[kjdevrou]

well I started cleaning up the vynil on the interior of the boat this week. it is cleaning up great!!!!
I am using a couple things, a product called x-14 mold and mildew remover and thetford rv awning cleaner. the both seem to work about the same. just spray it on and wipe it with a sponge. rinse with water (a different sponge with clean hot water) and dry with paper towel. mold comes right off. I have used the magic eraser in the past and I would have to say these work better.
I will get some after pics when its done. I still need to get the open bow done and then treat the vynil with 303 areospace protectant or ????? (if you guys know of something better)
also any ideas for getting stubborn starins out.????
i have a few. I have tried magic eraser, x-14, thetford, acetone, hairspray, with no luck.
any help would be great.

[Andy b]

Originally Posted by Zackattack

Maybe someone else can chime in on whether or not the impeller would be fine.

Defiantly change the impeller!
It will have gone hard over 3 years of not moving and as it sits off centre in the pump housing a couple of the fins will be bent over,
when you run the engine up they will break up.
To be honest as the boat is new to you I’d service the leg and motor at the same time,
at least that way you have a point in time to work to when it comes to future servicing.

[mikeyt]

Definitely change the impeller & outdrive fluids. A busted up impeller can cause a blockage in your engine cooling which could cause some serious damage.

Aerospace 303 is an excellent protectorant.

If i remember correctly the manuals suggest that you can use Acetone to remove stubborn stains in the Prefixx material. Just be sure to apply the protectorant afterwards.

[kjdevrou]

thanks guys!!
I will for sure change the impeller!!!
I am thinking about doing it myself ( with the help of my brother who has done his a few times). I doesn't look that hard and no special tools to do the job.

[ShabahZ280]

You're using X14 bathroom cleaner on your upholstery?!? You do realize one of the active ingredients is bleach, right? The Nautolex upholstery, even though it was probably one of the best vinyls available at the time, isn't made to stand up to bleach for cleaning. It has a PreFixx coating, (much like a chemical scotchguard), and there is only a few things the manufacturer recommends for cleaning with. First being 409 or Fantastik cleaner, second being rubbing alcohol, and third being acetone for the stubborn hard to remove stains. For stains that won't come up with any of those 3 or a magic eraser, you're pretty much stuck with them.

I really don't recommend either the X14 or the Thetford RV Awning Cleaner for upholstery. Any boat supply store, bass pro shop, or any place that sells boating stuff, (heck even most walmarts) will have marine cleaners that are specially formulated to be used on marine upholstery, and only cost a few dollars more.

I just hope you thoroughly rinsed them off immediately and applied the 303 protectant as quickly as possible.

[kjdevrou]

I believe that the magic eraser has bleach in it also (from what I have heard, but they don't list it on the box). you would need something to kill the mold. both the x-14 and the thetford awning cleaner say they are safe for vynil. the x-14 does have some bleach. the awning cleaner doesn't list bleach (but either does the magic eraser). I have heard others onlne use them with no problems and they said it works better than the magic eraser ( it does work better in my opinion also). I did use mostly the awning cleaner as I believe it is safer. I used the x-14 on less visable areas avoiding the stiching as much as posible. I know the original owner of the boat and can say that this is the 1st time the interior has had any cleaner aplied, so i don't think it will do much damage. aslo I did the cleaning in a garage with no sun and a cool day 40-50 degrees. I did treat the vynil with the 303 within a few days to make sure everything was good and dry. I do like the way it looks after the 303, that stuff seems to be worth the $$$, time will tell. the boat looks 100 times better. once I get the hull cleaned up I will get some pics. o it is a 1995 boat that only cost me $2500. I need to keep that in mind. (it sure is looking good for an old boat) . time will tell if I hurt the stiching, I hope not but think it will be ok.

[Dredd]

I think we've had a few members say their logo stitching has come apart after using magic eraser on it. Might be worth doing a site search on that before you get to the bow.

+1 for 303.

[ShabahZ280]

Originally Posted by kjdevrou

I believe that the magic eraser has bleach in it also (from what I have heard, but they don't list it on the box)

Actually, there's no bleach in Magic Erasers. They are made using melamine foam. When activated by using water, it creates a microscopic abrasive surface like extremely fine sandpaper, which allows it to get into grooves and pits in the object being cleaned. That's why it works so well. But also explains why some members had an issue with the stitching.

here's some interesting reading:
HowStuffWorks "Melamine Foam"

And contrary to the rumor, it's been confirmed they do not contain any formaldehyde or dangerous chemicals. The trick is to use them, and then protect or condition the vinyl right after using, while the surface is still somewhat pourous.

But if you think the X14 works better for you, that's your decision. Just make sure and protect and use 303 on everything, and you should be ok. I'd just try and stay away from the stitching because bleach will break down the fabric used in the embroidering.