Fender Cleaners?

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countferrari	Fender Cleaners?		Lead	[-]
Posts: 97 07/04/08 20:06:29	Tags : None I have a bunch of older fenders I tie on my slip for permanent mounting but they get that sticky stuff on them after one or two years.... I have tried... WD 40, paint thinner, bottom paint thinner, gasoline, diesel, simple green, mayonaise, leather and plastic cleaner, soft scrub with bleach and maybe others. None of these really does much. Some do more like the bottom paint thinner did OK and the leather and plastic cleaner did a bit but most do nothing. The hull cleans off fairly easily with the soft scrub w/bleach and a sponge with the scubby on one face. I would like to not get the nasty transfer from the fenders and am willing to clean them IF I can find a product that melts the built up scum or leaching. For the boat I use the fender skirts and wash those every year and that works well. I am just wondering if anyone has ever rescued old fenders and had them work again. I have heard this is NOT possible and they just keep leaching the sticky stuff. Chime in please if you have a good solution! S/V Jah Mon,1994, Mark I,Hull #428,Two Cabin,Fin Keel,Anacortes, WA,Puget Sound PHRF 122
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captjohn		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 78 07/05/08 04:53:56	Messy job. West Marine does sell three products labeled "fender cleaner", but I have never tried any of them. I have used, however, acetone. I applied it with old towel working in small areas at a time. Since acetone "melts" what it is applied to, I am not sure its the best but it did keep several old fenders from ending up in the trash. Not the same fortune for the towel, however.
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gary		#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 34 07/05/08 06:21:58	We found a product called WILCLEAN in a paint store also makers of wilbond there both great cleaners. WORKS ON FENDERS WITH LITTLE EFFoRT Gary ~~_/)~~ 947 2006MKII N.J.
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tinolanza	Fender cleaners	#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 227 07/05/08 08:27:24	I'm with Capt. John, acetone works best. I have also used the Island Girl cleaner, but it takes more effort. The acetone does dissolve a layer of the plastic, but the fenders are fairly thick. Keep switching to a clean part of the towel, and it is trash after use. Very important, once clean use a sealant/polish to keep the fender clean for a while as the acetone leaves it very sticky. Armorall is OK. Island Girl also makes a sealant. 303 is better but use the one you like best. Tino Lanza, Dancing Dolphin (#739/3 cabin pullman, Westlake Village, CA)
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tomcharron2	ACETONE WORKS BEST FOR FENDERS AND DINGY RUB RAILS ETC	#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 54 07/05/08 12:01:33	As stated by Captjohn and tinolanza....acetone is best! Use plenty of clean towel cloths and a good sealer. I've used acetone for years on fenders...works great but leaves sticky residue which must be sealed... It works very well on my dingy too especially the rub rails .... I even clean the inflated tubes...... before I paint with rubber based dingy paint every two years. Be careful with the acetone and have good ventilation.......keeps fire hazard and human liver toxicity to a minimum..... Tom Charron
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yorkrose		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 286 07/05/08 14:07:26	I generally use lacquer thinner. For various cleanups sometimes acetone works better; sometimes lacquer thinner works better. Try both (but don't inhale too deeply around either). Lacquer thinner evaporates very quickly, so keeping the rag wet can be a challenge, especially in warm weather. Lacquer thinnner will often leave a bit less residue than acetone. Regards, Gene Fuller Yorkshire Rose, C42 #870
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tomca		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 83 07/05/08 15:25:03	I have used a product called Krazy Clean from MDR. It goes on easily and removes everything from fenders with ease. Also unlike acetone it does not cause the rubber to melt or yellow. I highly recommend this product. You can get it through about any marine store. Tom Maxwell #766 2-cabin Pullman Dana Point, CA
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pwinterfeld	Fender Cleaner	#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 112 07/07/08 07:40:51	I too have tried everything, spent hours of toiling under the hot sun trying to keep fenders and lifelines in Bristol condition. What works best of all of the cleaners that I have tried is lacquer thinner. As long as you wear some kind of hand protection (rubber gloves) its an easy job. The scum comes off easy both from the fenders and lifelines - remember to put some kind of protecterant on the cleaned surfaces - boat wax works best. It also works well in cleaning of the scuff marks from the fenders and rubber bumpers on your hull - wax the fiberglass afterwards. Peter C'est la Vie Hull #746
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garrywillis	Lifeline Cleaner	#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 292 07/07/08 08:43:30 Moderator	With all this discussion about the best way to clean fenders, I'd like to share with you how I clean my lifelines...remove the white covers! It took a while to finally convince the admiral and get the go ahead but it is so much simpler, practical and safer removing them and she that must be obeyed is thrilled with the result. Ours have been off for over two years now. First of all, the covers will hide moisture and dirt (the chief contributors to corrosion) so you can't really tell how safe they are. Secondly, aesthetically it is just as nice looking as with them once they are removed and much easier to care for. Thirdly, it was so easy to remove once you get the hang of it. Simply take a sharp rigging knife and with the sharp edge perpendicular to the lifeline just start pulling the blade from the swage to the next stanchion and it pops right off. It took me all of 15 minutes to do all of them and then I simply cleaned them up with stainless cleaner and then took "never dull" and polished them up. They are bright and shiny and best of all, my 13 year old lifelines are in excellent shape and I can tell at a glance if rust appears. You may have noticed but it seems that many high end manufacturers are switching to installing uncovered lifelines on their new boats and racing boats haven't used them in years. Covered lifelines are going to be like teak handrails on the deck in a few years and you should consider removing yours if you haven't done so as yet. I'll post snaps if anyone is interested. Garry "Breezn" #502 2-Cabin
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jerrygagerman		#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 75 07/07/08 11:08:44	We also hang fenders horizontally in our slip, & have had great results from a product called MDR Fender Cleaner. There is no sticky residue, & it is also great on lifelines. As an aside, we use cloth fender covers over the older fenders. This serves two purposes, 1) any remaining dirt on the fenders doesn't get ground into the gelcoat, & 2) the covers can be laundered as needed. Jerry Gagerman C-42 #431 Current Sea
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yorkrose		#10	[url]	[-]
Posts: 286 07/07/08 11:23:46	The primary active ingredient in MDR Krazy Clean and MDR Fender Cleaner is 2-butoxyethanol (CAS #111-76-2). This is the same primary solvent in Simple Green and many other products. I am not saying they are equal, since the concentrations of solvent and other ingredients such as surfactants are probably different. Some may work a bit better than others. However, there does not appear to be a special magic elixir in any of these products. Similar products should work. Regards, Gene Fuller Yorkshire Rose, C42 #870
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countferrari	results of fender cleaners	#11	[url]	[-]
Posts: 97 07/17/08 10:21:11	I used lacquer thinner (because I had it on the shelf) with great success, but as noted one needs to keep it wet as it evaporates so quickly. The trick was to coat the fender with a wax. I used a polymer sealant, Maguires #20 and it worked slick. I will monitor but so far (a month) it is good. Thanks, Enrico S/V Jah Mon,1994, Mark I,Hull #428,Two Cabin,Fin Keel,Anacortes, WA,Puget Sound PHRF 122
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