Phifortex Staining

We purchased about twenty yards of white phifortex to match our Grand Banks Europa gel coat.

This covers all our windows and completely enclosed the back deck.

Of twenty panels, three stained from pine tree pollen. Not sap, wind blown pollen.

The boat was indoors, under cover. All panels cut from the same bolt.
We got nothing but run around from Phifortex, so we moved to Sailrite, the distributor. After a month, they finally agreed to just give us new material to go away.

While not a disaster, we are out labor, edging, snaps, etc.

Just a heads up, this stuff will stain and your pretty much on your own.

It can not hold a candle to Sunbrella, which we have made a duplicate set of curtains from at the same time.

Now looking for a competitor.

Is that a mesh fabric?

If so, Textilene makes mesh. Our new outside front windshield cover is "Sunsure" Textilene, and I think they make other densities as well.

Ours is in black, so dunno how pollen and so forth might impact their white and lighter colors.

-Chris

Did you try a mild/moderate bleach solution? It might have saved you a lot of heartache.



I take my phifertex window covers off of the windows, lay them out on the dock about twice a year and hit them with about a 15 to 1 bleach/water solution with a little dish soap mixed in. Our last phifertex window covers outlasted our sunbrella bimini and enclosure trim by three full years. The window covers were 10 or 11 years old when we replaced them.


The bleach solution makes them look like new again.



We switched our bimini from sunbrella to stamoid for just this reason, it is easier to clean. Five years in and the stamoid has been a much nicer product for us than the old sunbrella was, I won't go back. I know sunbrella can be bleached as well, but it doesn't seem to work as well as it does on the more "rubbery" fabrics. Also, phifertex and sunbrella are different things, phifertex is a mesh, sunbrella is solid.



It sounds like you have the same issue at your slip as I do at mine; lots of trees along the dock. I'm cleaning leaves and tree dirt almost daily. Bleach works great on any stain that comes from plants or mold. It does not generally work on grease stains.


Pine pollen would be no problem for a bleach solution, you likely wouldn't even have to scrub it. Pine sap on the other hand, would be a real problem. But that crap is going to stain any surface it gets on, including sunbrella. I have three dried drips on the hood of my truck that I can't get off, short of using a sander.

Greetings,
Mr. D. I think you're speaking of pine SAP in the second part of your last paragraph. Regarding the dried drips on your truck hood: Take a small piece of paper towel, lay out it over the drips and saturate with rubbing alcohol. Keep wet and viola! Sap softens and comes right off.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. D. I think you're speaking of pine SAP in the second part of your last paragraph. Regarding the dried drips on your truck hood: Take a small piece of paper towel, lay out it over the drips and saturate with rubbing alcohol. Keep wet and viola! Sap softens and comes right off.

Click to expand...

Thanks RT, you are correct, I meant pine sap. Fixed.


I will try the towel trick, I appreciate the tip.


Doug

Tried a bleach solution, didn't work.

Only three did not come clean, for some reason.

My boat is pretty much all white, so I got bleaching down. Will try a little bleach and sun. Nothing to lose. If they disenegrate I will make them again.

Choices said:

Tried a bleach solution, didn't work.

Only three did not come clean, for some reason.

My boat is pretty much all white, so I got bleaching down. Will try a little bleach and sun. Nothing to lose. If they disenegrate I will make them again.

Click to expand...

Eucalyptus oil is very effective at dissolving glues. Stubborn stick on labels on glassware is an example. Probably more readily available here than there.

Put a white(ish) cover on your windows and leave them outside, you get stains. Expect the maker of the fabric to prevent those stains? Stay away from pollen, sap, drips of oil from the drain above the window (don't laugh, that is where my stains come from) or don't, then expect the fabric maker to give you new fabric?
Some come clean easily, some not so much. I have less issue with the stains in my Fifertex than those on my dark blue sunbrella. Otters making out on the Tonneau cover? Hard to keep that clean!
Would I ever think to ask the fabric maker to try again? Not going to happen.

Would you accept a car paint job that where the doors were a different color the next morning?

Read the post. The boat was in a shed, had twenty yards of phifortex on it, and three screens turn yellow from pollen dust.

You are right, I am going to complain.

Choices - what do you believe is the right resolution? I read your OP twice and frankly, I am unconvinced the product is deficient or defective. I've used phifertex and textaline (and many other fabrics) for years. I don't expect them to endure anything I throw at them. Eventually, they get some mildew deep in the fabric that is impossible to remove. Or something.

I know you're very disappointed and I'm not saying you're out of line, just that as a disinterested third party, I'm not sure what should change. I'm not surprised Sailrite helped you out - they're a good company and I regularly endure their pricing as a result.

What do you think is the right thing to do here? Just curious

Peter

One solution may be to spray 303 Fabric guard on your "canvas" about once every three months. It helps repel rain, pollen, etc. Stuff just wipes right off of it.


My canvas maker told me last fall that he quit using Sunbrella. They changed something in their process and their stuff no longer repels water like it should. He told me (I haven't checked) that their web site no longer says marine on it.

Well, some what good news.

After reading Weebles last post, and I thank you for the true time and effort, it got me thinking. At the moment I was having drinks at a pool, admiring the scenery, and decided to drag them out and just bleach the crap out of them.

After almost two gallons and two days of full sun, they are ok again for boat use. They still have a slight tint to them, but with time and more sun should be ok.

My intent was to advise others that they will stain. From now on we will only use the Phifortex when traveling, and when tied up and in storage use Sunbrella.

I have had heard of using 303 before as a repellent. No problems so far though.

Cleaning pfifertex

Use bathroom foam cleaner with bleach. Spray on. Leave in sun 10-20 mins or so. No scrubbing. Rinse with hose. Takes black stains, mold, almost anything off easily. For terrible stains might need a second spray.

Now that sounds like a good idea. Have used 409 with bleach and Clorox cleaner with bleach.