Cleaning Sails, soaking in a pool????

[kmgiunta]

No, no no!! Absolutely not! The chlorine in the pool is, after all, bleach and will most definitely damage the Dacron (the likely sail material). It will discolor it immediately and degrade the fibers making them much more susceptible to UV degradation.

I was a sailmaker for a couple of years and in our loft, we washed sails as part of the maintenance service. Use ordinary laundry detergent mixed with water, sponge or brush and rinse well with fresh water. Where to do the washing? Depends on what's available. If necessary, use the bath tub and agitate the water well. Do not use any detergent containing bleach.

Keith Giunta
Pearson 26 Hull # 55
Sanctuary
Camden, Maine

[firehoser75]

Just a couple of weeks ago I cleaned my genoa (36 foot boat) on my front lawn. I did, however, put down a 6 mil poly sheet to separate the sail from the lawn so that I didn't accidentily impart a grass stain in the cleaning process.
I followed the advise below that I received from a PNW sailmaker:
Cleaning Dacron Sails:
- Clean sails on a smooth surface. Avoid pavement and gravel or you will find yourself sanding the back of your sail as you clean the front.
- Use a mild soap solution and fresh water.
- Use a soft bristle brush to remove dirt and salt.
- Rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Keep rinsing until all soap residue is removed.
- To remove oil or tar stains use a very small amount of lighter fluid.
- To remove mildew sailcloth manufacturers recommend a highly diluted solution of Sodium Hypochlorite (3-5%). Because it is toxic to you and the environment, we (Port Townsend Sails) object to the use of bleach except as a last resort. We have also heard and common sense leads us to concur that bleach strips the coating from thread and leaves stitching vulnerable to UV damage. NEVER USE BLEACH ON NYLON OR LAMINATED SAILS.
- A hot tip for cleaning sails from PT Sails staff: Dilute 2 Tbs Woolite and 1-2 cups of vinegar in 1 gallon of water. Some of our customers have had great luck with this solution. (I used it and it did a decent job).

Cleaning Nylon Sails
- Clean spinnakers and other light air sails made of Nylon by rinsing with fresh water.
- Do not use bleach or other solvents; they will damage the fabric!

After Cleaning
- Dry the sails by hanging in a well ventilated area.
- Avoid flogging.
- When you are sure no moisture remains on the sails, fold or roll sails loosely.
- Store sails in a dry, well ventilated area away from direct heat.

Note: Keeping sails clean and dry is an essential part of sail maintenance. Storing sails out of the elements when not in use can prolong their life by years.

Also, the best way to clean mildew is to clean it early. If it has set up well, (and if you have a tub or container big enough) soak the sail for a few hours in the above mentioned cleaning solution and just scrub it once with the soft brush, (maybe use a very mild bleach solution but remember the warnings above), but that is it. Over doing it will only damage the sail cloth and stitching and will not remove the mildew any way!!

Hope this info helps,
Tom

[negrini]

Last time, I took my wife to a motel, and while we relaxed, we soaked it into the Jacusi, droped some ordinary sailcloth cleaner, then turned water tube on .....

[deathguppie]

I just had to post here after reading this thread. I have some older dacron sails that got a bit of mildew through the winter and wanted some good advice on cleaning.

@firehoser75
I'm not sure if you are saying to use bleach sparingly or not to use bleach at all. Sodium Hypochlorite is of course commonly known as household bleach.
(check the wikipedia page)

I'm thinking of trying oxy-clean I've used it on furniture and it seems to do a great job of getting dirt and stains out.

[wind_magic]

If you're considering Oxiclean, remember that it is just another kind of bleach, sodium percarbonate.

[merc2dogs]

clorox bleach and sodium hypochlorite is one and the same.

A very mild bleach solution won't hurt them, Bleach works best on 'transfer' stains (from something sitting on the sail etc) and mildew etc

If they're just dirty from 'hanging' around it's often just dirt and dust etc stuck to the fabric, mild soap and a soft brush works fine.

For oily stains, a stronger cleaner is called for. My favorite is purple power, very good cleaner. 1:3 (pp/w) in a spray bottle, wet the sails with the hose, spray some cleaner and use a soft brush on it. rinse, repeat if needed.

Nothing against Sailcare (never dealt with them) or similar places, but I've always found that a company that makes their money by cleaning, seldom give out the best cleaning advice.

Ken.