Boat cleaning

petem

petem

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
19,108
Location
Cotswolds / Altea
www.fairlineownersclub.com
What do you people use for day to day cleaning of topsides, decks etc?

Also what do you use for inside (woodwork, gel coat and vinyl wall and ceiling coverings)?

Finally, what do you recommend for vinyl cockpit cushions?

Ta.
 
Deck: deck cleaner.
Topsides: car shampoo if out the water; fresh water if in the water.
Vinyl: babywipes - you should see the dirt that comes off!
 
I use boat wash and wax for a proper clean and I find a squeegy mop thing great for fast cleaning of the topsides, otherwise just a good blast with the hose.
Teak decks occasional two pack cleaner, some people use biological washing powder.
Interior just water, maybe a bit of washing up liquid on sticky marks. Rare polish with Mr sheen on the wood as it doesn't contain wax.
Loos and showers just household bathroom cleaner
Exterior vinyl preferably just water or water and a bit detergent. I never leave the vinyl cushions wet when I leave the boat for more than a few days. Always store them away dry or arranged so they will dry quickly other wise the mould gets into the surface.
 
Last edited:
For a proper deep clean on grp, traffic film remover neat. Awesome stuff but does strip any polishes or waxes previously used.
 
It's probably just me but I find polishes with wax in them build up a layer over time that subsequently becomes sticky and makes things worse. It's also hard to get it off again.
 
Yak wash is very good, beads when rinsed! Much Off (All appear the same, so don't buy the boat version) very effective for cleaning grime, and Caravan streak remover certainly removes streaks effortlessly...
 
I used Aldi caravan wash for the exterior. Armorall from Halfords for the vinyl. Specialist leather cleaner for the sofas. Have found a fantastic carpet cleaner. Can't recall what its called but will check next week when on board. Wessex 2 pack for te teak, then Semco sealer on top. Magic sponges work great on stubborn stuff like seagull sh!t.
 
A few products all of which are good value

Stardrops all round cleaner - light duty cleaning
Silky Cream Cleaner - for GRP
Baby wipes - from Aldi are good (not the cheapest)
Turtle Wax leather cleaner (for vinyl seating - and presumably okay on leather)
Peek polish - for polishing scratches out of GRP
Bar keepers friend power cream - for stain removal , also very good at brightening stainless steel
Viro-sol .... Heavier duty cleaning an de- greasing
 
August Race have some great Products out
The vinyl cleaner is amazing along with the boat wash.
I cleaned a Targa 30 with exhaust dust cushions and they can up like new with the vinyl cleaner and the sponge .
I have no connection to the company but highly recommend the product and helpful guy on the end of the phone when I ordered .
Good luck and happy cleaning
 
Teak..Owaltrol..not really cheaper than the twin pack stuff but less likely to destroy any ageing caulking and that is a disaster when that happens.I did ask some lads cleaning a super yacht (as in sail) down in Pendennis what they used on teak and they said fresh water..but they did have a huge carbon filter set up.
Boat wax and wash..imperative with your new boat to buy something very expensive..just to feel righteous and wave it about the pontoon alot. Once that has passed, any old wash wax from Tesco. Mind you.. a half litre will probably last a season anyway. 5 litres of the stuff should see you into the next light year.
Heads..something mild..citric acid...dont fancy changing all those Jabasco bog seals again
Vinyl..used to use Astonish oven cleaner..you can also use it to clean your hands, so don't fret. Comes in a small tub .Bit granular, but seemed to clean everything.
Magic sponges are supposed to be good on gel stains, but I never seem to actually use them. Well, when I say I, I obviously mean SWMBO...
Glass. those auto windscreen super cleaning nano whatever..never noticed any difference at all, so water seems good.
For the sides, an extendable wash pole is good though the various brush head prices are insane. On the stipled deck a 50p wooden broom handle onto a cheap stiff bristled brush head is all you need.
A not too expensive hose spray head..not too expensive because it will ping off the hose and disappear into the marina all too frequently.
 
darren123 said:
August Race have some great Products out
The vinyl cleaner is amazing along with the boat wash.
I cleaned a Targa 30 with exhaust dust cushions and they can up like new with the vinyl cleaner and the sponge .
I have no connection to the company but highly recommend the product and helpful guy on the end of the phone when I ordered .
Good luck and happy cleaning
Click to expand...

The August Race stuff looks really nice but not cheap. One for the boat show perhaps!
 
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