shueman
Libra
HDF Gold Supporter
Born To Drive...
   
Alta Loma CA
Posts: 17,228
APPD 2.15
Post Rank: 4
NADA
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Posted: June 02 2005,6:32 pm |
Post # 1 |
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Boats are complex creatures, often combining the worst maintenance chores of your home with those of your automobile.
To handle those tasks, companies have devised a host of products and potions that are Absolutely Guaranteed to get rid of dirt and grease, make things shine, make some surfaces slippery and others non-slip, eradicate stains, and generally solve your problems.
A stroll down the aisles of your favorite marine hardware store can be mind-boggling when it comes to these myriad products, and your wallet can take a hit if you buy a seemingly necessary supply.
But before you plunk down your hard-earned bucks for these miracle solutions to boating problems, take a look at this list of common household products that will do the same tasks for a fraction of the cost.
Baking Soda I: When you have rust stains showing on stainless steel fittings, dig out your box of Arm & Hammer, mix a tablespoon of baking soda to a teaspoon of water, and use this paste to wipe down the rusty area. Buff it clean with a dry paper towel for a dazzling shine.
Baking Soda II: The stains that mar your fiberglass hull around the waterline from oil in the water will come off easier if you mix a handful of baking soda in a bucket of water along with your usual hull washing detergent.
Baking Soda III: Spill some gas on deck while refueling? Sprinkle baking soda on the spot, let it sit for an hour, and rinse all the gas and fumes away. To get rid of gas fumes on your hands, rub baking soda between your palms and then wipe them with a damp rag.
Lemon Juice: A rag dipped in concentrated lemon juice will quickly wipe away most black scuffmarks from your hull without affecting the wax finish.
Crayons: When the zippers on your top and cover start to stick, lubricate them with the sharp end of a Crayon, preferably using a matching color.
Vinegar: Need to get rid of water spots on windshields or mirrors? A quick wipe with a rag dipped in vinegar will cut through spots and mineral deposits easily.
Mayonnaise: Spread this sandwich dressing on paper bumper stickers, and they’ll slide off in about half an hour. Cold cream will do the same thing.
Cola: The rusty stains in the head will disappear if you pour a can of cola (high octane, not diet) in the head to cover the stains. Let the cola stand for ten minutes, and flush away the stains.
Hairspray: Did someone leave a ballpoint pen mark on your flawless vinyl upholstery? Spray it using a cheap hairspray (with lots of alcohol content), let it sit for a few moments and then wipe away the mark.
Toothpaste: To polish out a scratch on Plexiglas, use a little non-gel toothpaste on a rag to eradicate the scratch.
Lime-A-Way Bathroom Cleaner: This is the solution to getting rid of those rusty marks around the exhaust on the transom. Spray it on, let it sit briefly, and then rinse it well, because this is a powerful acid.
Meat tenderizer: Use an unflavored meat tenderizer to eliminate bloodstains from upholstery. Wet the spot with cold (never hot) water, sprinkle on the tenderizer, let it sit, and then wipe away the stain.
Vaseline: Wipe the threads of light bulbs with a thin coat of Vaseline before screwing them in, and you’ll never have a problem with frozen bulbs again.
Peanut Butter: Non-chunky peanut butter is great for polishing scratches in clear cockpit enclosures, Plexiglas portholes. Newspapers: Save the black-and-white pages of your paper for use when cleaning windshields: they’re far superior to paper towels as well as much less expensive.
Salt: Slosh some coffee on your pants while getting underway? Rub the stain with table salt to absorb the coffee and remove the stain.
Ice cube: Aside from being a cocktail essential, this is the easy way to remove gum from carpet. Rub the gum spot until it hardens, then scrape it off easily.
Chapstick: This is a great lubricant for recalcitrant zippers on your foul weather gear, and it makes sticky drawers slide easily, too.
Pickles: If you have copper pans to clean, save the juice from a jar of sweet pickles. It makes quick work of achieving a shine.
Nail Polish: If a piece of varnished wood gets nicked, seal the ding with a dab of clear nail polish. It'll last the season, and keep the wood from turning black. Stay away from scarlet nail polish.
Baby Oil: Wipe the bow of your trailer boat with baby oil before a long trip, and cleaning up bug splats and road grime require only a squirt from the hose.
WD-40: Aside from the normal lubricating uses, it quickly removes the residue left behind from vinyl graphics, bumper stickers, or even duct tape.
Grapefruit: Rub the juicy rind of a grapefruit on tarnished brass, and you’ll quickly have an amazing shine.
Oven cleaner: If the kids tracked tar from the beach onto your deck, give the spots a squirt with oven cleaner, let it sit for five minutes, and rinse it thoroughly. Repeat if necessary, but be sure to get all of the oven cleaner off the fiberglass.
Wonder Bread: Weird, but true: this plain white bread, sometimes referred to as “rat breadâ€, literally sucks lipstick off fabrics. Just wad up some bread and use it like a doughy eraser. We’re not going to ask whose lipstick or why it’s on the cushions.
Club soda: If you didn’t already know this, you’ve never been to a party, but club soda removes red wine stains from just about everything from carpets to clothing.
Lemon/soda combo: If the pot pie blew up the last time you used the microwave, put two tablespoons of lemon juice and two of baking soda in two cups of water. Boil the mixture for 10 minutes on high, and you’ll be able to wipe away the now-softened debris.
Hydrogen peroxide: For particularly tough stains on white vinyl cushions, including flotation cushions, mix one teaspoon of ammonia, 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and 3/4 cup of distilled water. For some reason, the bubbling of the peroxide seems to float away stubborn blemishes.
Lighter fluid: If you forgot to remove the masking tape after painting a week ago, it’s now welded solidly to your boat. Squirt lighter fluid so it seeps under the tape, and it will slide free without residue in a few minutes. Just don’t light up while you’re waiting.
Kerosene: For some reason, kerosene not only removes mildew but also forestalls its return on hard surfaces, like stringers and bilge areas. Mix a shot glass of kerosene in a bucket of warm water and wipe down the surfaces. The aroma will disappear as it dries.
Aluminum foil: When you need to put a shine back on an aluminum fitting, rub it with the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil. The gloss will return quickly, but don't use this method on aluminum that has been anodized.
Mineral Spirits: Removing dirt and scuffs from white fenders is easy with a rag dipped in mineral spirits, which leave the fender shiny but not sticky. You can also use this to clean similar items such as flexible cowl vents.
Petroleum Jelly: A light film of petroleum jelly is a good way to protect metal parts during the off season. It can also serve as "masking tape" when painting around metal fittings. Coat the fitting carefully with the jelly so the paint won't stick, and you can rinse off the jelly later with warm water, leaving a perfect paint job.
Boraxo: Containing boric acid, this powder cleanser is an inexpensive and safe way to kill any roaches that may have crept aboard your boat. Simply sprinkle the powder in areas where they are found, and you'll quickly eliminate the problem.
Skin-So-Soft: This Avon product is intended to keep hands soft, but it's also a superb insect repellant that is pleasant smelling. Use the oil, not the lotion, and you'll never worry about mosquitoes or no-see-ums.
Cedar: Cut a board foot of cedar from the lumberyard into small squares and put them in your drawers and lockers. Not only will they keep your clothing fresh smelling when left aboard, but they also deter bugs.
Edited by shueman on June 02 2005,6:34 pm
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