Buying a boat is a major life milestone that many people may never get to experience. It’s also a massive investment — and anything that costs a large sum of money should be well-maintained in order to prolong its value.
Keeping your boat clean and sparkly has little to do with vanity, and everything to do with smart boat maintenance. Basically, it’s the best way to protect your investment.
Learn more about the best way to clean a boat and all the most important areas to focus on in this blog.
The Best Way to Clean a Boat: Areas to Focus On
Whether you keep your boat in storage or moored at a marina, there are certain areas of a boat that require regular cleaning and upkeep. You also want to stock up on the best boat cleaning tools from Better Boat cleaning supplies — this will just make your job so much easier.
Let’s start with the most important interior components:
Marine Carpeting
If your boat has a cabin, you most likely have a floor surface of marine carpeting. Otherwise, marine carpeting is also popular inside boat cockpits and head compartments on smaller vessels.
You want to thoroughly vacuum the carpeting, then give it a good scrub-down with a stiff-bristled brush, dish soap, and water. You’ll have to use a wet-vac to remove any remaining water after this to prevent mold growth and foul-smelling carpet.
Non-Slip Fiberglass
Most boats today include non-slip fiberglass coating with a non-skid element molded into it. This type of fiberglass needs a different form of treatment to traditional fiberglass, i.e. you can’t use wax on this type of surface.
Non-slip fiberglass needs a good, hard scrub with a hard-bristle brush, some soap, and water. If it has stains, you can use bleach or Soft Scrub to remove this. Just make sure to rinse off these products well.
After this, you want to treat the surface with a non-skid treatment such as Woody Wax or Star Brite Non-Skid Deck Wax.
The Boat Hull
Boat hulls include a smooth, gel coat surface that is necessary for the protection of the underside of your boat. It also helps to keep your hull shiny and prevents oxidation.
Every spring, you want to reapply this coating with two layers of paste wax. Every month, you should also shine up your hull with an extra layer of carnauba wax. Every time you take your boat out on the water, make sure to clean your hull well with a boat soap that contains liquid wax.
Boat Canvasing
You should clean your boat canvas on a monthly basis, where possible. This helps to keep stains at bay and prevent dirt from embedding itself in the material.
All you need to do is hose the canvas down and give it a gentle scrub with a soft-bristle brush, mild soap, and water. Rinse it off well. If you have stains you want to get rid of, try a mixture of baking soda and warm water.
The Boat Engine
Your boat engine needs to be cleaned inside and out — whether it’s inboard or outboard. Start by waxing the cowl and the engine exterior. Then, make sure to wash down the exterior with warm water and soap after every use.
Never use a hard-bristle brush for the exterior, stick to a microfiber cloth or wash mitt. To clean the under the cowl, simply wipe away accumulated grease and dirt with an old rag. Never use water or chemicals under the engine cowl.
A Library of How-To Guides Awaits
The best way to clean a boat is to do so on regular basis. Even if you don’t have time to be very thorough with your cleaning, a quick once-over is far better than pure neglect.
If you’re looking for how-to guides on an array of topics, you’re in the right place. Explore the rest of this site for the general knowledge you’re craving!