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Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 24th, 2010, 5:59 pm
by Chalk
Not really a spill...but looks like the previous owner of my boat put a screw next to a battery (with no tray) and they got into a fight and the screw won. Unfortunately I thought I had some leaves in the console and the slight stain...now a pronounced stain is not a leaf stain...but battery acid stain. Anyone know of anything other than spraying gelcoat to clean up the acid stain on the gelcoat?
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 24th, 2010, 6:24 pm
by Gulf Coast
i use tidy bowl on rust stains, never had battery stain before
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 24th, 2010, 7:02 pm
by rocket
Baking soda if there's still acid to clean up???
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 24th, 2010, 7:05 pm
by Jumptrout51
Phosphoric acid will do it.
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 24th, 2010, 7:13 pm
by Chalk
Jumptrout51 wrote:Phosphoric acid will do it.
Tried that...might take a few treatments..cleaned it some
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 24th, 2010, 7:20 pm
by Jumptrout51
Leave it on as long as you can stand it.
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 24th, 2010, 7:26 pm
by Mister Mullet
Try some of the Starbright hull cleaners with oxalic acid. Sounds like the brown stain came from the leaves, so it's probably organic and will respond to the oxalic acid. You'll have to read the ingredients to find products with it.
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 24th, 2010, 8:59 pm
by tin can
Sell the boat.
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 25th, 2010, 5:53 am
by RodBow
add it to the project boat pile
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 25th, 2010, 9:05 am
by dolphinatic
Did you try the "stuff" you been holding for me for the past few months
It's worked for me before. Just spray it on and let'er sit

Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 25th, 2010, 9:33 am
by Chalk
dolphinatic wrote:Did you try the "stuff" you been holding for me for the past few months
It's worked for me before. Just spray it on and let'er sit

I did...but I didn't let it sit for fear that it would eat a hole through the boat then the cement floor
The brown color is from the acid eating 5200

Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 25th, 2010, 12:04 pm
by littlejohn
I use Rust Aide for rust stains and the yellow scum that builds up at the water line. Works great. Just spray it on, wash it off.
Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 25th, 2010, 12:52 pm
by Chalk
Used the Aluminum brightener (hydrofluoric and phosphoric acid) that I got for Dolphinatic about 4 months ago....let it set and reapplied several times over 3 hours....washed with water...then straight bleach several times for an hour....got it

Re: Battery Acid Spill
Posted: April 27th, 2010, 8:51 am
by kirt123
Cheapest and best thing I have tried is the rust remover from Home Depot in the red jug, either spray it on or wipe it on and watch any stain dissappear. Kinda scary but after some research it appear to be safe. It has the same ingredient as the more expensive hull cleaner. Think it is Oxacylic acid.