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yes another upholstry stain question :) is this mildew??


hawaiianstyln

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Finally got around to taking pics but when I bought the boat the previous owner told me those stains are from the resin in the gelcoat/fiberglass.  I really think it's because the he had a cover that went over the entire Titan tower and back over the swim deck.  The area that seems like mildew to me the top would come down tight over that area.  The cover has a few vents but definitely custom cover.  I have since ordered a new nice cover with cutouts around the titan III tower and will start putting a swim noodle over the back deck so that the cover isn't sitting on this area for future purposes.

This area was twice as bad a month ago but the sun has definitely bleached 50-60% of it out.  My question is, what can I used to advance the bleaching method of the sun (hoping this would come out 100% eventually).  I've read the stain chart for sunbrella and it states to use diluted bleach with dish soap for mildew (if this is mildew?), but bleach kind of concerns me and want to see if others have tried what methods.

 

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I had similar stains on my LSV when I picked it up from the detailed.  He said when I dropped it off it rained that night before the boat was inside and the cover allowed some puddled water to sit on the cover on the rear hatches.  He gave me some 303 cleaner and said put it on and let it sit in the sun and after a few cycles of this, the stain would wipe up.  I was skeptical, but it worked just like he said.

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okay I will try this.  Last night I scrubbed with dish soap and mr clean scrubber and it took a TON out of it.  I will try the 303 now.

 

 

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Tried this for grins and after 10 min in the sun WOW. The back of the oxy said it works good on upholstry. 

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Just be vertpy careful with this and things like magic eraser, the bleach in these can eat the threads and cause them to fail.  Once in a while carefully is ok.

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We had the rear seats repaired in our '01 this off-season.  Local upholstery guy was able to re-use the front bolster vinyl, but replaced the main panel and the bead.  Did an amazing job color and material matching BTW.  However, he said don't ever use ANY of the upholstery products.  Not Armor-all (especially not this), not 303, nothing.  They will all lead to drying and brittling of the vinyl over time.  He said leave it natural and if you want to use something to clean it, just some diluted Dawn dish soap is the best option.

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On 7/14/2017 at 0:55 PM, hawaiianstyln said:

Finally got around to taking pics but when I bought the boat the previous owner told me those stains are from the resin in the gelcoat/fiberglass.  I really think it's because the he had a cover that went over the entire Titan tower and back over the swim deck.  The area that seems like mildew to me the top would come down tight over that area.  The cover has a few vents but definitely custom cover.  I have since ordered a new nice cover with cutouts around the titan III tower and will start putting a swim noodle over the back deck so that the cover isn't sitting on this area for future purposes.

This area was twice as bad a month ago but the sun has definitely bleached 50-60% of it out.  My question is, what can I used to advance the bleaching method of the sun (hoping this would come out 100% eventually).  I've read the stain chart for sunbrella and it states to use diluted bleach with dish soap for mildew (if this is mildew?), but bleach kind of concerns me and want to see if others have tried what methods.

 

IMG_8739.JPG

IMG_8740.JPG

Looks like you're making progress with safe products.  Just wanted to point out in your post above that the stain chart was for sunbrella (you're boat cover) not vinyl.  Personally I don't use any products containing bleach on the vinyl, I'm never in that big of a hurry and just let the sun do the work.  Unfortunately your staining is chronic in my opinion, it looks similar to mine.  You'll drive yourself mad cleaning it, trying to keep the boat 100% dry, keeping the cover off the boat, etc.  I've learned to live with it until I need to replace those skins (which will be this offseason).  It's crazy how it's isolated to one color/type of vinyl.  

