Best Way to Clean Up Antifreeze After Winterization

[Howler]

Thanks to (or as a consequence of) boat yards all being short staffed, I decided to bite the bullet and do the full year-end engine and winterization service myself.

As a first-timer, I managed to spill some propylene glycol antifreeze here and there. It's easy to clean from the bilges, but it's kind of sticky and hard to clean on the wood cabin floor. Does anybody have a product to suggest to clean it up?

Thanks.

[tkeithlu]

Sure. Ordinary Dawn dishwashing detergent, or if it's spots, try Dawn Power Wash. It's not difficult to break down ethylene glycol, and anything "marine" will cost a bunch for little or no advantage.

[Howler]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

Sure. Ordinary Dawn dishwashing detergent, or if it's spots, try Dawn Power Wash. It's not difficult to break down ethylene glycol, and anything "marine" will cost a bunch for little or no advantage.

Dawn strikes again. Where would the world be without it?

[Nicholson58]

Any liquid soap will do. Even Windex glass cleaner.

[Elie]

Why not avoid alltogether the antifreeze for winterisation of all wresh water distribution system. For many years now I use compress air to remove all traces of water in the system, Works well(need to disconect an entry and exit hose however). For my engine cooling circuit, I emply all water by opening the seacocks and also blowing air, However, I always take de precaution to first first pump some plumbing antifreeze and recuperate it(most of it in fact) after opeing the seacocks. So, no pollution nor bad taste .

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Elie

Why not avoid alltogether the antifreeze for winterisation of all wresh water distribution system. For many years now I use compress air to remove all traces of water in the system, Works well(need to disconect an entry and exit hose however). For my engine cooling circuit, I emply all water by opening the seacocks and also blowing air, However, I always take de precaution to first first pump some plumbing antifreeze and recuperate it(most of it in fact) after opeing the seacocks. So, no pollution nor bad taste .

It depends on the plumbing layout and therefore your confidence level in being able to get all of the water out. Some systems will still have a tiny bit that will eventually puddle in a low point and cause a possible problem.

[dfelsent]

Air is great. But as said above some systems are complex enough that air is not reliable or that air require so much disconnection that it’s not worthwhile.
My previous boat? Air.
Current boat?
Propylene glycol based antifreeze. Bypass and drain the hot water tank. I use a refractometer to ensure that each plumbing run,hot or cold, is winterized.
Two heads and a galley and an outdoor rinse. Each with hit and cold feeds. And three foot pumps.
In the spring I do a partial tank fill and full drain several times. This HT red los ermine the antifreeze taste early on