Is it possible to clean stern drives with toilet bowl cleaner?

[poormonkey]

I have heard a lot of people talking about cleaning their stern drives (Bravo or Alpha) when they pull the boat out with a toilet bowl cleaner? I googled it and I didn't find too much about doing this. Anyone recommend it? If so, what brand of toilet cleaner? Or do you recommend I stay away from toilet bowl cleaner to clean our Bravo 3 drives.... Just checking before I screw something up.

 

[Fetch ND]

I have done it & it has worked fine for me - the water my boat is in is alkaline & the acid work great to remove it Also on the fiberglass - this is one of the cheaper & strongest grocery store type http://www.theworkscleans.com/toilet.htm

or find a janitorial supply Co. & get the strongest for maybe even less

It usually several applications & it will foam up where it is working & rinse off & repeat till it gone

One boat dealer I know of sells the same thing for $7 to $10 a quart that you can get for $2 or less

But be careful acid toilet bowl cleaner will damage chrome or vinyl & if mixed with many other chemicals can create very dangerous fumes or reactions - wear eye protection (splash proof goggles) & heavy rubber gloves

http://www1.epinions.com/content_1594597508

http://flwoutdoors.com/article.cfm?id=137036

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/014208.html

I have used muriatic acid too but I think the Works works better

http://www.glangler.com/boards/ForumID7/9869.html

 

[thomas]

We use a product call Zing, not cheap but works great.

 

[sbw1]

Zing is hydrochloric acid and does work well. Tidy Bowl is something else. It may be a base instead of an acid. It also works well. I've used both products for many years with good results on outboards, I/Os. As was mentioned above, these are strong products that can damage upholstery (and clothes) so care is required when using them. Some will claim that zing and TB will damage gel coat. This is simply not true. Both products do remove wax but do not damage the paint used on outdrives. Both need to be rinsed with fresh water.

 

[Half Off]

I've used toilet bowl cleaner on out drives and Zing on badly oxidized gel coats in the past with great results. Like sbw1 said, Zing does remove any wax that may be there, so you will need put a fresh coat on after cleaning.

 

[gruz1]

Don't know if this will help but I just cleaned my entire boat with Mr Clean majic eraser, it took 99 percent of the stains out with little effort. It also made it shine like it was just polished.

 

[surfinjoe]

I wouldn't use majic eraser on anything that you don't want scratched. This product is like a very mild sand paper. Your outdrive may be OK as you can easily repaint it however I wouldn't use it on vinyl or the gel coat.

Don't know if this will help but I just cleaned my entire boat with Mr Clean majic eraser, it took 99 percent of the stains out with little effort. It also made it shine like it was just polished.

 

[gruz1]

I wouldn't use majic eraser on anything that you don't want scratched. This product is like a very mild sand paper. Your outdrive may be OK as you can easily repaint it however I wouldn't use it on vinyl or the gel coat.

If you use it try a small section first, but I don't see any scratches caused from the eraser. It seems to me to be the equivalent to using a polish.

 

[Nehalennia]

If you use it try a small section first, but I don't see any scratches caused from the eraser. It seems to me to be the equivalent to using a polish.

Did you polish then re-wax that area when you were done? As stated about it's an abrasive. It will sand any vinyl down you use it on as well.

 

[gruz1]

Did you polish then re-wax that area when you were done? As stated about it's an abrasive. It will sand any vinyl down you use it on as well.

I did both. My boat is 10 years old and I'm probably not as picky as most here, but I think it turned out pretty good. I used it on the vinyl seats as well and they look like brand new. I don't think it is abrasive enough to sand down vinyl.

 

[gruz1]

Did you polish then re-wax that area when you were done? As stated about it's an abrasive. It will sand any vinyl down you use it on as well.

I did both. My boat is 10 years old and I'm probably not as picky as most here, but I think it turned out pretty good. I also used it on the vinyl seats and they look like brand new. I don't think it is abrasive enough to cause damage but I guess try at your own risk.

 

[Brian 59]

I have always used Starbrite's Instant Hull Cleaner on the drives and any area on the gelcoat. It works great with very little effort. Be sure to wear safety apparatus when using too.