Insect repellent melts foam rubber and plastic. Yikes!

[lydanynom]

This is just a cautionary tale, I guess. I would certainly not have suspected that I needed to be all that careful about mossie repellent overspray, but we live and learn.

I picked up this "100% DEET" insect repellent the other day.



I recently used some, applying it standing in the cockpit of the boat. Some got on the closed-cell foam strip sealing my screened drop board and some got on my plastimo compass. The foam turned into goo and the compass globe is now clouded. The surface has a million little melted spots where the spray misted down on it.

The wikipedia page about DEET mentions, "DEET is an effective solvent, and may dissolve some plastics, rayon, spandex, other synthetic fabrics, leather, and painted or varnished surfaces including nailpolish." I rarely use repellent and had no idea.

I'm really bummed about the compass, it was virtually brand new. I guess I will try some toothpaste or one of the plastic polishes on it to see if I can polish away the damage. *sigh*

So there you are, be careful with this stuff.

[donradclife]

That's the really good stuff, that 100% deet--imagine what it does to your skin. We usually dilute it 3:1 with Avon Skin so Soft, but when you're in the jungle, you need the heavy duty stuff.

[mmazour]

You might want to contact the compass globe manufacturer and ask them if Meguiar’s Headlight and Clear Plastic Restoration Kit might help fix the damage.

Meguiar's Direct Headlight Restoration Kit

[lydanynom]

Originally Posted by mmazour

You might want to contact the compass globe manufacturer and ask them if Meguiar’s Headlight and Clear Plastic Restoration Kit might help fix the damage.

Meguiar's Direct Headlight Restoration Kit

I have a bottle of plastx around somewhere that I used on my motorcycle windshield, I was just going to try that. Can't really do any harm, it's a very fine and mild abrasive. I don't think that there is a coating on the globe, and if there is it is already ruined, so I think the worst thing that can happen is that the abrasive is too mild to cut away the damage.

[tomwatt]

Oh yeah, DEET does a number on plastic. Lost an altimeter that way. I'd be concerned about getting it on gelcoat, epoxy, or anything else that isn't steel or stone.
Just imagine what it does to your liver!

[DwayneSpeer]

Originally Posted by lydanynom

This is just a cautionary tale, I guess. I would certainly not have suspected that I needed to be all that careful about mossie repellent overspray, but we live and learn.

I'm really bummed about the compass, it was virtually brand new. I guess I will try some toothpaste or one of the plastic polishes on it to see if I can polish away the damage. *sigh*

So there you are, be careful with this stuff.

Go to your local Novus Store. They have an excellent three grade plastic polish that should do the trick. The three grades are course, medium and fine and are used in succession to achieve an excellent polish.

[Maine Sail]

It also eats Gore Tex, ruins dodger windows and just about anything acrylic or polycarbonate such as gps screens, instruments, sun glasses and yes, compass globes.

We have a rule that NO sprays of eitherbug dope or sun block are allowed on the boat. If you use bug dope you then must wash your hands.

We avoid it at all costs...

[roline]

I learned that it will also eat the finish off of a bow. I was only 17 up in Canada where everything that flies bites and the only area that was free for a meal was around my hand, palm where I could not put the repellent. I believe the finish on the bow was a form of varnish... Over sprayed on my fish finder, used 1200 wet to remove the bumps and flitz to polish. At least I could see through it.

[carl762]

I'm sure glad I read this thread. I'm keeping the DEET far far away from my boat.

But, what to replace it with?

[lydanynom]

Originally Posted by carl762

But, what to replace it with?

Looks like Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or Icaridin-based products are both good bets.