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Author
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Topic: vinyl cushions turning pink!
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Basshole |
posted 01-23-2011 02:07 AM ET (US)
I just went to check on my 21 Conquest yesterday and after I pulled my Mills Canvas Sunbrella cover off the back of my boat I discovered that the tops of the backrests of the stern seats were stained pink. It appears that my cover which is a light grey color has discolored the vinyl. Has anyone else seen or heard of this? I am afraid that I will have to have them re-upholstered now since pink is not my favorite color. Man am I bummed! Does anyone know where I can find replacement cushions for a 1998 21 Conquest?
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Jorgen
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posted 01-23-2011 06:32 AM ET (US)
This dis-coularation turning pink is typical a mold, caused by contaminends such as sunbaiding oil or skin oil.You can try to get it clear by using the same cleaner as what you can buy locally to get mold off the wall in badrooms / showers. HG is a brand name here. If you spry this onn and let it sit for half an hour out of the sun, you can spray is off with water and most if not all, is gone. |
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GreatBayNH
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posted 01-23-2011 09:37 AM ET (US)
My RPS cushion gets stained blue from my cover all the time. I use a Star-brite vinyl polish on it and it takes the stain right out.-Seth |
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Basshole
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posted 01-23-2011 12:29 PM ET (US)
Jorgen, I have my doubts that it is mold. I have a degree in microbiology do not see any resemblance to any mold I have ever seen. On the other hand, just because I have not seen it before doesn't mean it doesn't exist. A few things that would suggest that it is not mold is that it got worse when there was no presence of water, it is only occurring where the sunbrella material is actually touching the top of the backrest, and the stain is fairly uniform in color. Molds typically have a speckled or mottled appearance when growing on a medium. The lack of moisture is also a good indicator that it is not mold. All organisms need a certain amount of water to survive. This is measured in terms of something called "water activity" or Aw. I understand dew and condensation could provide some water, but this is occurring under the top which is supposed to keep the dew out. My suspicion is that it is the dye in the sunbrella material itself leaching out onto the vinyl because of the sun beating down on it daily. I actually tried a little upholstery cleaner containing sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and it did not make it disappear. I will take some pictures of it this week and post it. This one's really got me scratching my head. I will try the cleaner again and let it soak like you said. I may have not given it long enough to do it thing. I hope it works. That pink color is really an insult to my masculinity ;-) |
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Jeff
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posted 01-23-2011 02:13 PM ET (US)
It IS likely mold. Sunbrella is never dyed at any time during it's production therefor it can never leach color agents from itself to another material. Let the cushion sit out exposed to the sun and the pink should disappear. |
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Tohsgib
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posted 01-23-2011 02:33 PM ET (US)
My rubrail turns pink as well, it will come off. You can also spray dye it instead of replacing. |
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elenakagan
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posted 01-23-2011 04:05 PM ET (US)
"degree in microbiology" maybe slept during the mold class, it is indeed a mold that attacks the vinyl and cannot be cleaned, sometimes it is pinkish/bluish. Only option is to recover. Whaler CS is familar with this as are many owners of newer Whalers. |
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contender
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posted 01-23-2011 04:25 PM ET (US)
I think I have to agree with elenakagan, I have had this happen to me before, do not know what it is, cheap vinyl (chemical reaction unknown to man), can not get it out, it is a stain and does not come out. Its like the sun tranfer some of the color from the sunbrella into your vinyl. I would try a strong dose of bleach, bar keepers with a scrub brush, and even some type of petroleum base cleaner, but do not think it is going to come clean. Either way I wish you luck...PS give sunbrella a call, tell them what happened... |
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macfam
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posted 01-23-2011 05:27 PM ET (US)
On anther boating website, a forum member swore by, beleive it or not, "oxy-10 acne cream" to remove the pink stain off white vinyl. I personally have no idea if this remedy will work, but certainly worth a try. |
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Kanawha1
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posted 01-23-2011 05:52 PM ET (US)
"Serratia marcescens" is the Latin phrase that comes up when Google'd, I think this is the same stuff I find when cleaning around the spigot in the bathroom. I always thought it was due to something associated with chlorinated water and seem to have the same issue as the original poster, can't get it off. It cleans off easily from porcelain but cannot seem to get it of the vinyl. |
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Basshole
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posted 01-24-2011 02:50 AM ET (US)
