Cleaning question

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Seaview
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Cleaning question

Hello all!  I just purchased a 2001 36 Catalina mkii. I've got to do some cleaning in the cabin, and I've heard that I can't use normal household cleaners. Any recommendations for cleaning products for the wood, the head, galley etc? There is what looks like some mold/mildew on the door in the V-Berth. Not sure how to clean that up properly.  Also found some mold on a couple cushions. Should I dry clean them, or would that harm the fabric? Would love some advice. 

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Pgutierrez
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Interior wood: orange glow.l
Mold:  vinegar? Concromium sold at Home Depot.  Spray solution in cheap ($10?) garden sprayer.   Also spray under cabin floor boards,'behind drawers, around fresh water tanks. 
Cushions? Depends on type fabric. 

 

peter g

2000 C36, MK2, Hull. #1897
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ! ! !.   5 th Catalina

 

 

Seaview
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Thanks so much for the reply! So the vinager is safe to use on all the wood?

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Pgutierrez
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Not recommended for wood 

peter g

2000 C36, MK2, Hull. #1897
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ! ! !.   5 th Catalina

 

 

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sidthekid
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Hi, this list is taken from a 2000 summary of cleaning tips found in the Technical Section.
 

In summer 2000, SailNet C36 maillist members shared tips for a variety of cleaning needs. Those tips were collected and published here for convenient reference.

  • Lifelines and antennas look great covered with plastic shroud covers.
  • Soft Scrub with Bleach® is excellent for cleaning lifelines and inflatables.
  • Use acetone and a Scotch Brite® pad to clean the vinyl insert of the rub rail.
  • Rubbing compound used on the boat cleans the rub rail beautifully. After cleaning, coat with the same wax you put on the boat.
  • After cleaning the rub rail, apply two coats of Penetrol® to protect it. Penetrol also leaves a nice shine.
  • Use rubbing alcohol to clean up minor diesel spills and eliminate the smell.
  • Lime-Away® removes rust from fiberglass.
  • Vanish® Toilet Bowl Cleanser cleans scummy bootstripes and hulls.
  • Future® returns shine to old fiberglass and non-skid areas.
  • Varnish/Paint Touchup -- Fill an empty nail polish bottle for easy touchup, anytime.
  • Apply Pledge® furniture polish to clear vinyl windows as a preservative (the plain stuff, not "Lemon Pledge").
  • Use engine staring fluid to clean the butyl rubber sealant from window frames when you remove them.
  • TSP® and a dollop of dish soap in a bucket of warm water cleans a deck better than anything else. Use this concoction a few times a season and for the normal deck scrubbing, use Soft Scrub®.
  • Apply axle grease to the prop to keep barnacles from sticking.
  • Pressure wash before waxing or using Future® to see the true bright white color of your deck (1000 psi). It is also great on lifelines, fenders, stainless steel, shroud covers, and to remove old Armada finish. Watch the hish PSI from a pressure washer. One owner watched a friend with a Westerly 26 go right through the dirt, through the paint, and through the gelcoat. Too high a pressure is like using a belt sander. Keep it moving.
  • Scrubbing Bubbles® bathroom cleaner works great on fiberglass surfaces and leaves a nice shine. It also works well on lifelines and the vinyl trim on the dodger canvas. If you are going to try another bathroom cleaner, be sure it is ok for use on fiberglass first.
  • Stubbing your toe on the midship cleat? Check out the new Shaeffer® stainless steel midship cleat. If mounts on the outboard genoa track, is removable and adjustable, and is finished beautifully. It's nothing like the crappy black coated aluminum ones available at most chandleries.
  • Brush Cleaner (not to be confused with terpentine or mineral spirits) removes exhaust stains from fiberglass and gelcoat. It also cleans up uncured fiberglass resin and unhardened epoxy. You can also use it for cleaning vinyl and gelcoat stains.
  • Clean fenders with Goof-off® latex paint remover then paint with ArmorAll®.
  • Keep a box of baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) on board. A weak solution (a handful in a quart of water) will remove the smell of vomit, toilet smells (human or pet) or any similar odors. Store the soda in a moisture-proof container.

Note: The best advice is to use bleach for mildew, soaps and detergents for other cleaning, but never to mix them together. Bleach is a very powerful chemical, capable of all kinds of reactions. For example, never, ever, mix bleach (which contains hypochlorite) and "ammoniated" cleansers: bleach plus ammonia yields free chlorine gas, a very nasty way to die.

Bill & Barb
s/v Northern Lights
2002 Catalina 36 MKII #2086
Rock Hall, MD
Northern Chesapeake

Seaview
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@sidthekid
Thank you so much for all of that info! Really helpful!

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