Swallow Yachts Association

Swallow Yachts Forum => Technical => Topic started by: AndyB on 21 Oct 2023, 08:30

Title: remove Mould ( I believe) on the seat backs ( or guardrails) on BC26
Post by: AndyB on 21 Oct 2023, 08:30
Not sure what they are called but we have foam covered with canvas in place of the guardrails used to lean against when the boat heels.  Anyone know the name for them please let me know.

The issue is ( see photo) that mould suddenly appeared after a 2 week holiday abroad. The sail covers and spray hood do not have the mould ( or at least it looks like mould).

I brought them home and scrubbed a small area with fairy liquid and it did not come off.  The foam does not come out so I can't bung them in the washing machine.

Does anyone know of a magic liquid ( not bleach based as I do not want to wreck the stitching) that I can use to remove the green stain? Or maybe you know of a better way....

Thanking you in advance

Andy B
Title: Re: remove Mould ( I believe) on the seat backs ( or guardrails) on BC26
Post by: Nick Orchard on 23 Oct 2023, 17:41
Hi Andy - it looks like mildew to me. A bit of a surprise to find it on the dodgers/backrests as it's more common down below when things get damp and airless. I have a couple of suggestions, ACR Boracol 5RH is mostly used to treat teak, but a knowledgeable lady who was complimenting me on my nice clean silvery rubbing strakes told me it was equally effective on canvas. I use it once or twice a year on my teak and canvas and it seems to be pretty effective. It's certainly very effective for keeping the green algal mould away, how effective it will be on mildew I'm not sure. It's very easy to use, you just paint it on with a brush and leave it. Nothing happens immediately, but after a couple of weeks you should see that all traces of mould have disappeared, and it stays that way for several months at least. It also doesn't seem to bleach the material at all, and I have tan canvas which would show bleaching fairly readily I think. The downside of Boracol is that it's only sold in 5l containers at around £35+, and it's also been reclassified for 'professional use only' so some places won't sell it to Joe Public.
The other recommendation is Wet & Forget. This was recommended by a professional yacht maintenance guy I met while installing my new engine earlier this year. It's mainly aimed at patio and drive cleaning, but also works on boats. He said he uses it a lot and it's very effective. Also very easy to use like Boracol, just brush it on and leave it.
My wife suggested Vanish Oxi-action, which she has used on mildewed fabrics with some success, but mostly on things that can go in the washing machine. Had a buoyancy aid with some mildew and it improved it but didn't completely remove the marks.
Last suggestion (probably not helpful) time for new canvas??
Good luck
Nick


Title: Re: remove Mould ( I believe) on the seat backs ( or guardrails) on BC26
Post by: AndyB on 25 Oct 2023, 09:58
Hi Nick,
Thanks for the advice.  The dodgers/back rests are in good condition apart from the mildew so replacing would be a shame. Some of the boats around me had mildew but it is surprising that the sprayhood and sail covers have not.
Boracol is now retailing at ~£39. I am trying some vinegar first and then spend the big bucks.... Wet and forget is half the price and good results seem to be had.

Thanks
Andy
Title: Re: remove Mould ( I believe) on the seat backs ( or guardrails) on BC26
Post by: Sea Simon on 26 Oct 2023, 08:41
I use Boracol for teak decks,trims etc (recommended, eliminates scrubbing!)  but was not aware of its applications on canvas work. Also not aware of Wet n Forget.
Thanks for this info.
Title: Re:remove Mould ( I believe) on the seat backs ( or guardrails) on BC26 Resolved
Post by: AndyB on 27 Oct 2023, 07:29
I have removed the mildew/mould - see attached pictures.

I was going to try vinegar and then bi-carbonate of soda but my wife was concerned about the stitching so we didn't.
I was going to try wet and forget but the many reviews of the product says it works it just takes a few months - hence the name of the product.

So I tried Star Brite Sail/Canvas remover. Even with scrubbing it did not work although the canvas looked cleaner.

on further research mildew is an early version of mould (according to the Australians) which is when I saw a Utube video which showed the removal of mildew/mould using Star Brite mildew stain remover and in the comments it said for legal reasons in Europe the name was changed to Star Brite black stain remover.

So I bought some of this and tried it. You spray it on leave it for 10-20 minutes and the mildew/mould disappears. You then wash down the canvas a lot to remove it. I had to spray twice on some areas as per the instructions but it has all gone as you can see.

So can recommend this product.

Andy B
Title: Re: remove Mould ( I believe) on the seat backs ( or guardrails) on BC26
Post by: Nick Orchard on 27 Oct 2023, 19:24
That’s a good result Andy, looks like Star Brite’s the thing to use. Come to think of it, I think I might have an August Race product in a bucket of expensive cleaning stuff that I bought in an unguarded moment at a Boat Show a few years ago, so I might give that a go next time the need arises and report back on that.
Nick
Title: Re: remove Mould ( I believe) on the seat backs ( or guardrails) on BC26
Post by: Keith P on 31 Oct 2023, 18:22
Andy, I had a similar problem with staining of the dodgers I used Boat Buddy which worked perfectly it also restored an area which had been covered and so a different shade. I made the specified mix, applied with a sponge then scrubbed with a nail brush. https://www.truenorthsailing.co.uk/product/boat-buddy-sail-and-cover-cleaner/