Cleaning Stained Mouse Fur

[Levitation]

Well, I found the source of my leak causing staining of the mouse fur ( started when the boat sat out in hard rain for a couple of weeks unattended in late fall)
It was the port hand rail over the aft cabin eyebrow. One mounting bolt only had bedding compound encircling 180 degrees of the bolt when installed. After 4 years it had decided to leak (never sat out in extended rain like that prior to the incident.) part of the problem was oak leaves that fell on the cabin top - steeped in the rain water and the tea dripped inside. Major staining.

Anyway, after sealing the handrail it was time to deal with the stains. After some trial and error I found that a combination of Pine-Sol sprayed on and brushed into the fur for 30-60 seconds then followed by Formula 409 sprayed on and scrubbed up into a foam with a cloth pad and allowed to dry did the job well. Some areas of the staining required 4 cleaning cycles with some drying in between (fan). All in all I am pleased with the outcome.
I will post pictures in my photo album when/if I get a round tuit.

Why I tried combining two kinds of household cleaner is a convoluted story - I normally avoid mixing unknown chemicals. Factory Ken suggested bleach water scrubbed into the fur. So far I did not do that, but it remains my ace in the hole.
I do feel that having the mouse fur was a gift. Had there been wall paneling, a leak with swelling and staining might have necessitated replacing the paneling.

 

[Automaticman865]

I've had good luck with Quick 'n Brite. Used it with a stiff brush. It took care of the stains and some mold.
I've been wondering if the Oxyclean would do the same. I'd be worried the regular bleach might leave a slight yellow stain.
Stuart

 

[Namaste]

We use Scotchgard™ OXY Auto Spot & Stain Remover on mouse fur and have been very pleased. You might want to experiment with direct spraying versus spraying on sponge and rubbing to get desired results depending on nature of the stain.

 

[swillmerchant]

We had some stains on our monkey/mouse fur due to a leaking cabin top railing, and decided to try the OxyClean approach. 1/8 of a scoop of OxyClean in 1.5 cups of water applied by soaking a washcloth in the solution and dabbing it into the stain and circling. It worked marvelously in 1 application. The stains nearly disappeared. We'll check on it in a few days to verify, but it looked purty an hour or two later.

 

[Levitation]

After my original post I did have one stubborn stain remaining that required bleach.
Formula 409 with a bristle brush has become my standard for general cleaning of the mouse fur.
I do have one small leak from the handrail over the helm position (at least I think that is where it comes from) that shows up after a prolonged rain.
So I'm considering pulling both cabin rails off the starboard and re-sealing (aaaaarrrggghhhhhh :evil: Picture me glaring in the direction of the factory)

 

[swillmerchant]

Denny,
Did you check the running light? I had a similar leak above the helm near the teak rail below the middle of the skylight. I initially thought it was the railing or even the skylight, but traced it to the running light. I sealed up the running light screws (the ones in the green plastic), but I also noticed the seal around the hole where the wiring came through the roof was cracking too. That could be another source, and much easier than the handrails.

I too had to remove the after port cabin top rail entirely and resealed it with 4200. The middle bolt had hardly any sealant and that's where all the water seeped into the cabin. What a PITA, but it sealed up nicely. It's a good pre-tarping exercise.

Good luck!
Doug

 

[coreychamness]

on the advice of our tug dealer (Pocket Yacht), we obtained Folex carpet cleaning solution. It works miraculously on the carpet and the monkey fur.

Corey

 

[captstu]

The top rail on the port side leaks a tiny bit exactly as described in this post.

I don't mind rebeding it, but can't figure out how to get the the bolts without destroying the nice joinery - but since you folks did the rebed without loud obscene sounds, there must be a way.

How do I gain access to the top rail bolts?

thank you /Stu (watching a slow drip when it rains a lot)

 

[dwaindumas]

I will second the Folex product. It indeed worked miraculously. Can be found at Home depot. Not so sure there is a Home Depot that far into the frozen tundra of northern MI. 😉

 

[Two killicks]

Would a magic eraser work?

 

[captstu]

How did you get to the bolts that hold the top rail on?

 

[Pilotnavigator]

For that small leak, you might try captain trolleys creeping crack sealer first. It does a good job on tiny leaks. Best to try to first before you take everything apart.

 

[Brian B]

How did you get to the bolts that hold the top rail on?

If the 25 Classic is the same as the 25 SC remove the track for the curtains. Under that track there are a few screws that hold the wood trim on. The wood trim is a tight fit but should come out, you should then be able to see the nuts for the hand rail. After you disassemble run a hose on that area to be certain what is leaking. The screws that hold the stack on can leak into the cabin roof and the water will leak out into this same area.

 

[captstu]

Brian,

I removed the curtain rod, the board above the curtain, a chunk of the ceiling and some odds and ends - and saw nothing. The entire area was covered with mouse fuzz.

I went above the damp area and since I could not reach any bolts, I applied some penetrating epoxy hoping to close the very small leak from above.

I'll leave it open until the next heavy rain - only a few hours this time of the year - and see if anything is damp.

Small leak, not a big deal, but I like a dry, clean boat. Thanks for the help.

 

[The Bud's Tug]

Most efficient on Mouse Fur is hydrogen peroxide. Put some in a pump bottle and apply directly on. Let stand and dry and the stain will be gone. It does not harm the integrity of the fabric.