E-Z Off as hull cleaner?

C

Cobalt 25

Member
exMember
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
RO Number
471
Messages
361
I've been using a West Marine hull cleaner that is a blu-ish gel. It has worked reasonably well but I heard that E-Z Off works better- but is caustic to your skin.

I'm not sure if I heard the guy correctly so it might be another product with a similar name.

Anyone tried it?

Peter
 
Try Fleetwax fiberglass cleaner. That's what it is made for.
 
I'd be careful of some of those cleaners 'n stuff. I used that gel type paint remover to remove old deck paint. It also dissolved the fiberglass resin. I had glass fibers all over the deck. Good thing I didn't leave it on too long.
 
E-Z Off as in oven cleaner? I have used it as a paint or decal stripper. But I don't know if I'd use it as an everyday hull cleaner.

Try using any of the acidic blue toilet bowl cleaners. They are cheap and do a good job of removing different stains on gelcoat.
 
50-50 muriatic acid in a cheap $9.95 garden sprayer is all you'll need. However, be careful: watch wind direction, wear old clothes, and eye protection. spray from bottom up so drips stay off you. 'Hang time' is the key; a good 10 minutes. I also use a 1300 psi $69.95 pressure washer.
 
I have used EZ OFF to get an old painted name off a boat. Didnt do any damage to hull.
 
Charlie, the WM blue gel doesn't do that- it's pretty good.

Bill and Zane, when you used EZ Off to remove paint, did it leave the gelcoat nice and white?

Steve, your suggestion may be overkill for my application. I only have a slight yellowing of the bottom of the hull. I think it got that way because I haven't waxed bellow the waterline for the past 2 years. I did so because the wax seemed to wear off quickly compared to the hull above the waterline. But it looks like it needs to be done anyway because now I'm getting that slight yellowing. The process you describe looks like it would apply to a hull that's REALLY stained.

Great ideas, guys, thanks. Any other possibilities?
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cobalt 25

Bill and Zane, when you used EZ Off to remove paint, did it leave the gelcoat nice and white?

Click to expand...


I really can't say I remember the gelcoat coming out real clean/white were the E-Z Off was. I was more interested in getting the paint off.

If it's yellow stains you are trying to get off I'd start with the toilet bowl cleaner.
 
I'd heard Barkeeper's Friend (a scouring powder for stainless steel) was an option. Then later I heard Soft Scrub with Bleach and tried that. Pretty good for "water stains" but not so sure it'll remove rust streaks.
 
I believe you may have mistaken EZ Off for Mary Kate On and Off which is an excellent hull cleaner. It is acid based and precautions must be taken to protect yourself.
 
Sno-Bowl or diluted muriatic acid works well and is cheap. Just take safety precautions and watch the wind and your eyes. Muriatic acid even when diluted is very concentrated and I caught some in my eyes on a windy day from at least 50' away. Fortunately, no harm was done but I immediately advised/warned the culprit/guy on the next boat to back off at least until the wind subsided.
 
When I took the old name off the hull wasnt bright and shiney. I could still a haze where the old name was. after a compund and a wax it was good as new though.
 
The On and Off hul cleaner works real well, but I only use it on the brown crap that develops along the waterline when I take the boat out of the water in the fall.
I use a plastic food container, pour some in, and then use a disposable foam brush to apply it. A very little goes a long way.
I brush it on one side stern to bow, then just rinse it off. I repeat on the other side.
For other tough spots on the hull I start with Spray 9. If that doesn't do it (which is rare) I use a little bit of Barkeeper's Friend.
I don't use anything on the bottom becauuse I find that if I get at it with a power washer as soon as it gets hauled the bottom comes clean quickly. If you wait a few hours it gets a lot harder.
I've used the Muriatic Acid mix in a garden sprayer in the past, but I'm not crazy about how it can blow around in the wind. It also dissolves the bottom paint.
The On and Off works just as well and is much more controllable with the method I use.
 
cmariner and JVM,

I believe On and Off is the stuff the guy was talking about. He described using the same procedure as JMV. He raved about it.

My boat is a trailer boat and it gets washed within a half hour or so of being in the water. It doesn't get the heavy deposits from extended time in the water. The On and Off would cost me $35 for a gallon and I probably could do my boat with a pint for many years. Bottom line, I'm too cheap to buy it so I'll just have to make do with the WM product. I'll try using a brush, though, and that should make it easier.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has learned some good stuff from this thread, thanks.

Peter
 
If you read the label of On and Off , it is 65% water and 25% hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is Muriatic acid. West Marine sells On and Off for $45 a gallon. Muriatic acid at lowes is $8.
 
Thanks, Zane, I may try going to Lowes and getting the muriatic acid.

Today I bought some blue toilet bowl cleaner with bleach. It didn't work nearly as well as the WM blue gel. I'll have to look at the ingredients of the WM stuff to see if it's muriatic acid. I bought a small container of it a couple of years ago and I still have some left. It works best on rust stains on gelcoat.

Peter
 
I use Mary Kate On & Off for rust stains that develop on my swim platform (from cheap rachet straps to hold the dinghy down). The stuff is amazing at removing the rust stains from the non skid.
 
I have seen several people use E-Z Off, yes the oven cleaner, to clean their hull or remove stickers or stripes. Way too harsh for me to fool around with but some people swear by it.
Jim
 
I don't understand why someone who has thousands of dollars invested in a boat would resort to oven or toilet bowl cleaner as a hull cleaner. There are several brands of boat hull cleaners available that will do the job effectively and without damaging the boat.

And yes, if you want to find out what acid is in these cleaners and buy the generic product, you can do that as long as you don't increase the concentration.

Barkeeper's Friend and some of the other products mentioned are slightly abrasive. Fine for a china toilet bowl or stainless steel, not for gelcoat.
 
quote:
Originally posted by 32carv

I have seen several people use E-Z Off, yes the oven cleaner, to clean their hull or remove stickers or stripes. Way too harsh for me to fool around with but some people swear by it.
Jim

Click to expand...


I have used E-Z off for the brown scum marks at the water line, works well, very easy.

If you use this stuff, immediately follow through with a different rag (wet), then hose down.
Never had a problem doing this way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top