Some might consider cleaning vinyl to be on the more prosaic side of sailing. But if you’re trying to keep your boat and equipment “squared away,” cleaning vinyl is an important item on the chores list. When these little things get addressed, it reflects well on both ship and master.
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What about simple green?
Another option for painting fenders might be buoy paint (for lobster buoys up here in Maine). I have used solvent-based buoy paint to “refresh” white vinyl winch handle holders and cowl vents. It takes time to harden up to a tack-free surface, but once all the solvent is out, it lasts very well. The solvent-based paints are based on PVC resin, so intimately compatible with vinyl fenders (but requires strong solvent system). There are water-based buoy paints now as well, but I have not tried.
My personal preference is to buy black fenders and/or black cloth fender covers which simplifies matters quite a bit.
Along those lines, why doesnt Marinco and other power cord makers offer a black or dark blue power cord instead of the invariably dirty white or yellow.
Which brings up the question of why power cord covers are no longer available from Marinco. It wasnt like they were cheap. Fifty bucks or more for a few feet of canvas and thread.
One more thing. Tell me why two different manufacturer 20+year old expensive binoculars
are getting sticky.
The whatever black covering is sticky and I tried cleaning with alcohol to no avail. I suspect it is the slow death of my binocs.
On the vinyl cleaning formula for Vinyl…..
Our lifelines always get sticky. what I have done is use 409 and a blue scotchbrite pad to clean the them. I spray it on, with the scotchbrite under it (so it doesn’t get everywhere). let it sit for 30 seconds. then rub the scotchbrite over it. (after a couple segments, the scotchbrite is saturated and I can just use that without spraying more product) few strokes, the lifelines are clean and not sticky anymore. i get a couple months before the stickyness comes back.
Would the formula in the article be better than using 409? Is there a better application method ?
Is there a protectant I can put on to keep the stickyness from coming back, or at least slow it down ?
How does glycol ether PM (Propylene Glycol (Mono) Methyl Ether) compare to EGBE that is recommended?
We tested Simple Green. Not terrible, but not very good. It might work with enough elbow grease. A scrubbing head for a cordless drill (not plug-in–don’t electrocute yourself!) might help.
Paint can be the next step for dinghies. We’ve done that. Not sure I’d bother on a fender.
Dark colors make sense for cords. They seem to think sailors love white because we like white deck (cooler in the summer). However, I’ve never had dark fenders and I would worry about color transfer. Not a problem, I’m guessing?
The best solution to sticky lifelines is to replace them (I’m guessing they are quite old since they have not been done that way for quite a while) with bare stainless wire. They are doubtless past retirement age for a safety item. I’ve had old coated wire cable snap without warning (water gets under the coating, corrosion starts in the absence of oxygen, and snap). Alternatively, the coating can often be stripped with a razor knife with little effort (it sort of peals once started). If you uncover any corrosion, typically at the ends, replace it.
I don’t know about PGME. Test it. It is more volatile and thus is flammable and a greater inhalation risk. I think I would avoid it and cannot recommend it to our readers, without knowing their experience and training. But should still be compatible with vinyl.
The lifelines in my comment are 3 years old. the stickyness started right away, well, year 2. They clean up great with 409 and blue scotchbrite. I mean, they come out looking brand new, no stickyness, nice and smooth. Replacing them every 2 years will get quite expensive!
Since they are pretty new, I am wondering if I am doing harm , or should I switch to the PS formula in the sidebar. If they both have EGBE , is there an advantage/safety in one or the other, or will one harm the vinyl more than the other ? Or are both a bad idea and is there a better product/process?
It seems like the 409 dissolves the sticky part, and the scotchbrite mechanically removes it.
I also have used Westley’s Whitewall Cleaner for similar jobs in the past (vinyl upholstery). I am unsure if it has EGBE, or some other similar solvent/surfactant, is in it. Both 409 and westleys smell similar
I talk with other boaters, they all have different concoctions to handle sticky vinyl
Curious if there is a permanent fix?
I know I do not hold an exclusive on sticky vinyl. Might be worth a deep dive on best practices on this problem.
please respond to the previous question- were the tested solutions better than regular 409?
is the vinegar used in the DYI solution 20% high strength available in hardware store or regular grocery store 3%?