Randonneur Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 Does anyone out there know of a substance that will remove water stains from our coloured shower room fittings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 Hi Sylvia, I always use Dettol to clean bathroom plastics, rinsing off with water and drying/polishing with a soft cloth. As you are in France you may not be able to find Dettol, unless you have an english shop nearby, we always take two bottles with us, as we are either in France, or nearby for 4 months each year. If you cannot find dettol, you might try using a little Isopropanol BP, obtainable from a pharmacy, or perhaps any bathroom cleaner suitable for plastic baths. Using any chemical frequently, you need to know its safe and no long term damage will occur. I have mentioned a number of times before that Pledge type polish will, after 12 months use craze plastic in bathrooms. BTW thanks for your opinions on French attitude to foreign MH'ers, I have always found all the MH'ers on aires very friendly and helpful too. Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 Do not use any strong alcohol or petroleum based cleaner on it as it's probably ABS ond could be disolved. I use T.Cut or preferably Farecla G3 us it's a very fine abrasive and will cut back and polish the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted March 12, 2007 Author Share Posted March 12, 2007 Many thanks to both of you. Peter What is Farecla G3 and where can I get it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 Randonneur - 2007-03-12 9:38 AM Many thanks to both of you. Peter What is Farecla G3 and where can I get it?It's a very fine cutting paste used by the motor and boat trade to polish up tired paintwork on cars and gel coat on boats. It's very good and contains no waxes or amonia. There are various grades, G3 being very fine. You should be able to get it at a motor shop. It has to be used with water as it quicky dries out. I mix it 50/50 and apply it with a sponge or soft cloth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted March 12, 2007 Author Share Posted March 12, 2007 Thanks Peter, I am going to the UK at weekend so I shall try to get some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted April 9, 2007 Author Share Posted April 9, 2007 Hello Peter, haave just tried the Farecla G3 on the water stains but they have not shifted, have also tried TCut and that hasn't worked either. Hubby has just informed me that he has found a very small crack in the base of the shower tray so it may be that we will have to replace it completely, the wheelarch is included in the tray. I have just searched to see if anyone had the same problem and was amazed at the amount of members posts came up. The best that I can see was for a company called Southern Motorhome Centre at Taplow who used a spray coating of some kind after sealing the offending split. Whether this coating can be bought retail I will have to find out. Anyway thanks for your advice re Farecla. Sylvia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Are you sure these are, in fact, water stains? The only "stains" I have encountered from water are the calcium deposits left behind when hard water evaporates. These are quite easy to shift with lemon juice. Experiment in a corner, but just rub a cut lemon over the stains, leave overnight if necessary, then rinse clean. To polish, there is a very good plastics cleaner marketed by Thetford. Should be available at your nearest caravan/motorhome dealership.However, if you can't shift the marks with a cutting polish, which is a bit radical, it seems they must have penetrated the surface of the plastic. (Either that or you need more elbow grease, but remember you are cutting back the surface. You don't want to overdo it!) This, to me, suggests something other than water as the cause. Possibly something has been used for cleaning that contains a bleaching agent, or even a solvent? Have you possibly run a strong Milton solution, or similar, through your water system and shower and left the droplets to dry off? Some other cleaner that might have been sprayed on and left for too long? The cracking is interesting too. There was a letter in MMM some time back about, if I remember correctly, a hair conditioner - maybe a shampoo, that had caused a number of Hymer wash basins to crack. Possibly containing formaldehyde? It was a common enough constituent of some quite normal bathing product, but it reacted with plastics. Can anyone else remember? Might give a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted April 9, 2007 Author Share Posted April 9, 2007 Thanks Brian, unfortunately we bought the motorhome secondhand from a dealer and only noticed the stains when sat!!! on the loo. The plastic is blue and show up just as though they are water runs. It looks like they are caused by water coming over the handbasin and then onto the wheelarch. They show up more on the wheelarch than anywhere else. We do get a lot of calcium deposits over here and use proprietory cleaners on our taps and sinks but I don't know whether these would be too harsh but I will try the lemon juice tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Maybe grasping at straws but could the 'water' stains be stress folds where continual standing on the floor has caused a poorly supported tray to flex and bend at certain points? That might also explain the appearance of cracks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 Hello Starspirit, I have today tried the lemon juice and also a proprietary calcium cleaner but to no avail. I have tried to take a photo, don't know if you will be able to see or not. The stains run down over the wheelarch which is stepped. I think that it might be time to try to source a replacement but I think it will be difficult as it is an odd shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 So much for the stress theory then! Is there a boatyard near to you as they might have experience of this sort of mark as well as a range of maybe different cleaners? I would be inclined to source and price a replacement before trying any severe cleaning materials just in case you can't get a new one, and before unsightly damage does occur through strong chemicals? The price might make you decide to live with it and as you now know that it is at least clean be sure to take a book into the loo to take your mind and eyes away from the problem. Is that called lateral thinking? Have you asked the makers? Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Randonneur - 2007-04-10 2:57 PM Hello Starspirit, I have today tried the lemon juice and also a proprietary calcium cleaner but to no avail. I have tried to take a photo, don't know if you will be able to see or not. The stains run down over the wheelarch which is stepped. I think that it might be time to try to source a replacement but I think it will be difficult as it is an odd shape. SylviaNasty! However, I think, from what you've said, this must result from a spill of something in the washroom. It seems it has taken out the colour where it has thoroughly wetted the surface, leaving only the trails where it has trickled down. Can't begin to guess what. Possibly something that tipped over when the van was on the road. Nail varnish remover??Since you're in Charente, and the pic is a Rapido, and your froum name is randonneur, I'd guess the van is a Rapido. There's Sherlock for you! Have you considered a run up to Mayenne to see if they can help at the factory? They do have (or at least did have) a customer services entrance so someone there may be able to give some advice. Replacement would, I suspect, be a bit difficult, because they tend to build these bits in from the bottom up and from the inside out. However, Rapido would be best placed by far to advise what may be practical, and may even be able to do the work or put you in touch with someone who can. So far as I can see the damage is only cosmetic so, provided the crack in the tray is only in the gel coat and the tray isn't leaking, why bother? At a guess, it may prove cheaper to trade the van for a newer one that to dismantle the washroom! I shouldn't think the marks would knock the value too hard, unless they're more stark in reality than they look on the photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Hi Looking at the picture I wonder if someone has used some cream cleaner on the plastic and not realised it has dribbled down and affected the coloured part, that kind of mark and the dribble pattern certainly looks like what you'd get from that sort of activity. Cream cleaner is a nasty substance - my Father in law once used it to clean my nice chocolate brown sink ... the result was much lighter and patchy, and a total right off!!! Perhaps trying a cream cleaner on a hidden part of the plastic would give you a clue and if it too took the colour of our that you could consider using it all over to at least make it all the same faded shade. However, I must admit if the problem is only cosmetic, although it's annoying, I'd be tempted to leave it alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 Well done Sherlock, it is indeed a Rapido, a 740F to be precise. The crack is a hairline one about half an inch long, doesn't look as though it goes through but can't tell as it is in the curve where the base meets the sides. Going to give Araldite Rapide a try as someone suggested. If we are up near Mayenne we could give the factory a go and see what happens but I think we will have to live with it, its OK but just annoying 'cause I know its there. Thanks Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 Mel B, I agree, cream cleaners can be very destructive and as its only cosmetic, as I said to Brian I think we will have to put up with it. Thanks for everybody's help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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