rust stains in cockpit

[kevinnice]

hi guys. i have a few rust stains in the cockpit and i've tried standard cleaners, solvent etc. none of them make an impression. the stains come from screws, speaker etc.

what product should i use? (please bear in mind that i am in spain and cant get us brand products, so a generic answer would be good)

tx

 

[sbw1]

Diluted HCL (diluted muriatic acid) on a clean white towel takes rust out. Wash your hands and the area carefully after cleaning it up.

 

[Go Aweigh2452]

hi guys. i have a few rust stains in the cockpit and i've tried standard cleaners, solvent etc. none of them make an impression. the stains come from screws, speaker etc.

what product should i use? (please bear in mind that i am in spain and cant get us brand products, so a generic answer would be good)

tx

Oxalic acid will remove the rust stains. Just rinse the area with water after applying. The rust should go away within a couple of mins max...

 

[Lazy Daze]

Have you tried a cleaner/wax? Or a rubbing compound? Just mentioning those as you might already have that on the boat.

 

[kevinnice]

yeah thanks, tried those - no impact - i'm gonna try the acid solution tomorrow - thanks to you all

 

[sr330daguy]

Lysol toilet bowl cleaner...the blue stuff,put it on let it sit.

 

[sbw1]

Lysol toilet bowl cleaner...the blue stuff,put it on let it sit.

Not so fast. Yes it works. Let is sit in the cockpit? No. The rust could be on gel coat. If so, probably ok unless you start walking around and tracking it all over. Not good. If the rust is on vinyl you just want a little cleaner to kill the rust and immediately wipe it off with lots of water to prevent damage. These chemicals need to be used with lots of caution and diluted , and tested to see what happens in areas that are not visible. We always start with soap and water and progress as need be. Acidic and base solutions inside the boat are almost never used unless all else fails.

 

[kevinnice]

thanks guys. yes the rust was on the gel coat.
anyway, i went for the softer option first, which was using the toilet cleaner blue stuff.
i tried various small patches for increasing amounts of time. turns out that it works very well if left for 20 minutes.
it was excellent on the horizontal surfaces but ran off of the vertical ones. so i covered some kitchen paper in the blue stuff then slapped it on the vertical surface. worked great.
thanks again for the help guys.