October 23, 2006
Cleaning Up Them Tubes
Fred is asked regularly how to clean the tubes on RIBs. The great news is that the tubes require very little maintenance but a little love now and then never hurts. Normally fresh water, boat soap and a sponge work great but at the end of the season, the colored (non-military dark grey) tubes may require something more.
Aurora SpeedClean, http://www.auroramarine.com, works great. Simply hose off the loose dirt, put a generous dollop to a damp rag, and rub on in a circular motion, wait a few minutes, then wipe off any excess with a clean damp rag. Immediately, the tube brightens back to its original color and luster. Using a rag is helpful as it is slightly more aggressive than a sponge but won't scratch the tubes like a scrub brush could.
For those that want to go the extra step, Aurora PolyGuard is similar to a wax for the tube. PolyGuard helps protect from UV damage and restores a nice shine. The down side is that it has to be maintained during the season or stripped (using SpeedClean) and re-applied.
RIBCRAFT sells the Aurora Speed Clean ($12.95 plus S&H) and PolyGuard (12.95 plus S&H).
Posted by ribcraftusa at October 23, 2006 04:15 PM
Comments
Thanks for the advise. Although my dark blue tubes have not shown any sign of fading at all this year I still like to know how to keep them clean and bring them back should they fade in years to come.
Posted by: Dave at October 23, 2006 10:21 PM
You're welcome. It's always a good idea to be proactive when it comes to protecting your tubes from fading especially if you store your RIB outside during the summer. If you do, I recommend using either 303 or the Aurora Poly Guard. Both are safe for the tubes and relatively easy to apply.
Posted by: Fred at October 26, 2006 11:23 AM
Hi Fred,
Thanks for your informative blog. Have you used the "303 Protectant" on your Hypalon tubes and if so, how do you think it compares to the Auora Speed Cleen and Poly Guard products?
Posted by: Skip at December 4, 2006 06:13 PM
Skip,
You're welcome. Yes, I've used all of those products. 303 is a great protectant and works well for preventative maintenance. However, I've found that it doesn't clean very well. By far the best product for cleaning dirty or heavily oxidized tubes is the Aurora Speed Clean. It's rather simple to use and the results are great. Once the tube is clean then 303 would work well. The Poly Guard is another good product, however application can be a bit more difficult as streaking can occur. However, if applied correctly and kept up, PolyGuard offers a nice treated look for the tubes.
Posted by: Fred at December 5, 2006 12:15 PM
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