.
Vessel Name: Hippocampus
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,892
Dawn and cheap alcohol will kill everything and permanently get rid of the smell. Neutral pH. Make sure plastics or other things that can be attacked by alcohol aren’t present. Don’t know why but Dawn works better than the other dish washing liquids for boat chores. Be interested if anyone can tell me why.
Hippocampus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2021, 04:51 PM   #5
Guru
 
Jeff F's Avatar
 
City: Guelph
Vessel Name: Escapade
Vessel Model: 50` US Navy Utility trawler conversion
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,432
+1 for Dawn. If you can get at it with a hose and a scub brush it'll do the cleaning, and no worries with the AL.

Hippo, you can't dilute alcohol much, right? So are you suggesting a wipedown or light spray as a final step?
Jeff F is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2021, 04:52 PM   #6
Moderator Emeritus
 
Comodave's Avatar
 
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 21,186
I use Extreme Simple Green for most of my cleaning. It was developed for cleaning aircraft so it won’t hurt aluminum.
__________________
Boat Nut:
If you are one there is no explanation necessary.
If you aren’t one, there is no explanation possible.
Comodave is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2021, 05:02 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
City: MIAMI
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 244
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hippocampus View Post
Dawn and cheap alcohol will kill everything and permanently get rid of the smell. Make sure plastics or other things that can be attacked by alcohol aren’t present.
Well there are bilge pumps down there, plus hoses.
ERTF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2021, 07:56 PM   #8
Guru
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 565
I imagine it might be best to turn off the bilge pumps while using cleaning solutions. I wouldn’t turn them back on until the cleaning and rinsing is done. A wet-vacuum would be the way to go. You don’t want to pump all those strong cleansers and solvents overboard, right?
Spinner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2021, 08:51 PM   #9
Guru
 
Xsbank's Avatar
 
City: Pender Harbour, BC
Vessel Name: Gwaii Haanas
Vessel Model: Custom Aluminum 52
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 3,791
Noflex Digester would work. No bleach!
__________________
Don't believe everything that you think.
Xsbank is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2021, 09:00 PM   #10
Guru
 
City: Newport, R.I.
Vessel Name: Hippocampus
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,892
Spray cheap gin. Then rinse.

Didn’t know about Noflex. Thanks
Hippocampus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-22-2021, 08:46 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
City: MIAMI
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 244
Alcohol isn't gonna work, it needs to be something I can dilute by filling up the bilge because some of these areas are unreachable.

Is Noflex a disinfectant?
ERTF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2021, 04:55 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Sea Q's Avatar


 
City: Vancouver
Vessel Name: Sea Q
Vessel Model: Westport Mc Queen
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 225
just a little Noflex in bilge and a rinse of water to activate it .
That will get rid of the smells and clean up any spills .
If you want to sterilize the area look at QUAT disinfectants with a neutral PH
Sea Q is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:50 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012