Cleaning jobs on board a small boat or a yacht may be troublesome and may seem like a tough task with lots of false information out there. In this article we will help give a few tips and advice that may be useful to any seafarer in order to help maintain their vessel. Whilst many commercial products may be suitable, may have surprisingly good results and sometimes may cost less. One must keep in mind when boat cleaning is that the main priority, not to cause any damage. Below find exclusive advice and tips on cleaning your boat.
Boat Cleaning Advice & Tips
Bilge
A dirty bilge can be odorous and very not pleasant looking. It can also be the cause to various other problems that are occurring down below.
To clean up the bilge the first step should would be to switch off the bilge pump. Use a sponge to soak up any excess water or a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. Pour in a bilge cleaner, such as BoatLife Bilge Cleaner, Grime Hunter by PAI Boat or Autosol Bilge Cleaner. Using a medium to hard brush, rub the surfaces that are dirty, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. Leave the product for a couple of hours to have its full effect. Finally, rinse and extract all the leftover water and make sure to dispose of it responsibly, this will leave your bilge smelling fresh and clean. Do not forget to switch on the bilge pump at the end of your cleaning session. All these options offered by Gauci Borda are biodegradable and ocean safe.
Top Cleaning Tip: Add a couple of oil-absorbent sheets to your bilge, this will help to absorb oils, grease and excess dirt.
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Teak
A well maintained boat may be instantly identified by the state of the teak on board. It is the first thing that catches the eye of a passenger on board.
The first step to cleaning teak is to hose it down with water and make sure that all the grain of the teak is well watered. Next is to use a Teak cleaner, there are many of these on the market. Some of which are powder based such as BoatLife Teak Brite Cleaner and Nautilus Teak & Wood Cleaner. Others that are in liquid form, such as Snappy Teak-Nu Cleaner or Autosol Teak Cleaner.
Apply the teak cleaner generously to the wet teak and scrub with a good quality hard brush against the grain, followed by another good rinse. This should remove all the dirt from the weathered teak. Depending on one’s preference a Teak brightener may be applied to enhance the vibrant teak colour.
At this point one may choose to add a teak oil or a teak sealer. A teak oil intensifies the colours of the teak and has a warmer and richer appearance. This also helps to restore the teak’s natural resins and oils helping to maintain the health of the teak. On the other hand, a sealer may be used to achieve a natural look of the teak, this is durable, easy to apply making it ideal and practical to any boat owner. Moreover, a teak sealer just seals out dirt and moisture making it hydrophobic while sealing in the natural resins and oils of the teak.
Top Tip: Make sure the Teak is thoroughly clean before oiling or sealing, this will avoid any grey spots of dirt that will be trapped inside the teak when oiled or sealed.
Pro Tip: Check out BORACOL the teak deck treatment used by professionals.
Vinyl Cushions
Vinyl cushions can easily be stained and dirtied with mildew or rain and morning due. This isn’t pleasant looking and stops your guests from getting comfortable on your boat. Clean this with BoatLife VinylLife, Riptide Multi-Purpose Exterior cleaner or a cheaper option use Spray9 Multi-Purpose cleaners. These cleaners can be applied to the surface using a chamois or a cloth and gentle rinsed off. This will leave the upholstery looking like its true, original colour.
Top Cleaning Tip: Apply a waterproofer to create a hydrophobic surface to easily wipe off morning due with a chamois. This nano protection helps to avoid mildew building up on the upholstery/vinyl.