The joys of boat ownership. Cruising through the waves, enjoying fishing trips, and hopping between islands is loads of fun. However, being a boat owner is not all champagne and caviar. There are plenty of additional expenses involved with owning and running your boat.
Insurance, registration, marina fees, and maintenance are also part of the never-ending money pit that is your boat. Still, it’s worth the money and hassle to keep your boat in good shape when you consider the joy it provides you and your family.
Learning to assume some of the maintenance duties of boat ownership is a great way to familiarize yourself with your vessel and save on the operating costs associated with ownership.
This guide gives you everything you need to learn how to clean a fiberglass boat deck yourself.
Contents
A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Fiberglass Boat Deck
Things you’ll need
- Deck cleaner soap.
- A pressure washer and brush attachment.
- Deck brush.
- Clean rags and microfiber cloths.
- A bucket.
You can use this method for cleaning any boat. It suits people of all experience levels, even if you’ve never cleaned a boat in your life. Cleaning your boat isn’t rocket science, and it’s easier than you think.
All you need to do a good job is a process that delivers repeatable results. Remember, millions of people out there have done this already, and they have a method to the madness.
Here is our step-by-step guide to cleaning decks on fiberglass boats.
Step 1 – Prepare the cleaning products and equipment.
Get your cleaning products ready and gather the equipment you need to do the job. We recommend investing in a decent pressure washer for the task (and it comes in handy around the house for many other tasks, so, why not?).
If you plan on prepping the boat for sale, then think about buying a buffing machine while you’re at it. Next, you’ll need to look at the cleaning agents. Marine antifouling products are readily available online and from the local store at the marina.
You’ll need a soap product and a deep grease remover. The grease remover helps with the tough stains you struggle to remove with the general cleaning soap.
- SAFE ON ALL SURFACES: Removes sludge, mud, droppings and salt from everything including fiberglass, vinyl, aluminum and painted surfaces. Remove salt away from vinyl seats, cushions, sails on sailboats, as a hull cleaner, and non skid boat decks.
- CONCENTRATED BOAT SOAP YIELDS 100+ WASHES: A little goes a long way! Simply dilute and use as a boat wash and wax on your water craft or as an auto cleaning, rv cleaner, truck wash soap, interior and awning cleaner and more.
- ECO-FRIENDLY & 100% BIODEGRADABLE MARINE SOAP: Effectively removes dirt, grease and grime from above and below deck without harming the water, marine plants or animals so you can clean your boats or watercrafts while in your slip or at the marina.
- MADE IN THE USA & EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY: We use premium materials not found in other lesser quality boat cleaners. We offer all the tools needed to make caring for your boat easier so you can spend less time cleaning and more time on the water.
- WHY BETTER BOAT: We are a family owned American business committed to making premium quality RV care and boat cleaning supplies. We stand behind your satisfaction and our products including our protectant boat wash soap.
- EFFORTLESS CLEANING - Say goodbye to hard scrubbing or rubbing - Our boat deck cleaner does the hard work for you, lifting and dissolving stains on contact
- UV PROTECTIVE COATING - Beyond its cleaning prowess, our deck cleaner leaves a protective coating that repels dirt and stains - This acts as a shield for your boat's surfaces against future stains and damaging UV rays
- SAFE FOR ALL SURFACES - Our non-skid deck cleaner is safe for all fiberglass, vinyl, rubber, plastic, metal, and painted surfaces, making it a versatile addition to your cleaning supplies
- VERSATILE USE - While it's ideal for cleaning boat decks, it's also effective for composite and trex decks, making it a versatile cleaner for various surfaces
- EASY TO USE - Simply wet the deck, apply the cleaner, lightly scrub, and rinse - It's a straightforward, effective solution for keeping your boat's surfaces clean and protected
- QUICKLY BREAKS DOWN DIRT: Our all-purpose deck wash cuts through slimy grimy buildup from grease, grime and hard water on non slip decks, patio composite flooring, vinyl, plastic, boat hulls, bilge cleaner and general boat cleaner and boat wash.