Elenakagan, thanks for the personal attack. FYI I graduated at the top of my class from UC Davis, my senior year I had a quarter with straight A+'s and was the first undergrad in the history of the dept to teach two upper division courses. I never slept through a class.Kanawha1, Serratia marcesens is not just a Latin phrase it actually is a name for a pathogenic enteric bacteria from the Genus Serratia. Marcesens is the species name and is an organism found in the intestines of infected, sick humans. There is no way this organism caused the discoloration of my seat cushion! Unless an infected person crapped on it :) After doing my own research on this I found out what really causes the mysterious pink stain. A bacteria by the name of Streptoverticillium reticulum secretes a pink soluble dye into the vinyl as a by product of its metabolism. The reason it is only present on the top of the backrest is because it is a horizontal surface and the boat cover must be trapping enough moisture between itself and the cushion to support its growth. It is not caused by a mold. Any compound that is that is bactericidal will kill it, however, it can recur once that compound is removed or broken down. Furthermore, eliminating the organism won't remove the pigment left behind. The suggestions that some of you made are simply compounds that bleach or oxidize the dye which also supports the theory that exposure to intense sunlight will also reduce or remove the stain since the sun oxidizes as well. Thanks for the tips guys I will give them a try and let you know how things work out. |
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Robert V
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posted 01-24-2011 08:15 AM ET (US)
I found a similar thread on another site, a boat owner with the exact same problem and how it was treated. Seems like this is more common than I thought, especially in warmer climates. Hope this helps,http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/288496-strange-stains-upholstery-2.html Robert |
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Jefecinco
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posted 01-24-2011 09:59 AM ET (US)
At my age I no longer attempt to hide the fact that I'm a pretty anal guy. As proof, I admit to removing all the cushions from my Montauk after every outing. I store them inside. For the Montauk it takes only a couple of minutes to remove the RPS backrest and seat cushions and the cooler cushions.When I sold my 11 year old Dauntless the buyer was very impressed that they looked like new cushions. He doubted my claim that they were original until I showed him a label on a cushion with a ballpoint ink notation that said "99 16DA". When he agreed to buy the boat he said he figured someone anal enough to maintain cushions like mine had to have taken very good care of the "important" parts of the boat. Are the cushions easily removed from the Classic Whalers? Butch |
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Buckda
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posted 01-24-2011 10:09 AM ET (US)
I used to get that stain on the rubrail of my 15 - only on the "sunny side" of the boat (it was stored under the one-side-open shelter next to a barn). The boat was always covered by her Mills mooring cover - but I believe the combination of humidity and warmth from the sun (and shade from UV from the cover) provided perfect conditions for it.A couple days in bright sunshine and a good scrub always took care of it. Nice to know what it was (bacterium). |
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tom976
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posted 01-24-2011 10:34 AM ET (US)
I would price out how much the cushions actually cost. In my case the vinyl was shot from years of sun bleaching. The cost to refurbish the seats would have been around 1000-1500 by me. (copy the design etc for the 3 rear cushions) I spoke to Sue @ twin cities and 3 new cushions will run me about the 800.00 mark for my 23 conquest. No happy about the total cost but at least the boat wont look like crap in the back no more. |
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contender
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posted 01-24-2011 01:02 PM ET (US)
I think I would have to try a some type of local seat cushon repair, car interior repair or something of that nature, not knocking Sue at Twin cities but you will be paying a lot just to ship because of the size of the items. |
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Tohsgib
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posted 01-24-2011 02:01 PM ET (US)
I guess you guys never heard of spray dye? I have dyed steering wheels that lasted for decades. About $15 an aerosol can matched to your color. I even had one matched(as good as I could) for the original classic parchment color. Looked factory except for the lack of marbalization the original parchment had. Take a cushion to any automotive paint store and get a can made. |
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Basshole
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posted 01-25-2011 09:56 PM ET (US)
Spray dye sounds like a really good idea since the cushions are almost in new condition with the exception pink stains. I think it would we a good investment to have around in case something else stains them in the future. Nice one! |
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Basshole
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posted 01-25-2011 11:23 PM ET (US)
Spray dye sounds like a really good idea since the cushions are almost in new condition with the exception pink stains. I think it would we a good investment to have around in case something else stains them in the future. Nice one! |
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ScottLea
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posted 10-28-2013 06:08 AM ET (US)
I used a product from pink-away.com Worked great to get rid of the pink mold stains. |
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jimh
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posted 10-29-2013 09:16 AM ET (US)
This is a funny thread. People still call the pink stain a mold. And they keep talking about color running from Sunbrella. Please read the tbread. It is not mold. Sunbrella does not have color running or staining. |
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skred
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posted 10-29-2013 09:32 AM ET (US)
Went to O'Reilly Auto Parts, and found spray vinyl dye for about $7.00 a can. The brand name is Dupli-Color and it's a well-known auto touchup spray/paint company. Used it on a full-width, front-to-back seat arrangement on an '73 Starcraft with badly "sunburned" vinyl (The blue had been literally cooked off leaving a brown mottled color, especially on the top of the seatbacks where it was most exposed. I used the manufacturer's "Prep Wipes" to clean the vinyl, and sprayed 2 thin coats of blue on the seats. They now appear almost brand new. Took 2 cans of spray to do the whole job, and the resulting finish is as durable as the original finish. Total cost was less than $20.00.
