Best way to clean hull

[ezrider]

Hello all.

I keep our 252S at a dock so it is always in the water. I take it out every so often to keep it clean.

Since I will have to take it out over the next 2 months to winterize it, does anyone have any recommendations as to the best way to clean the hull from all the buildup from being in the water? I have a pressure washer that gets most of the buildup. However, there is always a little leftover. Is there something I should spray on first that will help get everything off?

I specifically want to make sure everything is completely cleaned off before I store it for the winter. Fortunately, I found a temperature controlled facility that I can keep it at a steady 65°F.

Thank you for the help.

 

[Babin Farms]

This stuff works great to get the hull clean.

Hull Cleaner - Gel Spray

Starbrite quality care products since 1973 for: Automotive, Marine, Aviation, Motorcycle, Powersports, Outdoor Power Equipment, ATV, Snowmobile, Home Care, Outdoor Furniture, Farm Implement.

www.starbrite.com

 

[Miitch]

Toilet bowl cleaner (or any HCl / Muriatic Acid) and a long brush! Wash with soap first, then brush toilet bowl cleaner on and watch the yellowing dissolve in 5-10 minutes. Wash off with soap again, and re-wax! Factory restore every time! Just make sure to re wax, as the acidic solution will strip any old wax.

 

[mark_m]

Toilet bowl cleaner (or any HCl / Muriatic Acid) and a long brush! Wash with soap first, then brush toilet bowl cleaner on and watch the yellowing dissolve in 5-10 minutes. Wash off with soap again, and re-wax! Factory restore every time! Just make sure to re wax, as the acidic solution will strip any old wax. View attachment 161715

Oxalic acid is good too. You can get it for cheap on Amazon and mix up gallons of the stuff.

 

[mark_m]

Oxalic acid: how to mix and use.. Make your own oxalic acid boat hull cleaner

 

[ezrider]

This stuff works great to get the hull clean.

Hull Cleaner - Gel Spray

Starbrite quality care products since 1973 for: Automotive, Marine, Aviation, Motorcycle, Powersports, Outdoor Power Equipment, ATV, Snowmobile, Home Care, Outdoor Furniture, Farm Implement.

www.starbrite.com

Thank you for this information. I see this has fantastic reviews with the exception of one thing I read on Amazon. Someone used it and it ended up ruining their galvanized trailer. I have a galvanized trailer and probably should not use this product then.

 

[Drift Away]

This is what i have been using for years. Works great and does not open the pores in your gel coat.
Booyah Clean Non-Acid Instant Hull Cleaner Gallon Amazon.com : Booyah Clean Non-Acid Instant Hull Cleaner Gallon : Sports & Outdoors

 

[Babin Farms]

Thank you for this information. I see this has fantastic reviews with the exception of one thing I read on Amazon. Someone used it and it ended up ruining their galvanized trailer. I have a galvanized trailer and probably should not use this product then.

Any sort of acid will not be great for your trailer. I recommend wrapping your trailer in plastic like @Miitch (see above post) or having someone rinse it down constantly while you clean the hull.

 

[biffdotorg]

Any sort of acid will not be great for your trailer. I recommend wrapping your trailer in plastic like @Miitch (see above post) or having someone rinse it down constantly while you clean the hull.

Mitch and Babin nailed it. Read the labels and do not ignore the warnings of inhalation. The stronger the product, the more warnings. Keep your distance and try to have a slight breeze to blow fumes away.

The one I have used with the least amount of effort is a true acid wash from Star Brite. Spray/brush on (no scrubbing) and rinse off. It really depends on the water too. Salt Water experts may chime in with a better product for salt. But this stuff will take anything organic off instantly.

 

[OrangeTJ]

As was said, wrap the trailer or at the very least keep it continuously wet while you are using the cleaner. That said, toilet bowl cleaner or hull cleaner will both make this job waaaaaay easier than trying to use a pressure washer or elbow grease. Actually, I'm not sure either of those approaches would ever get it all the way clean - I know they won't on my boat.

