cleaning parker non-skid (not the deck)

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052520

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Ok, anyone have an easy way to clean the non-skid. I have some grey stains in the textured rooftop, gunnels & cuddy top. They will come out with cleaner wax & a LOT of elbow grease, just wondering if there is an easier way ?
Also, while i'm at it there is a gray water stain in my deck non-skid (different non-skid from described above, coarser) that i can not get out ? tried soft scrub w. bleach, boat wash, dawn w.bleach ? any sugesstions ? Thanks !

btw boat is a 2005 2520 sc
 
I've found that "Barkeeper's Friend" is about the best for cleaning the non-skid. It has diatomacious earth (microscopic sea animal shells) and oxycilic acid. The diatomacious earth scours the dirt and grit out, and the oxycilic acid removes a lot of rust and other stains. It will not dull the shine on the gelcoat, so I also use it on the rest of the hull when things get bad. Best part---it is not caustic to the skin, and I can scrub the boat in my bare feet and not get any irritation.

The other thing I've used is a dilluted bleach (Clorox) to remove mildew and mold stains. Pick a hot sunny day and the sun will double/triple the whitening power of the bleach. Make sure you keep the bleach off of rubber components--just use it on the deck, bilge, and storage boxes.
 
This is just the reason I'm going to paint my deck dark gray with deck paint with a flattening additive, I'm tired of scrubbing my deck to try to get it white again, and it still dosen't come white!
I'll post some pics in a few weeks when it's done !
 
Another vote for Barkeeper's Friend ... awesome stuff!
 
I've coated the nonskid the last two years or so after reading about it so much, with Woody Wax. Then I use standard boat soap as on the rest of the boat.

Has worked out well.

Dana
 
Maybe other can chime in on the toxicity to gelcoat of Roll-Off, but it is awesome. I used it in my Whaler all the time.
 
I use a mixture of a little bleach and Dawn dish washing fluid. probably not the most friendly chemical but sure works for me.
 
ParkerSal, I've not heard of Roll-Off before. It is listed as biodegradeable and supposedly claimed to work on just about anything.

Dana
 
folks,

the parker nonskid is really "nonskid lite".....compared to
whalers, pursuits, etc......this isnt bad, just a choice....the deep,
diamond like decks are impossible to clean......they also are
impossible to slip upon....parker nonskid is cleanable and is
slippable in extreme situations.....compromise.

i am continually using starbrite polish on my gelcoated surfaces
......i start at the cabin roof and work downward.....when then hull
topsides are done, i go back up and start on the cabin roof...sort of
like maint on the golden gate bridge.......there is a fascinating inter
play of washing and polishing; the more you wash the boat (i wash
it every time out), the longer the polish works (beads), and the more
frequently you polish, the better it washes up....the dirt doesnt get down
into the gelcoat pores....not only pride is at stake in the gelcoat wars,
but check out the awlgripping prices!

but i digress.....i did something last year which i realize now i was stupid not to have done when i got the boat: i bought an orbital polisher
from westmarine for about $70!.......it doesnt eliminate hard work, for
if you run it over any ridges, it will take the gelcoat right off it......but,
it DOES work like a charm on the nonskid, ie the rooftop and the side
decks......cleans and waxes it quickly and neatly.....follow it with a regular
bath towel to knock off the haze and pull up the shine to max.

now, the tough issue for me has been parker`s decision NOT to use a
nonskid approach in the COCKPIT.......to the positives, it can be kept far
cleaner than a nonskid, or you can paint on a nonskid diy cheaply and
easily if you want one....to the negative, it DOES allow even good boots
or shoes to slip at times...the perfect deck is yet to be produced!.....i
continue to contemplate either going with interthane-plus with nonskid
powder vs. one of the high grade rubber mats, ie TREADMASTER......
havent decided yet......last winter for the first time, i used the westmarine
toy to do the cockpit deck with the starbrite (talk about fussy....the blue
bottle is too strong and will take gelcoat, but the white bottle doesnt clean
at all......i mix them 50:50 under goldilocks` principle)....it LOOKED GREAT
.......it WAS slipperier and to an unsafe degree.....i dont plan to do that
again....dan
 
Dan,

"i am continually using starbrite polish on my gelcoated surfaces"

I used Starbright then Maguires until an old timer showed me a product line that just put the rest to shame here in NJ in the salt. It takes a little work but found it to be worth the time. (actually saved time not repolishing through the season) If you can find it try a can of Collinite Marine wax on your gelcoat. right after you rub it out to the shine you want add a second coat of Collinite Insulator wax and apply / remove as per directions. This stuff worked so good I did my cars. Areas that I had yellow water stains just wiped off with a soft brush and a little boat soap. I still had beads at the end of the season. here is the link. I actually called the company to get their take on what the correct application of this stuff is. I have found all their products to work great.

http://www.collinite.com/
 
My 'standard' boat cleaning solution is a mixture of Orpine boat wash and Zep orange cirtus cleaner (found at Home Depot) in a 5gal bucket and scrubbed with a medium bristle boat brush.

For those times when the deck is stained, I'll add a quart (or two) of 'cheap liquid bleach' to brighten her up.

Swab and scub... let stand for 10 minutes, and rinse. For spot cleaning, use Clorox Soft Scrub... scrub, let stand, then rinse.

Bright and clean! :D
 
I've used very diluted Muratic acid before with great results. You just have to be sure to rinse thoroughly after use and follow up with a second scrubbing with a diluted bleach solution to neutralize any remaining acid.

I had some wired gray streaks running down from rail fittings, snaps, etc. but those disappeared after a few hours.
 
Back on the old Parker board, I complained to Robin about the gray stains left on the nonskid by RTV being wiped off of handrail fittings, etc. when the boat wasa assembled. The stains did not appear until the boat had been used for a while, but they showed up around everything the factory had mounted on the roof and gunwales. She said to use acetone to clean it up. It worked pretty well, but over time, some of it has reappeared.
 
andertonm":3l4nadgr said:
Back on the old Parker board, I complained to Robin about the gray stains left on the nonskid by RTV being wiped off of handrail fittings, etc. when the boat wasa assembled. The stains did not appear until the boat had been used for a while, but they showed up around everything the factory had mounted on the roof and gunwales. She said to use acetone to clean it up. It worked pretty well, but over time, some of it has reappeared.

Ah ha ! thats what i mean. the acetone worked ? I assume you must rewax after that ?
 
I was really concerned that the acetone would be hard on the original surface, but it didn't seem to hurt anything. It did clean up the RTV, but more stains have appeared over time. When they are mounting the fixtures, they should mask around them to prevent this, but you don't see the effects until months later. Don't be afraid to go at it with the acetone. I would keep it away from gloss gelcoat.
 
Waxing is a MUST after using acetone, as it's one of THE best wax removers out there.
 
I used the woody wax for years on my deck and it's very easy to apply, I applied it to the roof and gunwhales and it will last 2 or 3 weeks before you have to reapply. almost everything would blast off with a hose and I rarely had any spots that were tough to remove.

The soft scrub and other abrasive cleaners will wear away your finish and remove the wax plus they aren't great for the enviornment.
 
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