Normal for bilge area to be this dirty? Recommendations for cleaning it out?

[jhoffy22]

I was pulling my alternator and noticed that the entire Bilge area is excessively dirty. I have a 2007 SV-211. Is this pretty normal for a boat of this age? Any recommendations on cleaning it? I have a pressure washer with a soap intake that I was thinking of using, but don't want to damage any components.


Thanks in advance!

[jhoffy22]

[jhoffy22]

[NautiqueJeff]

I have used a pressure washer before, but you do have to be careful.

Another trick is to let a little water in the bilge, then add a good bit of simple green and drive the boat around for a couple hours. The sloshing of the water and simple green can do a pretty good job of cleaning the bilge. You should capture the mixture when you're finished though so that it doesn't end up in the lake.

[bturner]

I always put a couple of squirts of Dawn dish soap in the bilge. At the end of the year I'll run the hose in the bilge and put about 20 gallons of water in the bilge with more Dawn then take the 2 hour drive up north to where I store it for the winter. About 15 minutes out I pull the plugs and let it drain the rest of the way to the barn. By the time I get there the bilge is clean and fairly dry.

[srock]

I second the pressure washer but stay away from electronics or places you don't want to inject water. Simple Green trick works great but it will only clean those areas with sloshing water.

[swatguy]

Pretty normal. Pressure washer works great,


Simple green is good solution , starbright also makes a bilge cleaner. Keep plug in. Dump either in bilge. Fill it up with little water and as mentioned drives around a bit.

[Jonny Quest]

+1 to what bturner said….but a bit more than just a few squirts. I use 1/4 cup. Sparkling clean bilge.

JQ

[MTRBTR]

I used to have a 211 and it had that exact stuff in it too. Got it cleaned up but never figured out where it came from.

[gary s]

Before you go and fill the bilge with water and soap put the steering back together so the cable doesn't fill with water. If it won't stay in place a cable tie will help.

[SilentSeven]

Spray the inside with Spray Nine or Simple Green and then take it to the quarter wash and blast it out (carefully) with their hot spray pressure washer. That way you don't get all the oily water dumping out into where ever.

Will come out spanking clean. I do it once a season.

If it looks like that you prolly have a small oil or transmission leak somewhere.

[swatguy]

Grab all those loose screws out of the before you start sloshing water around in there. You have a nice pile of spare parts collecting in there.