When it comes to boat ownership there might be more exciting topics to talk about than cleaning. After all, you likely purchased your boat with visions of catching limits and pulling up dockside to your favorite restaurant.
All that said, the extra care you give your boat at the end of this season not only keeps it looking good but increases the enjoyment you experience from it. What follows are some expert tips for your post-season cleaning. They are gathered from folks who work on boats for a living and through experience across fresh and saltwater.
Carpets
If you plan to store your boat for an extended period of time, your first step will likely be to clean and vacuum the interior of your boat. If you have stains or spots, we’ve got a trick for you. You can use this on older stains that you find, but it also works really well on freshly spilled wine, juice, ketchup, etc. An upholstery cleaning service told me this trick. He claimed that you should always first use water to try to remove a stain—before applying a cleaning product to the stain. His reasoning was simple—though perhaps not well known by many boat or homeowners.
When you come upon the stain, wet a cleaning cloth or rag with water. Remove as much of the staining material as you can from the spot (if it’s ketchup, get all the ketchup off as you can).
At this point, wash the rag with more clean water. Then using just the rag and water work the stain to remove as much of it as possible.
Get as much of the stain out with water as you can, then apply your preferred cleaning product. Once you apply the cleaning product to the stain, you effectively lock-in whatever part of the stain does not come out.
If you do need to apply a cleaning product to your carpet or upholstery, you’ve got lots of great options. Many opt for pet-odor products that remove stains and bad smells from carpet. Some laundry products used to spot treat stains work well, too.
Before applying any product, check to be sure that it’s compatible with your boat’s interior. Also, test the color fastness of the product on a small corner of the carpet before applying it to a large area.
Pro Tip: If you get fish blood stains on the carpet, upholstery, or your fishing clothes, pour hydrogen peroxide on it. This will dissolve the blood and can be super helpful in removing blood stains.
Upholstery Cleaning Tips
If you’re winterizing your boat, you’ll want to clean and organize your upholstery. The first step is cleaning and dusting. You can also check for stains and use the same process as described for carpet.
Once your cushions and furniture are clean and dry, you’ll want to organize them. As you do this, be sure not to place heavy objects on top of pillows or cushions from chairs or sofas. Leaving heavy objects on top of them for long periods of time can create divots in the cushions.
Moisture Control
Keeping your boat dry when in storage is very, very important. If there is moisture, you’ll create mildew. Not only does mildew stink, it degrades fabrics and is just generally nasty.
The first step to preventing moisture-related problems is to physically dry your boat. You’ll want to pay special attention to recesses and corners. If your boat has a refrigerator or freezer, be sure to defrost it and completely dry all of the moisture before storing your boat.
The second consideration involves ensuring that your boat stays dry. There are a great number of moisture control products available these days. They come in a variety of configurations—bags, buckets, and balls. Placing these products strategically around the interior spaces of your boat is a great idea.
Bilge and Interior Spaces of the Hull
The end of the season is a great time to clean the bilge and other interior compartments—fish boxes, livewells, anchor box, etc.
There are a number of specialty marine cleaning solutions. These are a great choice as they are formulated to degrease and clean, without being overly harsh on your gel coat.
As you clean these areas, pay special attention to the spots and smudges. You’ll also want to dry them and provide some extra time for ventilation—leave the hatches open for a while to allow the areas to completely dry out.
When you clean your livewells and fish boxes, be sure not to use anything too harsh. The residue could impact your bait or next year’s fish fry.
A Word on Organization
The end of the season is a great time to organize and inventory your boating supplies. Not only can you get them stored and looking nice for next year, but the inventory piece allows you to restock and know what you’ll need for next season.
Back to Blue Life
All that said, the extra care you give your boat at the end of this season not only keeps it looking good but increases the enjoyment you experience from it. What follows are some expert tips for your post-season cleaning. They are gathered from folks who work on boats for a living and through experience across fresh and saltwater.
Carpets
If you plan to store your boat for an extended period of time, your first step will likely be to clean and vacuum the interior of your boat. If you have stains or spots, we’ve got a trick for you. You can use this on older stains that you find, but it also works really well on freshly spilled wine, juice, ketchup, etc. An upholstery cleaning service told me this trick. He claimed that you should always first use water to try to remove a stain—before applying a cleaning product to the stain. His reasoning was simple—though perhaps not well known by many boat or homeowners.
When you come upon the stain, wet a cleaning cloth or rag with water. Remove as much of the staining material as you can from the spot (if it’s ketchup, get all the ketchup off as you can).
At this point, wash the rag with more clean water. Then using just the rag and water work the stain to remove as much of it as possible.
Get as much of the stain out with water as you can, then apply your preferred cleaning product. Once you apply the cleaning product to the stain, you effectively lock-in whatever part of the stain does not come out.
If you do need to apply a cleaning product to your carpet or upholstery, you’ve got lots of great options. Many opt for pet-odor products that remove stains and bad smells from carpet. Some laundry products used to spot treat stains work well, too.
Before applying any product, check to be sure that it’s compatible with your boat’s interior. Also, test the color fastness of the product on a small corner of the carpet before applying it to a large area.
Pro Tip: If you get fish blood stains on the carpet, upholstery, or your fishing clothes, pour hydrogen peroxide on it. This will dissolve the blood and can be super helpful in removing blood stains.
Upholstery Cleaning Tips
If you’re winterizing your boat, you’ll want to clean and organize your upholstery. The first step is cleaning and dusting. You can also check for stains and use the same process as described for carpet.
Once your cushions and furniture are clean and dry, you’ll want to organize them. As you do this, be sure not to place heavy objects on top of pillows or cushions from chairs or sofas. Leaving heavy objects on top of them for long periods of time can create divots in the cushions.
Moisture Control
Keeping your boat dry when in storage is very, very important. If there is moisture, you’ll create mildew. Not only does mildew stink, it degrades fabrics and is just generally nasty.
The first step to preventing moisture-related problems is to physically dry your boat. You’ll want to pay special attention to recesses and corners. If your boat has a refrigerator or freezer, be sure to defrost it and completely dry all of the moisture before storing your boat.
The second consideration involves ensuring that your boat stays dry. There are a great number of moisture control products available these days. They come in a variety of configurations—bags, buckets, and balls. Placing these products strategically around the interior spaces of your boat is a great idea.
Bilge and Interior Spaces of the Hull
The end of the season is a great time to clean the bilge and other interior compartments—fish boxes, livewells, anchor box, etc.
There are a number of specialty marine cleaning solutions. These are a great choice as they are formulated to degrease and clean, without being overly harsh on your gel coat.
As you clean these areas, pay special attention to the spots and smudges. You’ll also want to dry them and provide some extra time for ventilation—leave the hatches open for a while to allow the areas to completely dry out.
When you clean your livewells and fish boxes, be sure not to use anything too harsh. The residue could impact your bait or next year’s fish fry.
A Word on Organization
The end of the season is a great time to organize and inventory your boating supplies. Not only can you get them stored and looking nice for next year, but the inventory piece allows you to restock and know what you’ll need for next season.
Back to Blue Life
