How To Deep Clean Your Sails at Home

Extend the life of your sails and improve their performance with this low-cost maintenance routine that relies on simple household cleaners and a little patience.

By
Marc Robic
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3
An inflatable pool is a great tool for cleaning your sails. It can be easily packed away and stored between annual sail cleanings.
An inflatable pool is a great tool for cleaning your sails. It can be easily packed away and stored between annual sail cleanings.

Have you ever noticed that when people want to post beautiful serene moments, they use images of sailboats in the distance, usually seen from a dreamy, tropical palm-fringed beach, quietly sailing across the horizon line with clean, white sails? But are they really clean and white? From a distance, they sure do appear to be.

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Marc Robic
Marc caught his love of sailing and all things water from his father from a very young age. He has owned many sailboats in his 40+ years of sailing. An avid do-it-yourselfer and handyman, he builds, modifies, improves and executes all his own repairs. He also enjoys testing, documenting & sharing products and how-to methods with other sailors and boaters. Posting many how to videos on his YouTube channel and Facebook page. He is a member of the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron. Currently, he sails his Catalina 270, Aquaholic 3, out of the Ile-Perrot Yacht Club in Montreal, where Marc spent 16 years as Harbour Master. He is also a regular bareboat yacht charterer, having sailed most of the Caribbean islands. In the winter months, Marc regularly hand builds exact scale models of friends’ boats to give them away in the spring.
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3 COMMENTS

  1. While writing this article, I forgot to add that using an inflator pump to both inflate and deflate the pool will make the process much faster. Especially for deflating which will make folding and storing the pool much easier as it will suck all the air out. As I deflate the pool, with the pump at one end, I slowly start rolling the pool from the opposite end, this will help the pump such all the air out. Afterward, I unroll the pool and fold it nice and tight. I use a large grocery bag to store it in.

  2. Although I didn’t see it mentioned I assume that this cleaning method only applies to Dacron sails, and not to laminated sails. Please clarify. And add if there is cleaning advice for laminated sails in general, or North Sails 3Di Ocean sails specifically. Thx

    • Hi Michael, you are absolutely correct. I should have made it clear that laminated sails may require a different cleaning process. I would consult with the sail maker to see if this method would work and if not, what is their recommendation.