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Everything you ever wanted to know about your vinyl

main page, go down to the blue on the right side.

http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=1348

what you have, you can't do anything about. Boats from about 2002ish to about 2008ish have this problem no matter the brand of boat. 

http://www.bakesonline.com/images/MediaLibrary/VinylDiscolor.pdf

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1 hour ago, Ndawg12 said:

Looks like you're making progress with safe products.  Just wanted to point out in your post above that the stain chart was for sunbrella (you're boat cover) not vinyl.  Personally I don't use any products containing bleach on the vinyl, I'm never in that big of a hurry and just let the sun do the work.  Unfortunately your staining is chronic in my opinion, it looks similar to mine.  You'll drive yourself mad cleaning it, trying to keep the boat 100% dry, keeping the cover off the boat, etc.  I've learned to live with it until I need to replace those skins (which will be this offseason).  It's crazy how it's isolated to one color/type of vinyl.  

good point and after reading that technical bulletin from Malibu2004 I'm just going to replace the skins this offseason.  I'm overly meticulous with how I keep my boat and it will drive me nuts.  I didn't know it was year specific on the vinyl, that is crazy but now I understand.  When I bought the boat 2 months ago, it had that stain on it already and I figured I would eventually replace the skins or try and fix/clean it.  Those stains were not going to keep me from buying a very well priced boat since everything else was in Rock'n shape!

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As I understand it, this is a mildew problem with the adhesive between the vinyl & the foam. Clean all you like, and it won't remove it. The sunshine is about the only solution. And as soon as you put your dark colored cover back on it, the problem will happen again. It may be year specific, but I've seen it happen on boats built from 2003 to like 2008.

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38 minutes ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

As I understand it, this is a mildew problem with the adhesive between the vinyl & the foam. Clean all you like, and it won't remove it. The sunshine is about the only solution. And as soon as you put your dark colored cover back on it, the problem will happen again. It may be year specific, but I've seen it happen on boats built from 2003 to like 2008.

but if I get new foam and upholstery in the offseason I should be good right?  I wonder if an upholstery shop can just unstitch that section and match new a vinyl cutout and sew it all back together.  There is nothing wrong with the skins except that part/piece.  Obviously telling them to change out the foam as well?

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Just now, hawaiianstyln said:

but if I get new foam and upholstery in the offseason I should be good right?  I wonder if an upholstery shop can just unstitch that section and match new a vinyl cutout and sew it all back together.  There is nothing wrong with the skins except that part/piece.  Obviously telling them to change out the foam as well?

I know of a couple boats that had the issue & Malibu warrantied the entire interior, vinyl & foam, EVERYTHING. Come to think of it, one of them is a 2011.

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Just now, Bill_AirJunky said:

I know of a couple boats that had the issue & Malibu warrantied the entire interior, vinyl & foam, EVERYTHING. Come to think of it, one of them is a 2011.

wow maybe I should call Malibu.  Too bad I'm not a rep anymore as I was in Hawaii.  Then again I only knew everyone at the Merced plant and they have shut that down I think.

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3 minutes ago, hawaiianstyln said:

wow maybe I should call Malibu.  Too bad I'm not a rep anymore as I was in Hawaii.  Then again I only knew everyone at the Merced plant and they have shut that down I think.

Good luck. 2008 is far enough out you might even have issues buying new skins from them.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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2 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

Good luck. 2008 is far enough out you might even have issues buying new skins from them.

yep called Malibu and no go!  Looks like I have to take it to upholstery shop and get a close match

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16 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

Good luck. 2008 is far enough out you might even have issues buying new skins from them.

Good luck. 2008 is far enough out you might even have issues buying new skins from them.

Seven years is what I have been told. After that you have to out source.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On ‎7‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 9:56 AM, Ndawg12 said:

Looks like you're making progress with safe products.  Just wanted to point out in your post above that the stain chart was for sunbrella (you're boat cover) not vinyl.  Personally I don't use any products containing bleach on the vinyl, I'm never in that big of a hurry and just let the sun do the work.  Unfortunately your staining is chronic in my opinion, it looks similar to mine.  You'll drive yourself mad cleaning it, trying to keep the boat 100% dry, keeping the cover off the boat, etc.  I've learned to live with it until I need to replace those skins (which will be this offseason).  It's crazy how it's isolated to one color/type of vinyl.  