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wezie
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posted 10-29-2013 10:52 AM ET (US)
2005 montauk 170. My pink color in the front cushion goes away when it is dry. Does not turn pink when not covered. Just with the cover on the boat. Heat and humidity under there.I scrubbed everything with ajax in the sunshine. This time I opened up the front and console cushions, Removed the plastic wrap from the foam in the front one. Console seat not covered with plastic. It was not pink. Dried eveirything inside. Treated with 303. i agree, the front cushion should be stored inside, mine will not mostly, but will be dried more frequently. The console seat needs to be on the boat, and will be stored there. I will dry it more frequently. Is wrapping the foam in plastic the thing to do, or is it subjective like many things? |
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Chap
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posted 10-29-2013 11:06 AM ET (US)
Hello,I get Streptoverticillium reticulum secretions on my Whaler cushions all the time. Amazing Roll Off takes care of the stain. Wet cushions, spray, agitate with soft deck brush, wait a minute or two and rinse. We now use this biodegradable product for almost all general cleaning applications on the boats. Leaves behind a non slippery protective barrier that makes clean up next time even easier. Good luck. Thanks, Chap |
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pete r
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posted 10-31-2013 04:46 AM ET (US)
Hi Guys, The top edge of the cushions on my 21' Conquest were a bit sun burnt and some other cushions were a bit grubby in parts so I also touched them up with a vinyl spray with I got from an auto shop. It took numerous coats to get the right look. |
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Hoosier
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posted 10-31-2013 09:40 AM ET (US)
The manual that came with both my 1993 21 Walkaround and my 1992 23 Walkaround (same manual) says that to clean stains on vinyl use ammonia, not bleach. Ammonia kills the offending organism, bleach does not. Follow by washing with soap, if a stain remains remove it with a solution of hydrogen peroxide. Interestingly both of these ingredients are about as cheap as you get get in the supermarket. |
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wezie
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posted 11-05-2013 09:09 AM ET (US)
Thanks Hoosier! That advice is worth trying. Are there any recomendations as to how much amonia or concentration, or how to apply? It would be nice to treatnthe cover and foam before I put them back on the boat. |
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ScottLea
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posted 02-27-2014 12:10 AM ET (US)
Regarding's Chaps message about Amazing Roll Off. It doesn't appear to get rid of S.Reticillium stains, which are soluble in PVC. These stains cannot just be brushed off with a cleaner. However, it does seem to get rid of surface stains caused by Serratia Marcesens bacteria, which is a pink surface mildew that occurs in shower stalls, bathtubs, marine vinyl and outdoor furniture. It's slimy stuff...Sure, S.Reticillium stains can be gotten rid of by cleaning the surface to remove oils, then expose to UV, however they will come back quickly. However under cover, or low UV conditions the stains persist. The product from Pink-Away.com does get inside the vinyl and removes these pink stains, and stops any of the bacteria it reaches. It takes a lot of treatments, but it works well. I used it on three boats so far, so good! |
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ratherwhalering
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posted 03-07-2014 01:38 PM ET (US)
Scott, if I get your Streptoverticillium reticulum secretions on my Whaler cushions after the next rendezvous you are in big trouble. Does West Marine sell Penicillin? |
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ScottLea
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posted 03-17-2014 11:26 PM ET (US)
LOL, that's the kind of trouble I live for! I've been asking West Marine to get some of the pink-away. It's pH balanced so not hard on vinyl. I know that a certain very important boat manufacture that we all know and love is looking into it.I and Whaler's go way back, I even owned a couple of Harpoon 5.2m boats and a SuperCat. Had pink stains on custom cushions back then even. |