Removing mildew stains from Sunbrellla?

[Uncle Buck]

Hi All,

Any tips? My bimini is badly stained but the cloth itself is still strong. How about soaking it in bleach? It is no longer waterproof anyway, and I plan to take care of that after making it look a little nice.

Thanks,

E.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by EvanStolze

Hi All,

Any tips? My bimini is badly stained but the cloth itself is still strong. How about soaking it in bleach? It is no longer waterproof anyway, and I plan to take care of that after making it look a little nice.

Thanks,

E.

If you check Sunbrella's web-site, you will find that the material can endure bleach without difficulty. Note, however, that the type of stains will dictate the treatment. Bleach will not remove stains caused by iron oxide for example (rust, blood etc.) For that you will need an acid based cleaner such as "Wink", available at many grocery and hardware stores. If you choose to use bleach, it can be mixed up and sprayed on the fabric. Note that bleach can damage the threads used to make the Bimini so one needs not be carries away with its application even tho' the fabric itself might not be harmed. We have found that mixing up a 2 gallon bucket of warm soapy water with a quart of unscented bleach will do a nice job of cleaning/stain removing. Once the fabric is well rinsed and dried, apply some 303 waterproofing to both sides to restore the fabric's ability to shead water and, once that's dried, some Scotchguard to make it somewhat more resistant to dirt/staining.

FWIW...

PS: Note that in the Bay Area, oily soot can be a real problem and the yacht/bimini needs be washed down with a good detergant cleanser quite regularly.

[forsailbyowner]

There's a cleaner LAs totally awesome that works exceptionally well on mildew. Spray it on heavy and straight then sprinkle water on it and scrubb the foamy mixture. Sometimes takes a couple rounds on heavy miildewed areas.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

There's a cleaner LAs totally awesome that works exceptionally well on mildew. Spray it on heavy and straight then sprinkle water on it and scrubb the foamy mixture. Sometimes takes a couple rounds on heavy miildewed areas.

I just cleaned mine of mildew very easily.

First I sprayed it with vinegar and water -- 3 parts distilled cider vinegar to two parts water.

Then I washed it off with a rag and 409. Looks terrific now.

[forsailbyowner]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I just cleaned mine of mildew very easily.

First I sprayed it with vinegar and water -- 3 parts distilled cider vinegar to two parts water.

Then I washed it off with a rag and 409. Looks terrific now.

Formula 409 may work fine. I get the totally awesome at dollar tree for you guessed it $1 a bottle. My canvas is light colored topgun which mildews more than sunbrella . This stuff really works.

If I were you I'd use the cleaner first followed by the vinegar, then let the vinegar dry. It leaves a residue that discourages future mildew growth.

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by EvanStolze

Hi All,

Any tips? My bimini is badly stained but the cloth itself is still strong. How about soaking it in bleach? It is no longer waterproof anyway, and I plan to take care of that after making it look a little nice.

Thanks,

E.

We started getting mildew as soon as we got into Central America.

We use a dilutided bleach and water formula in a water bottle. Anywhere from 30% to 50% depending on what we are cleaning. It kills mold every where from the bildges to the bimini without having to scrub.

If you are using it on any cloth, I would suggest using the belach designed for colors. Then spary a small portion to test it and make sure you don't make the fabric fade.