NDawg you were right, I think I'm over the battle.  After using the Oxy and it almost came out except the permanent discoloration that has occurred from the mildew stain, it has now come back after one time of covering it for the last week.  I will just live with it and I am hoping in the winter that I can get an upholstery shop to removed the foam with new foam (maybe closed cell foam if you heard of that) and new skins for the back deck.  I'm assuming that will fix it with new skins/foam.  Heck it looks like it came back even worse.  It's like it was mad at me for trying to clean it and said F-off take that.  :)

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On 7/19/2017 at 10:11 AM, malibu2004 said:

Everything you ever wanted to know about your vinyl

main page, go down to the blue on the right side.

http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=1348

what you have, you can't do anything about. Boats from about 2002ish to about 2008ish have this problem no matter the brand of boat. 

http://www.bakesonline.com/images/MediaLibrary/VinylDiscolor.pdf

 

11 minutes ago, hawaiianstyln said:

NDawg you were right, I think I'm over the battle.  After using the Oxy and it almost came out except the permanent discoloration that has occurred from the mildew stain, it has now come back after one time of covering it for the last week.  I will just live with it and I am hoping in the winter that I can get an upholstery shop to removed the foam with new foam (maybe closed cell foam if you heard of that) and new skins for the back deck.  I'm assuming that will fix it with new skins/foam.  Heck it looks like it came back even worse.  It's like it was mad at me for trying to clean it and said F-off take that.  :)

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Did you read the articles posted above?  It appears the issue stems from poorly manufactured vinyl (that malibu used for YEARS!!! I don't think it stopped in 08).  That may partially explain why you just have the issue with the dark grey.  With that said I wouldn't get too hung up on replacing the foam.  I reused all of mine when I redid my 06 several years ago.     

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gotcha I did read some of it, mostly the tech bulletin and the mixtures of how to remove the stains.  Good to know that I can prob just replace the vinyl and not the foam.  Problem is, there is nothing wrong with the other two vinyl pieces on those rear back hatches.  I'm really hoping to save cost by asking if the upholstery shop can reuse the white and light grey along with the bead by just sewing in a new dark grey on each side.  Not even sure they could do that or not. 

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12 minutes ago, hawaiianstyln said:

gotcha I did read some of it, mostly the tech bulletin and the mixtures of how to remove the stains.  Good to know that I can prob just replace the vinyl and not the foam.  Problem is, there is nothing wrong with the other two vinyl pieces on those rear back hatches.  I'm really hoping to save cost by asking if the upholstery shop can reuse the white and light grey along with the bead by just sewing in a new dark grey on each side.  Not even sure they could do that or not. 

GabrielGarcia @ [email protected]

If you're confident you can pull the skins and reinstall then I would contact this guy and explain your plan.  If not then I would request free samples from the site below (malibu's vinyl supplier)  and go talk with you local upholsterer.  

https://spradlingvinyl.com/

 

BTW, you moved from HI to MI...what the....

Edited by Ndawg12
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thanks a bunch dude!  Yah, so the Hawaii story (you asked lol):

Had met a girl that was visiting my neighbor in Hawaii as her parents just got divorced (back in 03).  We fell in love (but it was prob lust now that I look back) and hung out for the entire two weeks she was visiting.  She decides to move back to be with me/live with me.  Talks me into moving to phx, AZ near some of her family.  So we bail to AZ in late 04.  AZ was awesome, but she wasn't satisfied.  8 years and two kids later in AZ, talks me into moving to suckhole southern MI (3 miles from Toledo) which is where ALL of her family lived and grew up so she would have a support system.  Living here for about 1.5 years and finally drops the Divorce on me.  Doesn't need a man anymore, she just needs her kids now.

I'm a pretty happy happy positive person so I was basically like "later, get out!"  She never did like the boating scene and we struggled.  She put on a good front in the beginning as she knew watersports was my life growing up in Hawaii.  Surfed all my life, sponsored, then got tired of surfing from all the fights (white kid stole my wave scenario) and picked up wakeboarding easy.  Started competing and sponsored right about the time I met her.  I explained to her this is my life and hope she likes it and that I will always have a boat.  after marriage and kids she pushed hard to remove everything I loved to do in life and threw resentment on me since I would not give it up. 

There yah have it, keith's adventure of lustfulness.  HAAAAAA

It's all good, it happened for a reason.  Met my fiancé out of the deal that is beautiful, smart and LOVES wakeboarding or anything I do.  I know now what love is compared to lust now.  I met a Keith'ette  :lol:  I'm living the life now and not looking back!

Edited by hawaiianstyln
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