Just a bit of moisture left inside my sealed hatches over time has
resulted in a odour that's best depicted as "what the cat drug in".....
I know that chlorine is very bad for polyethlyene and neoprene so I'm
thinking bleach as a mildew cleaner is a bad idea. Is clorox 2 an
additive that wont lead to destruction?
Any other 'granny told me how to keep my kayak smelling well and mildew
free" advice is obviosly up for consideration too.
Thanks
the Wavyest.

wavy wrote:
Just a bit of moisture left inside my sealed hatches over time has
resulted in a odour that's best depicted as "what the cat drug in".....
I know that chlorine is very bad for polyethlyene and neoprene so I'm
thinking bleach as a mildew cleaner is a bad idea.

I don't think it is a good idea to leave things sealed when the boat is
idle. Why not try scrubbing with plain laundry soap water to see if
that will solve the problem?

wavy wrote:
Just a bit of moisture left inside my sealed hatches over time has
resulted in a odour that's best depicted as "what the cat drug in".....
I know that chlorine is very bad for polyethlyene and neoprene so I'm
thinking bleach as a mildew cleaner is a bad idea. Is clorox 2 an
additive that wont lead to destruction?
Any other 'granny told me how to keep my kayak smelling well and mildew
free" advice is obviosly up for consideration too.

Chlorine is bad for neoprene, but it doesn't affect polyethylene. We
have poly boats in the pool every Tuesday night and never rinse them
afterwards. The skirts, yes.

I'd try washing it out with a cleaner like Simple Green, rinse well,
then leave to fully dry out. If it still stinks, try some Febreeze.

Steve

Steve Cramer wrote:

Chlorine [...] doesn't affect polyethylene.

I just looked at the bleach bottle in the laundry room. It's polyethylene
according to the recycling mark. Use bleach without worry.

Mike

Michael Daly wrote:
Steve Cramer wrote:

Chlorine [...] doesn't affect polyethylene.

I just looked at the bleach bottle in the laundry room. It's polyethylene
according to the recycling mark. Use bleach without worry.

Mike

Well there you go! The bleach bottle is made from the same material as
my kayak!
BUT - the foam bulkhead dividers are made from something else.
The hatch cover seals are made out of something similar to wetsuit
material (?) I think.

What I'm searching for (I think) is a fungicide or something that will
lay waste to that nasty smelling organisms that multiply in my kayak's
spongy parts.

And thank you for everyone's replies. To set the record straight - NO
I dont typically store my kayak with the hatch covers sealed. The
awful cat-pee smell developed when I did make such a mistake and now -
every damn time it gets wet inside ITS BAAAACK....

-WaaVy

On Jan 7, 11:57 pm, "wavy" wrote:

MikeWell there you go! The bleach bottle is made from the same material as
my kayak!
BUT - the foam bulkhead dividers are made from something else.
The hatch cover seals are made out of something similar to wetsuit
material (?) I think.

The bulkheads are probably ethafoam. I don't think a washdown with
bleach will hurt them. The foam outfitting in my boats does not seems
to be bothered by the pool water. Your hatch cover seals are probably
neoprene, which you don't want to use bleach on, or if you do, be sure
to rinse thoroughly.

Steve

wavy wrote:

BUT - the foam bulkhead dividers are made from something else.
The hatch cover seals are made out of something similar to wetsuit
material (?) I think.

The biggest problem with bleach on neoprene is that it might change the colour.
To be honest, I don't put much stock in this, as I find that the colour change
is more likely due to laundering or exposure to sun. You won't suffer any
change in strength, especially if you only use bleach on the neoprene once in a
blue moon.

The foam is closed cell and won't absorb bleach. Just clean it and rinse well.

Mike

wrote:
On Jan 7, 11:57 pm, "wavy" wrote:

MikeWell there you go! The bleach bottle is made from the same material as
my kayak!
BUT - the foam bulkhead dividers are made from something else.
The hatch cover seals are made out of something similar to wetsuit
material (?) I think.

The bulkheads are probably ethafoam. I don't think a washdown with
bleach will hurt them. The foam outfitting in my boats does not seems
to be bothered by the pool water. Your hatch cover seals are probably
neoprene, which you don't want to use bleach on, or if you do, be sure
to rinse thoroughly.

Bulkheads are typically Minicel foam, which is microcellular
polyethylene foam. Bleach won't hurt it. Ethagoam is also polyethylene,
but with much larger cells. It's typically only used for pillars in kayaks.