Cushion Covers Stained vs replaced

Dano

99 272 CC  Lesson learned when several tie downs on my winter cover came loose.  Several of the off white cushions are stained.  Have tried simple green, Spray 9, dish detergent, CLR mildew remover, and Tilex (with and without) bleach.  A guy at the dock even had something "special" but the stains laughed at it.

 Time to re-cover?  Or, is there another way?  No really wanting to go bleach if I don't have to.

Thanks  

randy56

Dano, have you tryed soft scrub with bleach, and a hand brush, then rinse with water. Its harsh but you may get another season. ???

Dano

Have not tried the soft scrub, but I will give it a shot.  Thanks for the idea.  

raybo3

Believe it or not but try leaving it out in the sun and see if the sun will "bleach" it out. I had a big stain (spot) on my seat and tried everything to get rid of it. Left the boat uncovered in the sun for a week and the stain was gone. 

bry1429

Magic Eraser 

Dano

Letting them soak in the sun was my next stop.  May try Magic Eraser too.  Looks like we will have to wait a while with all the weather running up the Oho.  

If nothing else, we we have a year of cleaning supplies around the house.  

rasbury

My boat was badly stained when I got it, mildew. I did not try the magic eraser, I did find an Atwood product for this and it worked better than all the stuff WM had and being in the sun does help also... 

JohnCostelllo

I have painted with vinyl paint   Sounds crazy but it really covers and lasts   Before you give up try a small spot

raybo3

Magic Eraser is no good on cushion's. Its too harsh and could cause damage and completely ruin them.  

bry1429

The topic of discusion is options of stain removal before total cu$hion replacement. If the stain is to the point of cushion replacement Magic eraser has been my savior. Work it on a small spot to test and in due time you will see the stain removed, it removes micro portions of the material,  very very slight somewhat unnoticeable  portions, it left me extremely happy and the new owner of my 1993 30' Bayliner swears my 14 yr old seats were New. I removed an 8" stain in the center of the main cushion with magic eraser after unsuccessfully trying numerous other high quality seat cleansers.

raybo3

@bry1429 You certainly could use magic eraser or whatever else you want. I used magic eraser on my seats and the following year I had to have all my seats redone. Magic eraser in not good to use on seats period. Its not good to use on Fiberglas either. Very good on sinks and counter tops. Why use a product that is a known problem in that application? There are other ways to remove stains.....

bry1429

He asked for our opinions and I gave mine @raybo3, sorry to hear that it seems you did not use the product properly and therefore you destroyed your seats. I used it in moderation on a stain that would otherwise have needed vinyl replacement. If properly used and must follow the directions on certain vinyls on very stubborn stains it could work and did work "MAGIC" ;-) for me. Since the magic eraser is like a very fine grit sand paper with no chemical cleaning agents (approx 3000 grit) you should treat your seats with 303 vinyl protectant after cleaning is completed- also ,you should  be treating with a protectant if you are cleaning your seats with a chemical cleaner.
ps; I did not say nor did he ask if it could be used on fiberglass. Seat cushions are the topic of discussion @raybo3. So, IMO use it sparingly and only when absolutely necessary, and of course always test ANY product in an inconspicuous spot first.

raybo3

I certainly am not looking for an argument but facts are facts. Many people on this forum have used magic eraser on their seats to remove stains and have ruined the seats. Magic erase does have harmful chemicals in it and should be used with care. The point about the fiberglass was because on many posts on this forum it was discussed. It was only to be a point of information (this is what this forum is all about) to help prevent scratching the fiberglass. Everyone is entitled their opinion and in my opinion and experience Magic Erase in not good on vinyl seats. I glad it worked for you and you had no problem with it.  

bry1429

Dano, give Magic Eraser a try before you tear the seats out for an expensive new re-cover job . You may be able to get yourself another few seasons or more on the cheap. I got really lucky with the outcome of my horrible stain when using Magic Eraser. 

Dream_Inn

I agree that giving it a try is worth a shot.  I've used magic eraser on both my current boat's seats and on my prior boat's.  Both sets of seats are still fine.  & definitely use 303 Aerospace protectant when done.  I use that stuff religiously on anything it is good for and had great results!  I have a couple small mildew stains on my "rumble" seat that haven't gone with trying many things.  It also sat in the sun for the last couple months and is still there.

frenchship

I also use magic eraser on bad stains work magic then as dream_in said use 303 after.

Black_Diamond

Magic Erasers too may work. 

Dano

Thank you for all the suggestions.  Unfortunately, it looks like replacement.  The benefit is that I wanted to change the marking to blue, so this justifies the cost to the boss.