Removing yellow stains from fiberglass interior

[Gigi]

Greetings!

Best to all the old friends to whom it's been a long time!

I have a 1973 Lovebug and a 1972 Eriba Puck and a couple of sailboats.
All of these have fiberglass in them.

I am accustomed to cleaning the fiberglass and gelcoat with Borax, West Marine products, gel glow, other cleaners that are more "green", toxic cleaners.

I've also painted with polyurethane paint(many years ago in the Lovebug and it's still holding up beautifully in the interior), scraping carpet off the cabin ceiling on the MacGregor 24' and bringing my C&C sailing yacht back to life. If it needed to be patched, cleaned, scrubbed, waxed, I think I've done it!

Despite all my best and latest efforts, I cannot get rid of the yellow stain in the fiberglass. I've tried denatured alcohol, borax mixed as a paste and kept wet and allowed to set on it for a good bit, orange glo, softscrub, Barkeepers Friend, and just about everything I could think of.

I'd prefer not to paint the fiberglass even though I've had great success using Diamond Vogel's floor/shelf paint made of the same ingredients as Interlux -I really did my research at time, even getting specs from the manufacturers, and have had no chipping, peeling, or flaking. I am not so sure on a boat, however, that I'd have the same results. The Lovebug was in Minnesota with humid summers and wet winters and spring, so perhaps it's nots so different in Arizona on a lake where this sailboat is kept?

I place this here because I find friendliness here and feel this could be of possible help to others.

Thank you in advance!
Gigi who couldn't locate her old Fiberglass rv email address!
(but also known as Ginger so I registered a new account)

[Donna D.]

Hi Ginger, if you contact the Admins they can merge your two profiles. Contact them here: Fiberglass RV - Contact Us and be sure to click the radio button for "I want to merge multiple accounts." I think this was your original profile Fiberglass RV - View Profile: Gigi

Now to the yellow stain, in reading this thread: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...oof-34187.html have you tried Bleche White Tire Cleaner?

Welcome back BTW

[Ron in BC]

The best stain remover that I ever used on a boat to remove stains is one called FSR which stands for, drum roll, Fiberglass Stain Remover.

It's made by Davis, Davis Instruments in CA. I'd used all the ways you listed for cleaning etc. including using too much Vim and wearing away the gelcoat in places. I saw someone using it in a boatyard to remove some pretty tough stains. It seemed to work very well so I bought some and wasn't disappointed. A couple of times it didn't seem to work very well and I realized that the PO had waxed over some stains. When I stripped the wax the FSR made quick work of the stains.

It was one of the first products that I purchased after I purchased my Scamp. I've already used it and it got rid of some streaks that didn't come off with a good wash and scrub.

Disclaimer: I don't have any affiliation with Davis but when a product does a great job for me I don't mind putting in a good word for it.

Ron

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

The best stain remover that I ever used on a boat to remove stains is one called FSR which stands for, drum roll, Fiberglass Stain Remover.
Ron

Okay, had to check this out! Direct link to their website: Marine and Boating Products by Davis

[captsteve2002]

For many years we used Oxalic Acid, it can be bought at any drug store in crystal form. We used it to clean stains off of the fiberglass on boats, as well as dacron sail cloth that got rust stains. You do have to have all the wax off, if the stains were waxed over. Take about a 1/4 c of acid and add it to about a 1 pint of warm water and paint it on the stains. Wipe off with clear water after 5 to 10 minutes and re apply if the stain is still there. The good part of this is the acid is cheap and easily available at most drug stores. Good luck, and please let us know what you finlly use and how it works.

[Raz]

Oxalic acid is what I would recommend as well but that is a main ingredient in Bar Keepers Friend. Raz

[Ron in BC]

I agree, oxalic acid is cheap, works well and has been used by many for years and years. I think the main advantage of the FSR is that it's a gel and stays in place on vertical surfaces for the several minutes it takes to do its' job.

[Carol H]

When I first got my trailer I had pretty good results with a 3M compound at getting a few bad stains off mine.

Dont forget to come back and tell us what worked in the end!!

[Gigi]

Bless your heart, Donna! I knew I'd hear from you, Friend!
It's great to be back, I've been busy but missing this great forum and all your lovely people!

I acquired a few "toys" all of which needed some work. They've been great fun and I continue to learn a lot! I promise to share as the marine knowledge from the sailboats translates well to our little campers. I particularly love the alcohol stoves and the tiny portable air conditioner I found that rolls into the closet in the Lovebug.

Back to this topic, I did try the Naptha, I tried TSP, I tried Soft Scrub with bleach without working it too much so as to not harm the gelcoat. I have some Meguires paste and think I tried it first. But. the tire cleaner is something I've not heard of before! Perhaps thats the one!

Thanks, Donna...off to read more! Thanks for the welcome back, btw! Feels good to be back!

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Hi Ginger, if you contact the Admins they can merge your two profiles. Contact them here: Fiberglass RV - Contact Us and be sure to click the radio button for "I want to merge multiple accounts." I think this was your original profile Fiberglass RV - View Profile: Gigi

Now to the yellow stain, in reading this thread: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...oof-34187.html have you tried Bleche White Tire Cleaner?

Welcome back BTW

[Gigi]

Thanks, Ron!
I'm going to do a search on it right now!

Wow, it's pretty inexpensive for what it claims to do. I am going to get some what with 4 vehicles with fiberglass, I'll surely use it!
Thanks so much!

FSR Big Job by Davis

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

The best stain remover that I ever used on a boat to remove stains is one called FSR which stands for, drum roll, Fiberglass Stain Remover.

It's made by Davis, Davis Instruments in CA. I'd used all the ways you listed for cleaning etc. including using too much Vim and wearing away the gelcoat in places. I saw someone using it in a boatyard to remove some pretty tough stains. It seemed to work very well so I bought some and wasn't disappointed. A couple of times it didn't seem to work very well and I realized that the PO had waxed over some stains. When I stripped the wax the FSR made quick work of the stains.

It was one of the first products that I purchased after I purchased my Scamp. I've already used it and it got rid of some streaks that didn't come off with a good wash and scrub.

Disclaimer: I don't have any affiliation with Davis but when a product does a great job for me I don't mind putting in a good word for it.

Ron

[Gigi]

Wow, such great advice and applicable to my sailboats, too! Thank you, everyone!
As I shall be working on the Puck tomorrow, and the lake boat this weekend (the one with the yellow stains), I should have some results for everyone! Of course, it's still over 100 in Arizona, the going may be slow, even at the lake!
Happy camping or safe waters this weekend, folks!
Thanks for all the help!
Gigi