Dos, Don’ts, And Details For Canvas And Windows
Published: Monday, May 21, 2018
By: Russ Griffin, Co-Owner of Northcoast Marine Specialties LLC
Cleaning boat canvas and boat windows — sounds simple. Yet, as with everything, there is a back-story. Rest assured I will give you quick answers for cleaning products and methods later in this article, but, for those who like back stories, read on, as I also explain what products not to use when cleaning your boat canvas and windows, and why.
It is no secret that the most popular fabric in the boat canvas industry is Sunbrella brand. As a spokesperson for Glen Raven, makers of Sunbrella, recently told me: “We are no longer in the fabric business. We are in the chemical business!” He went on to explain, “We don’t just own the Sunbrella name, we own the chemistry behind the product — which is the secret to its success.” The chemistry behind every marine fabric rings true with all fabric makers. Today’s fabrics are not about natural fibers, they’re all about synthetic materials developed through chemistry. Therefore, one brand name cleaner may work well for a particular fabric, yet be harmful to another. It is all about the chemistry.
What NOT To Use
First, let us talk about what products NOT to use. In our canvas shop, the general rule is: If you can buy the product in a grocery store, don’t use it on boat canvas or windows, unless the product is approved by the fabric maker! The cleaners sold in grocery stores are highly concentrated and made to remove the toughest dirt, grease, stains, and bacteria from hard surfaces. These chemicals often will shorten the life of synthetic fabrics, or simply neutralize all of the good chemicals processed into the fabric during its creation. For example, a typical grocery store dish detergent or laundry detergent will immediately neutralize all of the waterproofing chemicals that were applied at the factory when the fabric was made. These applications also include UVR-protection chemicals that help give fabrics a longer lifespan in the sunlight. New fabrics also have heat-reducing properties so your boat enclosure remains cooler inside. All of this wonderful chemical technology can be erased in a moment when the wrong cleaning product is used.
Types Of Clear Windows
Let’s clear up a fallacy. Boat windows are not made of Eisen Glass, even though you hear that term misused frequently. The most common boat windows are made of PVC, or poly-vinyl-chloride, which is derived from oil. Therefore, when other oils, like suntan lotion, waterproofing, furniture polishes, or certain cleaning chemicals are applied to PVC windows, it can damage the PVC as oils have a natural chemistry to “become one again with nature,” as I like to describe it. Each PVC glass maker has recommended products to use when cleaning their PVC that will not strip-away the wonderful coatings they have applied to the PVC, so that we may enjoy them on a boat.
Other types of boat windows are made from acrylics, like the clear headlight covers on your automobile. Another popular semi-rigid glass is Polycarbonate, like the lightweight material used in eyeglass lenses. However, both of these products, like fabric, must be coated with chemicals so they will hold up well in direct sunlight and resist yellowing. The wrong cleaning chemical will quickly remove all of these wonderful chemicals that protect these products, shortening the lifespan of your new windows.
Determining What Products To Use
So, let’s get to it; what do I use to clean my canvas and windows, and what method do I use? Rather than duplicate what documents have already been published by the manufacturer, I’ll refer you to their online cleaning instructions, if available.
For example, we will begin with Sunbrella. From general cleaning to the toughest stains - even ink - Sunbrella offers all of the cleaning chemicals and step-by-step methods for cleaning their products. For general cleaning of canvas covers, to remove environmental dirt or bird-droppings, our rule is simple: Don’t use boat-soap or detergents. Instead, throw the canvas cover into a 30lb washing machine at the laundromat with only a small amount of bleach added to the water. Do not dry the fabric in a dryer. When finished, snap the cover onto the boat and it will be clean and dry in about 20 minutes. For stains and mold issues, be sure to refer to www.Sunbrella.com, and remember that other boat fabrics known to boaters as SurLast, Harbortime Edge, Aqualon Edge, and many other marine fabrics, have cleaning instructions available online through their respective websites.
Other popular marine fabrics, like Stamoid, are non-breathable. These vinyl-coated polyester fabrics are easy to clean on the outside. However, they are susceptible to mold and mildew on the inside due to condensation mixed with airborne particles that contain dirt and mold spores. Stamoid’s website does not address cleaning in any detail. However, there are two chemicals we’ve found that work well. Home Armour’s Mold and Mildew, available at Home Depot in a bright green bottle, will remove the stains caused by mold and mildew. Important: you only have 12 minutes of contact time before the chemical must be thoroughly rinsed away with water. After you have removed the stains, apply Mold Control, available at Lowes in the concrete isle, to kill the mold spores. As with all non-breathable fabrics, it is good practice to have a small fan running inside the enclosure when you are not using your vessel. If moisture cannot condensate, mold will not grow. Although bleach is commonly used to clean mold, bleach only temporarily spreads the spores, seeming to have removed them. Mold Control, mentioned above, actually kills the spores so mold won’t return.
There are hundreds of PVC window cleaners and polishes on the market. One particular PVC manufacturer, StrataGlass, requires the boat owner to use Imar brand cleaners and polishes, or risk voiding the warranty. Reference www.Strataglass.com. However, a product that we recommend for most other PVC brand windows is Enclosure Clear by AquaTech. Originally developed for Strataglass, Enclosure Clear is a cleaner without all of the polishing chemicals that can often turn PVC windows yellow over time. We call it the “kitchen floor wax build-up” effect. Many PVC cleaners contain extra polishing chemicals. We suggest that you clean your windows, rather than polish them each time. If they need polished, then use a proven marine polish from a trusted brand, such as Imar and Iosso marine products.
Acrylics and polycarbonates are a much different material when it comes to cleaning. Most products on the market are made to clean acrylics and plastics, such as Plexus, and contain a polish. While these products are wonderful for acrylics, they may be harmful to polycarbonates, or cause a yellow build-up on the surface. For polycarbonates, we suggest warm water and a mild detergent. If your boat has Makrolon polycarbonate windows, download their cleaning document as a PDF at http://bit.ly/MakrolonCleaningPDF.
Waterproofing
Before we wrap-up this cleaning topic, let’s touch on waterproofing the fabrics. For newer canvas fabrics, we suggest the 303 Fabric Guard brand. 303’s formulas are silicone-free and allow woven fabrics to breathe, thus reducing the likelihood of developing mold and mildew. However, on older fabrics that are near their life’s end, silicone products such as Aqua-Tite will stop the leaks. The important thing to note is that waterproofing sold by home improvement stores, made for wooden decks, is absolutely the wrong thing to use on a boat canvas. 303 Fabric Guard and Aqua-Tite will protect most all of the woven marine fabrics that are popular today.
In addition to each manufacturer’s websites, cleaning instructions and cleaning products are also available by visiting the online store at www.canvastraining.com, look under “Care & Cleaning.”
This article first appeared in the Launch Issue (May/Jun) 2018 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Boating 101, Canvas & Upholstery
