Sticky white vinyl ceilings

Post here if you want to discuss a topic specific to the MV/32, MV/34, and MV/41.
Post Reply
DickTuschick
skipper
skipper
Posts: 98
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 3:38 pm

Sticky white vinyl ceilings

Post by DickTuschick »

Well...the solution has been found...we all suffer from ceiling vinyl that gets sticky and dirty over the years. We, like most owners have tried to find a cleaning product that would works....and we finally did...ALCOHOL.... just that simple.
I had an old towel that I cut up into 4x8 inch pads and used them to aggressively apply regular alcohol and wow...the ceilings came clean and really white again. The sticky substance on the ceiling clogs the towel pads quickly so you need a few of them.
The next day I went over the ceilings with 303 protectant and now they are back to "like new". I used over a quart (almost two) of alcohol to do the entire boat.
It's not an easy job as you are working over your head and you do need to apply some pressure but I think it is well worth the effort.
Have fun !!
deising
admiral
admiral
Posts: 361
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 3:48 pm
Location: Punta Gorda, FL
Contact:

Re: Sticky white vinyl ceilings

Post by deising »

Thanks, Dick. We had modest success with vinyl cleaner, but likely the alcohol works better. If you are in somewhat dim light and sitting down, the overhead vinyl looks nice. It is when you stand up and really look at it that you can see (and feel) the mess that accumulates.
Duane Ising
m/v Diva Di
Punta Gorda, FL
2006 PDQ MV 34 - hull 91, 75HP, 3-blade
Expatriate
admiral
admiral
Posts: 118
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:20 pm

Re: Sticky white vinyl ceilings

Post by Expatriate »

Dick,

Thanks for a very useful post. So far, our ceiling is fine. In the past I tried rubbing alcohol, but purely out of ignorance. I did not know what to use, but I knew that rubbing alcohol is a pretty mild solvent and evaporates completely leaving no residue. Since the first time I used it, I always try it first. It is the least likely to cause harm. In come cases it is the best choice.

Tim
John&Ria
admiral
admiral
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:07 am
Location: Vancouver BC (PDQ 34 hull 111)
Contact:

Re: Sticky white vinyl ceilings

Post by John&Ria »

Dick, thanks for sharing this useful tip. We've had a very sticky and dirty patch by the side of the entry door that's been bugging me since forever. I've had no success removing it with anything else, so will definitely try this the next time we visit the boat.

Hope all goes well for you and Carol. Take care and stay safe.....

John
bobcarolabel
deckhand
deckhand
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:33 pm

Re: Sticky white vinyl ceilings

Post by bobcarolabel »

We found Armour All to work well on the vinyl. One step and vinyl looks clean and shines. No residue. We did use alcohol to remove any stains.
Bob and Carol on Pepromenon
AlanH
admiral
admiral
Posts: 204
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2016 3:55 pm

Re: Sticky white vinyl ceilings

Post by AlanH »

I think we have a better solution. Cleaner/Degreaser from Home Depot.

I started the job with alcohol as mentioned in previous posts. It does work but takes a lot of effort and several passes. I decided that it might be easier to take the ceiling panels out to clean them. That turned out to make for a much easier process. I laid each panel across two sawhorses and sprayed enough denatured alcohol on it until it puddled. I worked it and wiped it off and after a couple of times there was a 90% improvement. I could not get the panels to 100% though. The third one I did was still a little dirty so I used some degreaser from Home Depot on it. It cleaned the panel and took the rest of the stickiness off. Then I tried the degreaser on a panel I had not used alcohol on. It did a great job, nice white panel with no stickiness. If the panels are out of the boat use a spray bottle to saturate the panel, wait about five minutes, wash it for about two and they come out perfect. You do need to rinse the degreaser off.

I did all the rest of the panels and they came out great. I also did all of the salon non-removable vinyl on the boat. It is a bit more work because you can't just saturate it but also much easier with a better outcome than alcohol.

Like the others, I used 303 on all cleaned panels. I would assume any cleaner/degreaser would work but the one at Home Depot is called Cleaner & Degreaser Formula 88. It is less than $8.00 a gallon which is more than enough for the job.

Removing the panels are not difficult. You will need a trusty assistant. My wife volunteered. There are a couple panels with lights that have plug in connectors. We had two in the salon with fans and they also with plug in connectors. The port side stateroom has one panel that is a bit large and a little work to get out of the stateroom but it is doable. If I have to do this job in the future I will definitely remove the panels again.

Alan
Alan Hendry
Catbo
2006 34' Hull #81
75hp engines
duetto
admiral
admiral
Posts: 984
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2005 11:18 am
Location: ICW (32043)

Re: Sticky white vinyl ceilings

Post by duetto »

alan

can you be more specific on degreaser? home depot has at least a dozen and i'm sure they aren't all created equal.
john & diane cummings
duetto mv34 #23
AlanH
admiral
admiral
Posts: 204
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2016 3:55 pm

Re: Sticky white vinyl ceilings

Post by AlanH »

It comes in a brown one gallon container. It says Cleaner & Degreaser. Below that it says Formula 88. In my Home Depot it is located on an isle with all types of cleaners.

Alan
IMG_6617 3.jpeg
Alan Hendry
Catbo
2006 34' Hull #81
75hp engines
Post Reply