Submitted on October 16, 2006 by Richard Zienda

Question: How can I clean my sails? Can I wash a spinnaker in the bathtub? If yes what cleaning solution can I use?

Thanks.
John Z.

Answer: Dear John,

Almost all spinnakers are nylon so I'm assuming that's what you have.

You can easily wash a spinnaker in a bathtub, assuming the sail will fit. In fact, you can use almost any similar-size tank or tub. Some people use large plastic garbage cans.

Most people wash spinnakers to remove the salt and it doesn't take much to get salt off. I would suggest a mild and fairly well diluted laundry detergent, if anything at all. A low-suds variety might avoid certain other problems that could ensue. Allow some soak time and perform some light agitation. Then rinse very, very thoroughly. You might rinse more than once to be sure. Agitate gently to make sure you've gotten to all the folds and pockets. Nylon sailcloth is finished at temperatures well above 212 so I don't think water temperature is too important. I'd use something comfortable if I were going to put my hand in it.

If you have a more serious problem, such as a stain, you can try being very slightly more aggressive in that area. I would suggest spotting the area with a stronger concentration of soap and rubbing very gently. In the worst case, you might consider simply having the affected material removed and replaced. A good sailmaker can do a very tidy job, matching materials, that you'll hardly notice.

Do NOT use a bleach such as Clorox, or anything that says 'bleach' on the label. Bleaches eat nylon. For the same reason, spinnakers should never be washed in swimming pools, no matter how well they are rinsed afterwards.

One of colored nylon's problems is that the dyes will bleed if left wet for some number of hours or days. If the point of washing the sail is to remove a bled dye, forget it, as there is no known chemical or technique that will do this. It also means that after washing, you have to be able to dry the sail fairly expeditiously. You should have this figured out before you start.

The logistics may be more interesting than the washing. I would have a large plastic tub or garbage can that I could put the sail in for transportation to wherever it is to be dried. Wheels might be a desirable option. Then comes the question, where do you dry it? A large lawn will work, or you can hoist it on the boat in truly windless conditions. Fortunately nylon dries quickly. Be very careful around anything sharp. Also, a lot of spinnakers have gone through commercial dryers. Excessive heat does become a problem here so they have to be closely watched. I have seen instances where overheated metal in the corners has melted parts of the sail.

Have fun.

Bill Bergantz
North Cloth

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