# Bilge cleaner - homemade or cheap substitute



## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

What is the best way to clean the bilge without paying the "for marine use" premium? This stuff is expensive. It can't be rocket science.


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

Pamlicotraveler said:


> What is the best way to clean the bilge without paying the "for marine use" premium? This stuff is expensive. It can't be rocket science.


We have had good success with Lemon Juice Concentrate, which is quite inexpensive in gallon sized containers at wholesale food suppliers, combined with warm water. That, combined with Borax for stubborn patches, seems to be quite effective and leaves the bilge smelling clean. Lemon Oil is effective for polishing wood work and preventing mold and salt combined with apple cider vinegar is effective for cleaning metalwork.

FWIW...


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## Cap-Couillon (Jan 2, 2013)

Purple Stuff...

Good deck cleaner as well... Very alkaline, wear gloves or boots if you have sensitive skin. Slippery when wet. Low foam, Keep off the aluminum.


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## Skipper Jer (Aug 26, 2008)

This is from memory so bear with me. Traveling Easy had mentioned amazing orange, a cleaner available at a dollar store. The stuff works wonders.


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## Delta-T (Oct 8, 2013)

This is the dollar store stuff Traveling Easy had mentioned...









Great stuff!
http://www.lastotallyawesome.com/
"Our original all-in-on cleaner, degreaser and spot remover is the inspiration behind the LA's Totally Awesome name and the cornerstone of our product lineup. A unique blend of proprietary ingredients works between the spot and the surface to harmlessly remove even the most stubborn of stains from any washable surface. Dilute the concentrated formula for the solution to almost any household cleaning need. Non-toxic and biodegradable, nothing gets the job done like LA's Totally Awesome."


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## capttb (Dec 13, 2003)

I like Simple Green.


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## Delta-T (Oct 8, 2013)

Simple green is good stuff too, but at $16 a gal as apposed to $4 a gal for the Totally Awesome....


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

I like the orange cleaners as well, mainly because they smell better than the more powerful cleaners. The purple stuff (lye, I'm told) works very well to clean, but it requires real care to use as it will take fingernails and varnish off, and the fumes are pretty tough to take. Good old Dawn dish soap works just fine, if you don't use too much.


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## Skipper Jer (Aug 26, 2008)

Simple green is great, used that also. Here is a pic of the stuff I bought, dollar each. Used the awesome orange on deck, with a little scrubbing, mold, mildew and dirt gone. Going to buy a couple of cases before EPA finds out about it. All the stuff that works, DDT, Agent orange, R12, chlordane, TBT, lead paint, ect, have been taken off the market. (tongue removed from cheek)


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

Hey, great suggestions. Problem is I'm in Gibraltar, and not sure I can find that stuff. I have used simple green as a cleaner for other things, and it would probably be great for the bilge too,but I doubt I'll find it here.

Thanks for the suggestions!


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## copacabana (Oct 1, 2007)

I have had good luck with concentrated neutral dish soap and boiling water. I turn off the bilge pump, dump about 1 liter of dish soap into the bilge and a bucket or two of boiling water and let it sit and "agitate" (either by motoring at bit or when the anchorage is rolly). After a few hours I turn the bilge pump on and out it goes. I'm not sure it's so good for the environment though....


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

We started using this in Mexico and LOVE IT! Works GREAT and is low cost. Only thing is don't let it sit on any varnished/painted surface!!!! We had a small container we were taking from La Paz to Mazatlan and it spilled on the cabin sole when we did not know. We had to re-do the sole coating and they don't make Gym-Seal any more..... BUMMER!!

Greg



Delta-T said:


> This is the dollar store stuff Traveling Easy had mentioned...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

OK, I haven't tried this. How about for an environmentally friendly method, scrub with boiling water, empty the bilge, then scrub with a brush with baking soda paste on it. Rinse, repeat. Maybe followed by a bleach scrubbing.


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## Multihullgirl (Dec 2, 2010)

Carolyn at The Boat Galley suggests denture tablets, if I recall. You might want to check that at theboatgalley.com


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## stam22 (Sep 6, 2011)

I have had good luck by pouring a little Tide into the bilge along with some bleach and letting the wave action while at the mooring take care of the scouring. The tide smells good and the bleach takes care of any mold. Definitely cheaper than bilge cleaner, hope this helps.


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## Puddin'_Tain (Feb 14, 2014)

T. S. P.


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

I like the denture tablets. That's not one I would have ever imagined. I'll talk to the wife and see if she minds me using a few of hers. (Just kidding honey)


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## dvuyxx (Jun 23, 2009)

Some of the things mentioned in this thread might be great bilge cleaners, but are not good for the environment and should not be pumped overboard. I don't think that phosphorous based detergents like Tide, or solvent cleaners are typically eco-friendly.


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## mbianka (Sep 19, 2014)

I pretty much use Simple Green for most heavy duty cleaning but, also use plain white Vinegar as it is a great cleaner either straight or in dilution. Also good for jellyfish stings. I keep a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar by the galley for quick counter cleanups. You might try it as a bilge cleaner as it's cheap enough. I'd give it a rinse with fresh water after cleaning too.


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

Vinegar probably really does make sense...I use it for toilets and it works, so why not the bilge,


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I have found the bilge cleaner that works better than any other I've ever tried. It's not simply a detergent, it's bio-active, so it will break down gunk, like your bilge was a holding tank. I was very impressed with how well it worked. The greatest advantage is that it doesn't foam. I may leave it in the bilge for 24 hrs, particularly on a passage, so it slushes around everywhere, but then I want to vacuum out the bilge to dry. A sudzy detergent is a nightmare to vacuum and even the bilge pump can struggle.

It actually worked so well, that the emulsified gunk started to foul my float switch. I was leaving a touch in the inch or two of water at the bottom of the sump, but had to stop.

Here's a thread I started on it this past season.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/148882-bilge-cleaner.html


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

BLEACH

done and done


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

christian.hess said:


> BLEACH
> 
> done and done


Well Bleach is good for occasional cleaning, but is quite corrosive and stinks. The smell is better than funky bilge, but gets old quick. It is cheap, and pretty good at killing critters, though it does not have much effect on mold spores, other than turning them white. I like Borax if you have mold issues, no scent either.


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## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

yeah bleach stinks but it does kill mold...a pesticide sprayer does wonders

honestly I sound like the windex guy in my big fat greek wedding but bleach or similar os your cheapest and best bet for most cleaning solutions on a boat 99% of the time

now degreasing a crappy engine room or cleaning a teak deck or specific cleaning jobs hell yeah there are some products that are awesome

and the key to using bleach and preventing the corrosive side effects is to use ample COLD WATER RINSES...

its when bleach is left and not rinsed off well that damage occurs...

anyways

many ways to skin a cat here

I had great luck cleaning bilges with white vinegar or bleach and or first doing a JOY soap rinse foaming srub down

the joy soap also does a wonderful job of separating the diesel and or fuel from the water so its easier to skim

in some cases I would have a bucket of water at the ready

pour joy on my smelly stinky bilge(old wooden boat bilge full of diesel leaks and or oil) let it sit a second then pour copious amounts of water

scrub down then quickly pump put

this would DISPLACE MOST OF THE FUEL AND GRUDGE AND STUFF the remaing grime I would treat with bleach.


then the best way to clean is to dry the bilges and pat down then do some rinses with fresh water or whatever

anyways


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