Little Red Spots on Deck

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Intentional Drifter

Spider poop? Wouldn't that wash off fairly easily?
ID

Apparently not. If you google it, you'll find a few boating forums that discuss it. It evidently sticks tenaciously to gel-coat. Starbrite makes a bird and spider dropping cleaner, but some of the suggested solutions are Mr Clean Magic Eraser, toilet bowl cleaner, and whitewall cleaner from automotive supply stores.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"Another friend suggested Soft Scrub, which is a different mild acid"
Actually it is a mild abrasive, like BonAmi, whch is generally safe to use on plastics. Some of it has simple bleach added ...

Soft Scrub Mild Abrasive Cleanser With Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) contains Sodium Hydroxide, also known as lye and/or caustic soda; which is a caustic metallic base (the chemical opposite of an acid).

[Intentional Drifter]

After consulting the HHS Household Products Database, I learned that there are several types of Soft Scrub, some with bleach, and some with alkyl benzene sulfonic acid. Pays to know which one you're using.

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov

ID

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Intentional Drifter

Another friend suggested Soft Scrub, which is a different mild acid.

I prefer using Bon Ami on gelcoat. I seem to get better results with it.

Mix with liberal amounts of elbow grease.

[MABell]

Had the same thing happen on my boat.
They were on the hull just below the hull/deck seam - they weren't red but black.
But just as you described. And very hard to get off.
I recall using a plastic scraper (like an ice scraper) to remove them.

[Hyprdrv]

Mine were Green dots. Turned out to be "No seeums" droppings. Hard as rocks. A little bleach in water and that elbow grease worked along with a full wax job.

Steve in Solomons MD

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Intentional Drifter

After consulting the HHS Household Products Database, I learned that there are several types of Soft Scrub, some with bleach, and some with alkyl benzene sulfonic acid...

13 record(s) found searching soft scrub as Product (brand name or type of product).

➥ Household Products Database - Health and Safety Information on Household Products

Which one contains alkyl benzene sulfonic acid (a constituent of detergent cleaners)?

* Soft Scrub Anti-Bacterial Cleanser With Bleach
* Soft Scrub Cleanser with Bleach, Mountain Breeze-02/26/2009
* Soft Scrub Cleanser with Lemon-02/26/2009
* Soft Scrub Fresh Scent
* Soft Scrub Lavender-02/26/2009
* Soft Scrub Lavender-Old Product
* Soft Scrub Lemon Cleanser-Old Product
* Soft Scrub Liquid Gel With Bleach 1 Pt.
* Soft Scrub Orange Cleanser 1 lb 10 oz
* Soft Scrub with Bleach Cleanser
* Soft Scrub with Bleach Cleanser, Mountain Breeze-Old Product
* Soft Scrub With Bleach Cleanser-Fresh Scent 1 lb. 8 Oz. (24 Oz.)
* Soft Scrub with Lemon-Old Product

[FrankZ]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Which one contains alkyl benzene sulfonic acid (a constituent of detergent cleaners)?

As near as I can tell the Total Bath & Bowl one does.

But I might be misunderstanding:

Water (Diluent, used for dissolving other ingredients), Lactic Acid (Descaling agent), Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (Surfactant, for removing soils), Alkyl Polyglucoside (Surfactant, for removing soils), Sodium Hydroxide (pH adjuster), Fragrance

[Windgeist]

Has anyone used steel wool near or on the boat? That could do it?

[GordMay]

Sulfonic acids tend to be strong acids, whereas the corresponding sulfonates are weak bases.

Your point that "Pays to know which one [sic: 'what'] you're using." remain valid.

[FrankZ]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Sulfonic acids tend to be strong acids, whereas the corresponding sulfonates are weak bases.

Okily dokily neighbor.

[Chief Engineer]

Bartenders Friend? or sumfin like that....

It's made with chloro-quint-huffaloxalate-benzoluim-framma-hypoto-gammalene.

Seriously you should take a look at what industries are around the boatyard...

We have sugar plants, grain silos, coal silos, steel mills (FrankZ) and numerous pesticide/gypsum plants/ in Baltimore

[SaucySailoress]

Red ants or tiny red spiders that you poisoned with your cleaning stuff? Poor things...

[Intentional Drifter]

Having never used Soft Scrub before, I had no idea there were so many variations! With very different compositions, too.

The one I was looking at was the "Fresh Scent" version, detailed here:

Household Products Database - Health and Safety Information on Household Products

The only major industry around the yard (other than the yard, obviously) is a paper plant. I was up there earlier today and asked the yard supervisor to have a look. He immediately said "iron dust" and pointed across the road to a business that repairs props. He said they have a solution that will take care of it. I'll see if I can get the ingredients.

Thanks, again for all your comments and help.

ID

[sailerbg]

I have the same problem. It looks like very fine metal fillings on my fiberglass deck! what is FSR? Im from canada and havent heard of that product.