Toothpaste

[UNSTUCK]

So I think I mentioned how last weekends fireworks show on the water brought a million bugs into the boat. Literally. Well I didn't count, but..... Anyways, it was so bad that the entire floor was stained with bug guts as we walked around the boat. We had no choice, but to just step on them. The seats suffered the same fate. It was bad!

We have been working hard this week to get it clean. I used two different cleaners and a pressure washer to get the floor clean. I am now happy with it, after two and a half hours pressure washing just the cabin floor. My wife and kids were in charge of the seats. Yesterday morning she called me saying there were a few stains that were not coming out so I suggested she try some toothpaste. I have heard it mentioned a few times on here so I thought she should try it. I get home from work and she's a bit freaked out and says she stained the boat up even worse with the toothpaste. I walk out there and sure enough I see a few spots right away that stand out in the white vinyl. I then come to realize that those spots are actually the absence of stains/dirt. They are just absolutely white. The texture of the white vinyl always seems to allow dirt to fill in the "cracks" so even though it's clean it looks a few shades darker than new.
I did a larger section of a seat cushion and was even more impressed by it. There really is a huge difference in the brightness of the white. I can also feel a huge difference in it. Once dried I ran my hand over it and it feels a bit rough. It's not smooth and "slippery" like the white vinyl on the other seats. I'm left to believe that the toothpaste is removing EVERYTHING on the seat...the 303 and any other cleaners leftovers. Like maybe it's just raw vinyl now.

So my questions are, am I hurting the vinyl by using toothpaste over larger sections to get it nice and clean? What do I do next? Spray on 303 and be done? Is there a stain guard type product that will help keep dirt out of the texture of the vinyl?

Thanks.

Oh, and for what it's worth, she was using Crest 3D Whitening.

[KoolAid]

I would be less concerned about the peroxide (whitening portion of the toothpaste) than the grit of the toothpaste sanding off the surface. Kind of like the magic eraser. There is a UV coating typically on the top layer of vinyl. You don't really want to sand that off. You may want to try a 25% solution of peroxide to 75% water by itself as a cleaner instead of the toothpaste.

303 always and forever.

[freeheel4life]

I dont know what color the Crest is out of the tube, but I would wipe with a colored rag and make sure it isnt turning white. If it is (assuming the toothpaste isnt white) then you are actually taking off some of the vinyl as you clean. Not sure if toothpaste will do it or not but there are some products that will definitely clean like crazy, but take some of the vinyl with it. Repeated use results in issues.

I would definitely use some kind of conditioner after. Helps create a barrier to wipe the next layer of dirt from and keeps vinyl soft.
Soft nylon brushes reach down further than a rag and can take some of that dirt out of the cracks in the "natural " textured vinyl.

[UNSTUCK]

I would be less concerned about the peroxide (whitening portion of the toothpaste) than the grit of the toothpaste sanding off the surface. Kind of like the magic eraser. There is a UV coating typically on the top layer of vinyl. You don't really want to sand that off. You may want to try a 25% solution of peroxide to 75% water by itself as a cleaner instead of the toothpaste. 303 always and forever.

Good information. I'll try that on the next section and see how it compares. Should I expect it to work on the different colors of vinyl or just white? I haven't tried my brown, blue, or (I think) stone.

I dont know what color the Crest is out of the tube, but I would wipe with a colored rag and make sure it isnt turning white. If it is (assuming the toothpaste isnt white) then you are actually taking off some of the vinyl as you clean. Not sure if toothpaste will do it or not but there are some products that will definitely clean like crazy, but take some of the vinyl with it. Repeated use results in issues.

I would definitely use some kind of conditioner after. Helps create a barrier to wipe the next layer of dirt from and keeps vinyl soft.
Soft nylon brushes reach down further than a rag and can take some of that dirt out of the cracks in the "natural " textured vinyl.

She started out using a toothbrush (I mean why not when you're using toothpaste) then I stepped the game up with a semi soft bristle brush for much faster work. The toothpaste came out blue, but foamed up to white while scrubbing. Once I was done I just rinsed it off with water, so I'm not sure if it took any vinyl away with it.

Is "conditioner" something different than 303?

[freeheel4life]

Is "conditioner" something different than 303?

Same thing. 303 is great stuff. Biokleen makes a good one. Armor All etc. Koolaid nailed it with the magic eraser

[Bakes5]

Water. 303. Nothing else. Not saying there is nothing else out there. Just saying it easy to ruin things cleaning them so be super careful what you put on them.

In regards to toothpaste....never.

[Bakes5]

Also....lunch time is 303 time. Kids all swimming and jumping off the cliff give me a minute or two to put some 303on the seats, swim deck etc. Cleans up small lunch messes as well. I also used the Babes vinyl stuff as well, can’t remember the name.

[talltigeguy]

I think the grit of the toothpaste just wiped off your top layer of protection to the vinyl. I think this is bad, personally, and suggest you immediately stop. I think you have learned the magic eraser trick.

I would use a quality vinyl cleaner with a brush and then give it several trips out in the sun. Then repeat cleaning again.


303 is not a very good cleaner when you get bad food/bug stains. It is the best protectant, but not a great cleaner. I have found it works to clean up mild problems when you can get to it right away, but that isn't always practical.

[sandm]

I found malco to work good on cleaning the seats but you have to follow up with babes or 303.

[MvM]

A little off topic, but is it ok the clean the waterline off of the hull with a magic eraser?


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[bsreid]

Does it work?? It can be worse than those nasty chemicals we use.

[Zackdogg]

I just found a line called “boat bling” that I swear by, now. I was a total 303 guy until I found this.

MvM, grab a bottle of their “Hot Sauce”, it is amazing on gel coat, and takes water spots and water line off, really well. We’ve only used it maybe the last 4 times out, but the exterior of the boat looks incredible compared to before.

They also have a vinyl cleaner and protectant. Our interior was fairly clean, and we would use 303 every few times out, so it’s hard to say if the 303 was protecting it that well, which I’m sure it was, or this stuff works really well, too, or both, which is most likely, but if the interior stuff is half as good as the exterior stuff, I won’t need a bottle of 303 again.

For what it’s worth.


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[Zackdogg]

We just spray it on, right off the ramp, when the boat is still wet, and wipe it down, while applying this stuff, at the same time.


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[Germaine Marine]

Boat Juice Vinyl cleaner works killer..

[bsreid]

Yes hot sauce stuff is legit from interior and exterior. Haven’t tried boat juice mainly because I’m too cheap to pay a for the crazy shipping when everything else can come amazon prime.