What is the best product to clean a nasty bilge?

[jwrape]

In my 3207 I inherited a disgusting bilge. The motors were re manufactured and when they replaced them they left a lot of trash and oil in the bilge. What is the best way to get all that nasty out. I want a clean bilge. I had stepping down there and then can't get back into my salon without tracking grease everywhere.

[waybomb]

Maybe too late now, but I clean mine once it's out of the water, and have them block bow high. Then start hosing the bilge toward the back. A few bottles of Dawn dish soap work great. But you will also need brushes and towels and have to make tools to get in there and scrub everything.

Have fun!

[jwrape]

I'm going to try the dawn and a lot of elbow grease. Dawn takes Grease out of your way right?

[Lyndon670]

The best I have found is Castrol Super Clean. Grab a "bag of rags" at your auto parts store and some Super Clean and you will be amazed. Best part of this is you can do it in the water, doesn't have to be out of the water. You can also spray soak a mop with the Super Clean to get yo those hard to reach places. Doing it this way the rags are cleaning up the mess, and you can throw them into a garbage bag, vs pumping the dawn, grease and soap suds overboard.

[jwrape]

I ended up using a HUGE bottle of Dawn and a toilet brush and scrubbing everything I could get the brush on. It worked pretty well. I got most of it clean. I am going to have to vacuum the water and chunks out of the very bottom next time I go out there.
I found a lot fo zip ties and a spark plug down there from the re-powering.

[After Taxes]

I like all of the above ideas and products. Every boater has a mop on board, and I bought a good one for my decks. But I bought a cheapie mop and leave it in the engine room. I should have done this years ago, because those long handle mops are great for getting into nooks and crannies I cannot reach. The mop gets disgustingly dirty - that's just great - because that means it's picking up oil and dirt. Squirt your degreaser cleaner into the bilge, add some water, and mop away. Sure, it's messy to wring that dirty mop out, but it is a big help. And actually, the mop becomes clean after using soap and rinsing it in the lake.

Anyway, I'm very glad to hear of another boater who takes the time to clean up down below. I think it's the sign of a good Captain!

Good luck. How about posting a photo of your freshly squeaky clean engine room?

Steve

[Chuck123]

Dawn dishwashing liquid seems to work well. You pretty much have to scrub with anything you use to get it clean. You also have to use products that won't harm metals or the plastic and rubber in your bilge pump.