 

[ezrider]

Thank you everyone for your input. It is so helpful!

I will be sure to wrap my trailer and will get the star brite. Looks like this stuff is rough but with a mask, gloves, and fully protecting the trailer hopefully it will do the trick with minimum effort.

Just hope the run off does not kill my grass

 

[biffdotorg]

It lick polished the rocks in the gravel driveway outside my shop, but neve seemed to hurt the grass or trailer. But the brush bristles were a little more brittle after a couple seasons of washing.

Good luck!

 

[mrcleanr6]

i go to home depot and get a gallon of zep acidic toilet bowl cleaner and a gallon of muriatic acid. i mix them 50/50. i found the toilet bowl cleaner by itself to not work very well and it takes much longer plus you need to scrub it. in total you get 2 gallons of product for about $15. i put that in a spray bottle or pump sprayer. spray the bottom of the hull, wait 5 min and powerwash off. no need for scrubbing at all. the bottom, if white comes back to a perfectly clean snow white gel. muratic acid is pretty nasty typically but the toilet bowl cleaner has something in it that controls the fumes plus its a gel so it clings to the boat bottom

 

[Miitch]

i go to home depot and get a gallon of zep acidic toilet bowl cleaner and a gallon of muriatic acid. i mix them 50/50. i found the toilet bowl cleaner by itself to not work very well and it takes much longer plus you need to scrub it. in total you get 2 gallons of product for about $15. i put that in a spray bottle or pump sprayer. spray the bottom of the hull, wait 5 min and powerwash off. no need for scrubbing at all. the bottom, if white comes back to a perfectly clean snow white gel. muratic acid is pretty nasty typically but the toilet bowl cleaner has something in it that controls the fumes plus its a gel so it clings to the boat bottom

Zep toilet bowl cleaner is exactly what i use (see picture somewhere above). No mixing. I put it in a spray bottle and apply! it is more a gel than a liquid so it stays where sprayed. Never had any issues with it not being strong enough? are you leaving it on for long enough? 10 minutes seems to get everything off for me. Im in fresh water though. Not sure where you are

 

[mrcleanr6]

Yep i just never felt like it was strong enough. I dont want to scrub anything though either. I am in fresh water where it stains the bottom deep rust orange. It gets pretty bad. The 50/50 mix just takes the zep up a notch and makes it work better and faster with no scrub brush needed. I spray the whole bottom with a pump sprayer and by the time i am done its ready to be power washed off back where i started. I can do the whole bottom of the boat start to finish in 10 min.

 

[Stan M]

Yep i just never felt like it was strong enough. I dont want to scrub anything though either. I am in fresh water where it stains the bottom deep rust orange. It gets pretty bad. The 50/50 mix just takes the zep up a notch and makes it work better and faster with no scrub brush needed. I spray the whole bottom with a pump sprayer and by the time i am done its ready to be power washed off back where i started. I can do the whole bottom of the boat start to finish in 10 min.

Then do you have to wax as was suggested earlier in the thread?

 

[mrcleanr6]

Wax does nothing on a hull bottom. Wax will stay on there maybe 1-2 trips on the water then its gone

 

[Bluewater272]

Starbrite is absolute magic. They charge for it, but its so easy to use, and works incredibly well. Not nearly as caustic as some of the other materials, but still good advice to protect your trailer if galvanized.

 

[Croker]

We ceramic coat our hull and works fairly well. If we use strong chemicals it removes the coating but we often don’t need strong chemicals after a month in the salt water.

Be careful if your pressure washing as if you get the nozzle too close to the hull you can have water penetrate the fibreglass.

 

[swatski]

Wax does nothing on a hull bottom. Wax will stay on there maybe 1-2 trips on the water then its gone

For salt one needs bottom paint, but I found Rejex holding surprisingly well on the hull in freshwater. To a point. But better than any wax I tried.

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