Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

I used lots of denatured alcohol in building my dory, but I have a different use and wanted the groups opinion.   Our motorhome has been sitting under lovely shade trees for 3 months and we're getting ready to leave in a few weeks.  We've left the fabric awning out some and since the car has a layer of "mist" type tree sap, I have to believe the fabric awning does too.

I saw someone in an RV blog suggest using isopropyl alchol to clean the fabric awning.   SO..my question to you's guys is what would the difference would be in using denatured alcohol instead off isopropyl?

I dont even know the difference between the two..

Suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Curt


14 replies:

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RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

Denatured alcohol is good old sipping spirits mixed with stuff to make it toxic so we'll use it for industrial purposes instead of drinking it. Isopropyl alcohol is a naturally toxic substance used for industrial and medical purposes. They're both solvents, but isopropyl will dissolve more organic compounds than denatured. My guess is that it would do a better job on the awning sap than denatured.

Laszlo

 

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

   Laszlo...thanks much..I'm looking online to purchase Isopropyl in gallons.

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

   I use a lot of isopropyl alcohol in my day job, use it to prepare surfaces for adhesive vinyl graphics. Best value I've been able to find is a two-pack of quart bottles from Costco, NJ price is about $3.50/two-pack.

Dave

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

   Hi Curt,

Do you know what kind of trees they are? It sounds like, and may be, the excrement from aphids or scale insects. If that is the case, it washes off easily with water and a sponge... No alcohol needed. I happen to own a lawn & tree care and pest control business and see this often. Here is a link to a blog on these pests:  http://greengiantlawncare.com/blog/spotting-aphid-scale-insect-excrement/.  

Dan

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

   Dan, very interesting!  Read that article you referenced and I think you may be right for our situation.  Our car is really a mess so that made me assume the roof of our motorhome must be a mess too....have a call in to the manufacturer to ask what to do on the type of rubber roof they just put on new a few months ago.

On the car, I cleaned the hood and the very same day, the rough surface had returned in just a few hours

I also cleaned the roof with just a soaking wet towel and you are correct, it all came off with just the wet towel, so does that mean to you that it is insects, not tree sap?

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

   Dan...forgot to answer your question..the trees that surround our motorhome and car are mostly maples and one pine.

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

   Yes, your description sounds exactly like aphids and/or scale insects are causing the mess. Both maples & pines can drip sap from wounds and for other reasons but, if that were the case, you would see globs of sap in specific places. The somewhat uniform distribution of the substance has got to be honeydew from these insects. Globs of sap wouldn't be as easy to clean as the honeydew either. You may also want to consider having the trees treated to control the insects. 

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

Hey Curt,

I used to have a lot of bug problems when I lived in an apartment complex with crape myrtles planted everywhere.  Pine sap once hardened is almost impossible to get off without damaging the paint job.

Also, be careful when using isopropyl in large quantities.  I use it to prep boat hulls for large decals, boot stripes, etc. and I have almost gotten frostbite because it's so volatile that it evaporates so quickly it takes all the heat out of your hands.  Even through heavy rubber gloves it was painful.

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

I only ever had a folding caravan but when I had it stored for the winter I used to cover the top in cling film. I think you call it plastic wrap in the States. It's cheap and keeps the crap off.  

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

   Thanks to all for the great comments. All comments contributed to a good understanding of what I need to do, which is to move our motorhome to a camp site totally in the open away from trees a few days before we are to leave and have a RV detail company come out and wash and wax both the motorhome and car for $250..not bad....outsource but keep the money local!

FORTUNATELY the baby (my CLC dory) is stored with a cover on it totally away from trees!

Thanks again..Curt

Oh one more to Dan..I told the owner of the campground what you said and he will check with a local tree company to see what spray they would use.

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

Back in the 70's when some buddies and I were building this fleet of sabot knock-offs, we noticed that no matter what precautions we took the boats would collect a bunch of spots overnight, right on the freshly applied paint. At first we thought it was the paint or the way we applied it. It turned out to be the neighbor's bees. In the morning they would leave the hives and evacuate their tiny little bee bowels as they took off so as to not leave a mess in the hives. It seemed that we were painting our boats under their flight path. Needless to say, we couldn't spray the bugs. My buddies spread out all sorts of tarps and covers to tent their boats. I took mine sailing instead. It all eventually washed off in the Pacific ocean.

Have fun,

Laszlo

 

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

Just checking to see if this is still a great web site. Immediately learned something new about bee poo, a subject I'd previously thought I knew well enough to at least get by, day to day.

In summary, it is still a great forum. I don't know if new members know how long some people have been giving generously of their vast knowledge and other, even better gifts here.  But what difference, at this point, does it make?: "treasures in heaven."

I have a CLC boat project, long postponed.  Have just restarted it.  Plan to check back in by August at the latest with an update.  ('by August' is an old joke, nevermind, it was funny when it was new and the now-fossilized okoume panels were still lying flat on the garage floor, with no bee poo on them yet.  Bees had not yet evolved, according to mainstream paleontologists).

 

 

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

Camper,

Long time no sea (as the man said to the dead fish). Glad to hear that you're still around and looking in on us. Now if only Mac and Kurt would check back in.

It took me 9 years to finish a 12-ft sailing dinghy, so considering that your John's Sharpie is nearly twice as long with twice as many masts and sails, I'd say you're right on track.

Don't bee a stranger,

Laszlo

 

RE: Isopropyl vs Denatured Alcohol

Curt,

I was offline for a couple days but here is some info on the treatments needed for the aphids/scale insect control. They can be controlled by either spraying or soil injection.

~ If spraying, it takes two treatments per year and the timing has to be correct. I am in southeastern Pa and we do these treatments in May & August. We use either a product called Orthene or one called Bifenthrin. Both work well but we prefer Orthene.

~However, the best treatment method is a soil injection using a product called Merit. This is done early in the year. Depending on weather, we typically do these in February or early March. This treatment is only done one-time per year and controls the insects before you get the mess -  it is more proactive.

The soil injections also don't wash off like a spray treatment can so, if it rains shortly after the treatment, the soil injection will be completely effective where the spray could lose at least some of it effectiveness.

Anyone that does this kind of work will be familiar with these products.

I would recommend getting a locally owned company that has certified arborists on staff to be sure you have someone that is well trained.

Dan

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