boat wash

[bronze_10]

Ok.. so being new to yamaha boating and with the vast amount of knowledge on this page... I want to wash my new to me 2008 sx230.. the boat was extremely well taken care of but has spent the last two years on an indoor storage rack... so there is allot of dirt in the corners and the hull could use a good scrubbing.. (although it was waxed just before it was stored and still looks awesume) just looming to clean it Up. What's the best detergent to use or do I need something special?

 

[PEARCE]

Meguairs boat wash works great for me. You can use an RV scrub brush with a telescoping handle for those hard to reach places on the hull unless you want to crawl under the trailer.

 

[bronze_10]

Cool... I'll find some.. what about for the seats and stuff?

 

[PEARCE]

I've never had to really clean my seats other then a wet towel. Treat the vinyl with quality protectant and you're good. I use something by 3M that you can use on the whole boat if you want. As far as the carpets you can use a quality carpet cleaner of your choice.

 

[veedubtek]

I use Croftgate stuff for virtually everything cleaning/waxing wise. I use 303 for the seats.

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0004ELKC4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[bronze_10]

Cool... txs fir the info.... now I gotta find that jar of elbow grease...

 

[PEARCE]

303 stuff was what I was trying to think of that 3M makes. Good stuff! I use it on all the vinyl in the boat.

 

[GTBRMC]

Meguairs boat wash works great for me. You can use an RV scrub brush with a telescoping handle for those hard to reach places on the hull unless you want to crawl under the trailer.

X2...exactly what I use/do

 

[txav8r]

I like 303 for a cleaner better than Vinyl Sauce by Boat Bling, but their Conditioning Sauce is pretty good. I LOVE their Hot Sauce, an instant detailer that contains 5% wax and will make it look like you spent all day in 10 minutes after pulling out of the lake, and it stops water spotting. If you have big water spot issues that are dried on, you may need duckies. If it is fresh waxed and just been stored and dusty, just hose it off with a good car wash like Turtle or others in plain water, with my boat brush. The bristles on a boat brush are different than my RV brush, but both will suffice. The drying is more important than anything...and I do that with my Hot Sauce. Leave it wet, and if it dries a little, mist it again with a spray bottle of water, then mist with Hot Sauce, then towel it off with cotton bath towels...then go back over it immediately with microfiber towel. It will shine like you just waxed it.

 

[cane.mba]

Just don't use Dawn or other dishwashing soap, it will strip the wax. However, when your ready to strip the wax, the blue Dawn is awesome! Then follow it up with Rejex instead of wax!

 

[OCMD]

Best cleaner for the price which works - Totally Awesome. About 4 bucks for a gallon and you dilute it. Get it at any DOllar Store.

 

[bronze_10]

And you can use "totally awesume" to wash the entire hull and the floors on the inside without hurting the wax?

 

[txav8r]

I wouldn't use Totally Awesome as a boat wash, only as a spot remover. It is a great stain remover for some organic stains. But it isn't to be used on glass, hence, not used as a boat wash. I do however use in to remove both spider and other bug stains, it literally melts them. I use it 50/50 to full strength most of the time for that. I do not know the answer as to whether it will strip wax or not.

 

[Glassman]

303 stuff was what I was trying to think of that 3M makes. Good stuff! I use it on all the vinyl in the boat.

I agree that the 303 line is great stuff, but it's not from 3M.

303 had been in business in Palo Cedro, Ca for 30 years before being bought by Gold Eagle Company of Chicago in 2012. You probably know Gold Eagle - they make Sta-Bil and HEET among other things.

3M has there own line of vinyl cleaners and conditioners. It's pretty good stuff too, I've got both products in my cleaning bucket. Now if I could just get my kid to use them I'd be all set!

 

[MikeyL]

May I add a few comments ?

1) Just about any car wash soap product works well as a boat wash, unless it is unusually dirty.

2) Now to TOTALLY AWESOME Cleaner: For about $3 a bottle (not a gallon), it is incredible. Or it WAS last time I needed to buy it. And as @txav8r says, it really works super well as a HEAVY DUTY cleaners, primarily a degreaser.

3) My contribution: Here is the best WASH BRUSH Barbie & I have found. Available throughout most of the US as it's sold by Harbor Freight. Bristles on the brush are EFFECTIVE, plentiful, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, soft so as to not harm a CAR's paint finish. So you won't "hurt" your boat either.

Telescopic pole, easily adjustable - We purchased it originally to wash Barbie's SUV. Simply superb.
Hoping this helps others ! Here's our web link:

http://www.harborfreight.com/instant-on-off-telescoping-flow-thru-brush-67658.html

Hey ! Now go have a great day ! Mikey Lulejian - Lake Murray, S.C.

PS - When we use the brush, we do not hook it up to the hose. WE simply dip it in a bucket of wash soap and go to work.

 

[Englewoodcowboy]

I have found that the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers do a fantastic job of cleaning the vinyl. I would use them with a conditioner afterwords for safe measure. I was amazed at how much grime came off of my cushions after storage that didn't look like it was there... I also like the Hot Sauce by Boat Bling, it makes for a nice shiny finish and works well to remove spots.

 

[MikeyL]

I have found that the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers do a fantastic job of cleaning the vinyl. I would use them with a conditioner afterwords for safe measure. I was amazed at how much grime came off of my cushions after storage that didn't look like it was there... I also like the Hot Sauce by Boat Bling, it makes for a nice shiny finish and works well to remove spots.

May I add a BIG AMEN to this ? !!!

 

[Englewoodcowboy]

They also work great for removing scuffs on the gelcoat like where I drug my garden hose over the edge.... yup, they clean that too!

 

[rkgdmd]

I love OrPine. Cleans well and smells great too! I'm going to try the magic eraser next.

 

[bronze_10]

Magic eraser worked great! The amount of dirt they removed was amazing. The seats didn't look bad until i started using the magic erasers.. There was a large difference