Scotch-Brite Pads on Teak Deck

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Which Scotchbrite? I have and use white, green, and black, there are others too of course


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I was using green. I wasn't aware there were other ones.

[a64pilot]

White is very soft, I use them on my hull they are so soft.
Black I think is for Stainless green ones will scratch SS
Green you know about.

Here is a link, but I don't think it covers all of them
http://www.woodcentral.com/woodworki...brite-ratings/


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[hellosailor]

Scotch-Brite(R) pads and similar from other companies are color coded for "grit". In industrial floor polishers, they are typically white, red, or blue. In the 3M line of workshop pads, there are 8 colors. What they call maroon (not the same bright red you find in auto supplies or janitorial) is about a 400 grit. It will take paint overspray off fiberglass or metal without damage. The dark gray pads are about 800 grit, they'll barely wear the same overspray. From a recent email with 3M on this topic: Brown - 180 grit (Pad #7440) Maroon - 320-400 grit (Pad #7447) Green - 400 grit (Heavy Duty, Pad # 96) Gray - 600-1000 grit (Pad #7448) Blue - 1000 grit (Multipurpose/No Scratch) White - 1000 grit and finer (Pad #7445) Pink - 1000 grit and finer (Delicate Duty) Gold - 1200 and finer (Pad #7745) On the consumer market (supermarkets) we get yellow sponges with green pads, meant for bathroom cleaning, and blue sponges with blue pads--which are safe for use on Teflon and other non-stick kitchen pans. A plastic single-edged razor blade (yes, there are such things) used to scrape ALONG the grain, not across it, might also take the crud off. They are designed for people like auto body detailers, so you can scrape labels and gummy deposits off painted surfaces, without the risk of scratching the way a metal blade would. No one seems very specific about what those are made of, aside from some saying "polycarbonate" sometimes. FWIW.

[Beausoleil]

Found this over at Jamestown Distributors:

"Clearly, we do not recommend two part cleaners except, perhaps, as a last resort. TEAKDECKING SYSTEMS has developed three eco-friendly acid-free cleaners that are designed to be thorough, yet gentle. Please review the TeakDecking products on our website to determine which product is best for your application. DO NOT USE CHLORINE BLEACH in an attempt to bleach the decks. Chlorine will attack most caulking products, turning them to goo.

The wood should be scrubbed across the grain with a 3M scotchbrite scrubbing pad or a polypropylene bristle brush. Scrubbing with the grain tears the soft grain out of the planks, leaving the surface rough. A rough, weathered deck exposes more of the wood to environmental deterioration. On larger areas, use of rotary cleaning machines with dispenser tanks and polypropylene bristle brushes is appropriate."


Caveat emptor.

About 5-6 years ago I replaced our cockpit sole with a pre-manufactured teak sole from Teakdecking Systems. I sent them a template, and they shipped me the new sole in two pieces for me to install. I've used both their own cleaning solution and various others. As I'm now in brackish/fresh water in the Potomac River, mildew has been getting worse, so I have to clean them more often. It was nice when we were in the Caribbean - just rinse it with saltwater once a week or so...

I've been told that Tide laundry detergent is great while in freshwater, but it contains sodium hydroxide and borax...

[hellosailor]

Beau-
To discourage mildew, from any surface, you might try a "quaternary" cleaning agent. IIRC the Lysol spray in the YELLOW label (pump spray or aerosol) contains a "quat" agent, which kills pretty much all the low-level biological critters, and leaves a residue that continues to do so. There are many hospital/janitorial products targeted to that specific use. And one whose name I never can remember, the "shipshapetv.com" guys have done a segment on it. Supposedly washing your life jackets in it, will keep off mildew for over six months, even in a damp locker. Same basis, a quat agent, I think.


Safe for teak? Dunno, but generally safe for wood surfaces from what I'd heard.

[CAELESTIS]

You should use the white 3M pads for your cleanings. Also the Teak Decking Systems cleaner (mild enough to do in your bare feet). Photos below are a freshly sanded, 24 yr old deck. Remove all caulk, sand with 80 grit, mask, shoot TDS caulk, then hit it with 120 lightly to remove any caulking errors. The caulking has been removed in the first two photos. About 300 hours of labor to finish the deck.