Could shaved Irish Spring Soap stain the fiberglass on a 2008 Montauk 150?
I just winterized my boats and stored them in a temporary type garage building. In order to keep the critters out I have always used Irish Spring soap in the past with my "woodies" with great success. I once made the mistake of using mothballs and had to live with that awful smell for three-quarters of the season. I have tried dryer sheet which the mice use for bedding but the soap seems to work, and they never left a stain on my painted bilge, varnish, vinyl or carpet.
My wife is worried that the soap will stain the fiberglass gel coat. I'm not a chemist so I don't know.
What is your opinion? I don't want to discover five months from now that the green soap did leave stains.
Keeping Critters Out of Boats
Keeping Critters Out of Boats
Last edited by Dutchman on Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot
Re: Irish Spring Soap Stains
This is interesting. I use mothballs when I put my boats away in my barn in the UP. Something that smells better is welcome. I wonder if only Irish Spring works or whether any deodorant or antiseptic soap would work. You ought to rename this thread to "Keeping Critters Out of Boats."
1978 Outrage V20 with 2004 Suzuki DF-115. 1992 23 Walkaround with two 2010 Yamaha F-150s.
Re: Irish Spring Soap Stains
I have not tried them, but I was told that BOUNCE-brand dryer sheets were effective in repelling small animals from taking up habitat in a boat stored for the winter.
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Re: Irish Spring Soap Stains
If you have had good success in the past why not set the soap on a soap dish or a plate to keep it off of the gel coat. I feel that it would be just as effective on a dish of some sort as it would be sitting on the gel coat .
Experience comes from bad judgement and good judgement comes from experience.
Keeping Critters Out of Boats
SwampYankee wrote:If you have had good success in the past why not set the soap on a soap dish or a plate to keep it off of the gel coat. I feel that it would be just as effective on a dish of some sort as it would be sitting on the gel coat .
That is what my Admiral said and if I were as smart as she is I would have done that, but now I have shavings all over the boat and the boat tidied up and closed up in the dark without a vacuum available.
Hence I want to know if I screwed up! Next time I will sheet it (aluminum foil, baking sheet).
Jim--I heard about the dryer sheets too and used that in my old MG once, The mice ripped [the dryer sheets] apart and used it for nesting. Apparently the smell dissipates after a while, making dryer sheets ineffective for longer than seven months. They might work for a shorter lay-up here in Michigan.
Hoosier--I heard (for whatever reason) that Dove, Dial, Tone, etc. don''t work as well as Irish Spring. I use a sheet-rock rasp to shave it. You could break up the bars too. In my bigger boats the clean-up in the bilge was easy: some water, a little scrubbing, and drain, which I was planning to do this spring with the Boston Whaler.
EJO
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot
"Clumsy Cleat"look up what it means
50th edition 2008 Montauk 150, w/60HP Mercury Bigfoot
Re: Keeping Critters Out of Boats
Use GOOGLE to search on the phrase "EarthKind." Read about Fresh Cab, the mice repellent packets that confuse a mouse's sense of smell, and he stays away. --Gerry
Re: Keeping Critters Out of Boats
I think the gel coat in Boston Whaler boats is polyester resin. If you do a search for "polyester resin vanity", it appears that many vanity tops are made of [polyester resin] material. Most vanity tops have bars of soap left on them, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Re: Keeping Critters Out of Boats
1978 Outrage V20 with 2004 Suzuki DF-115. 1992 23 Walkaround with two 2010 Yamaha F-150s.