Can you restore old fenders?

[jcapo]

I have not used it but last year in the yard several folks were using SnoBowl toilet cleaner on fenders. I was impressed with the results.

[SSgtPitt]

Zeehag nailed it. Covers that match your Bimini are cheap, look great and are washable.

[SVTatia]

Timely question.
I just found 4 fenders in the trash bin, pretty dirty, oily and looked beyond repair.
I took them and cleaned with lacquer thinner, using gloves and several rags.
They now look like new, even the brown sunburn stain is gone.
This is the same method I used when I restored the cowl vents, only that I paint the cowls after cleaning them.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Timely question.
I just found 4 fenders in the trash bin, pretty dirty, oily and looked beyond repair.
I took them and cleaned with lacquer thinner, using gloves and several rags.
They now look like new, even the brown sunburn stain is gone.
This is the same method I used when I restored the cowl vents, only that I paint the cowls after cleaning them.

Wax them after cleaning. This will "reseal" the surface.

You can repair vinyl fenders with vinyl cement-the type sold for swimming pool repair works well.Just deflate completely,clean the edges of the cut or enlarge puncture holes with a screwdriver,apply cement to edges of hole & position so that edges touch & they will "weld" back together.
Cheers/ Len

[Mikado]

Buy some fender covers to match your canvas and be done with it.

[jerrys]

We bought a 30' Catalina earlier this summer, amongst several other issues were 6 really beat up fenders, Scrubbing Bubbles bought at Walmart for about 4 bucks really did a terrific job,. Apply, it let it work for a few minutes ,then take a fairly stiff brush to them, rinse well and 'Voila" the worst case requires several application.

[AFKASAP]

Thanks for all your suggestions

Beneteau Oceanis 40 - 2008
Netherlands

[Capt Gill]

I'm with ZeeHag on this, I've used some of the methods mentioned in this thread to get them clean,but have found that to get them reasonably clean requires some labour intensive time (thinking while doing this,I could really be doing a more worthwhile project). My aversion for mindless hard work provides an incentive for seeking alternatives;fender covers are my choice,however too expensive,so using the motto of The Three R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle my old wool sweaters came to mind: the body for the large fenders and arms for the smaller ones,take nylon thread to cinch the openings and I had, what I consider, a better cover than store bought,being softer on my dark blue topsides, and it took less time to make then that nasty cleaning endeavor.
BTW, I think those who suggested white wall cleaner may have been away from land too long, when is the last time you've seen w/w tires ?

[Navicula]

Magic Eraser......unreal

[MBWhite]

Has anyone ever tried bleaching them? One interesting trick with swimming pools is when you shock the pool with chlorine is to toss all the plastic furniture into the pool overnight and they come out quite clean with essentially no work. I do not know if some fenders stuffed into a plastic garbage can with some water and a cup or so of bleach would have the same results.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by zeehag

make covers to protect em from sun.
i found mine are not being stolen as much now they look shoddy. love the lived in look....

Agree with Zee... fly beneath the radar.

[Capt Gill]

Originally Posted by MBWhite

Has anyone ever tried bleaching them? One interesting trick with swimming pools is when you shock the pool with chlorine is to toss all the plastic furniture into the pool overnight and they come out quite clean with essentially no work. I do not know if some fenders stuffed into a plastic garbage can with some water and a cup or so of bleach would have the same results.

Tried that,they turned a shade of yellow not too long afterwards.

[hamburking]

I had the same problem, long ago. I think we used acetone. It slightly dissolved the top surface, bringing it back to bright white. Fenders we thought we totally done were like new again. Sorry, no pics...it was before digital.

[skiggy]

Hi, before you go spending money on expensive stuff, listen to skiggy. Go to your local supermarket, buy some 'Sink and Drain' unblocker. It is a thick liquid form. Use it neat using a brush and leave it for a couple of days and then wash off (in the sink not where you are berthed). I will almost guarentee it will do the job for you. Don't buy Mr Muscle if there is a cheaper brand, they are basically the same. I accidently spilled some on a a stain which could not be removed on my vynil floor tiles, I left it for a couple of days because it was hard to get at but when I cleaned it up, 'whalla' clean as a new pin. Take the usual personel safety precausions. Hope it helps.

[gbohner]

I use a paint brush cleaner which is available at Ace Hardware and Home Depot. This is NOT a mineral spirits stuff. This is meant for soaking paint brushes to remove
dried paint. It works as good as toluene or acetone without making the plastic sticky.