- LEAVES A NO-SLIP FINISH & SEALANT: Simply apply solution and allow to sit for a few minutes. Using a deck brush or sponge, scrub to loosen grime and then rinse away from your deck, pontoon or inflatable to protect against staining and weathering.
- LIFTS AWAY DIRT AND DEBRIS: Breaks up and removes dirt without removing or damaging skid strips or other finishes including wax or polish. Safe on rubber, plastic, aluminum, fiberglass and as a composite wood deck cleaner or boat non skid cleaner.
- EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY & MADE IN THE USA: Our marine grade soap and boat cleaners & waxes are made to strict, tested, trade-secret standards to keep the interior and exterior of your boat clean. Boats are our passion.
- WHY BETTER BOAT: We are a family owned American business committed to making premium quality boat and RV care and cleaning supplies. We stand behind your satisfaction and our boat cleaning supplies including our boat wash soap.
Step 2 – Brush, wipe and wet the deck.
First, grab the deck brush and remove any dirt or debris from the deck. Rinse down the deck and the rest of the boat with the pressure washer. This action removes any remaining salt residue for the vessel and any debris.
Step 3 – Attend to the hard-to-reach spots.
There are sure to be some hard-to-reach spots that need extra attention. Use your degreasing agent and spray it over the affected area. Give it five to ten minutes to settle into the stain before you start soaping the rest of the boat.
Step 4 – Apply the cleaning agents.
Some pressure washer models feature compartments to add your cleaning agents directly to an onboard tank. The machine mixes the chemicals to a specified ratio, and you control the output on the adjustable head to foam up or foam down the spray.
Spray down the floor with the chemical mix, attach the brush component to the pressure washer, or grab the deck brush. Scrub the deck and loosen all trapped leaves and other debris. Focus on tough stains like fried fish blood and engine grease.
Step 5 – Wait for the cleaner to work.
Give it a minute or two for the cleaning chemicals to start working into the stains on the deck. After two or three minutes, switch the pressure cleaner back to water mode, and pressure wash away the foam and soap until it’s clean.
If you have waterproof seats, don’t fall into the temptation of pressure washing the cushions. The power of the pressure head can strip away the protective UV coating and stain-resistant layers added to the fabrics by the manufacturer.
Step 6 – Clean the seats.
The seats need cleaning after each use as much as the deck. Get some fresh water in your bucket and wipe the seats down with a rag to remove the salt and obvious dirt.
You can use light soapy water to clean them if they are exceptionally dirty and rinse clean. Wipe the seat cushions down till near dry and refit them to the seats.
Step 7 – Remove the oxidation.
If you start to notice fiberglass oxidation, you need to remove it as soon as possible to prevent further degradation to your boat. Oxidation is every boat owner’s worst nightmare because it’s so challenging to remove.
There are plenty of polishing compounds and chemical buffing agents to help you restore the luster of your deck and stop the oxidation in its tracks. You’ll need an orbital buffing machine for the task, and most boat owners that detail the hull themselves should have this tool on hand.
Apply the polishing compound to the oxidized area like you would anywhere on the hull. Polish and buff the oxidation away to return the deck to its original luster. It’s important to note that you need to act on oxidation immediately. Leaving it for too long will weather the fiberglass fast, leading to the cracking and splitting of the deck.
Oxidation also affects stainless steel. Most people assume stainless steel is rust-proof, but it depends on the grade and the steel mill producing the material. As a result, you might see a bit of rust pop up on the stainless steel railing around the deck from time to time.
Fortunately, you can get rid of this corrosion with a homemade cleaner recipe. Mix the following ingredients in a bowl and grab a microfiber cloth.
- Two tablespoons of baking soda.
- Four tablespoons of water.
The ingredients form a paste that you’ll wipe on the stains. Grab a spray bottle with water to remove the paste after setting it. Dip the cloth in the vinegar and buff out the water spots from the stainless steel after washing away the baking soda.
The results from this home remedy are impressive and usually enough to take care of the problem. However, if you notice severe corrosion, you might have to attend to it using your buffer and an anti-corrosion stainless steel treatment compound.
If you don’t have a buffer on hand, you can usually find one online, ranging from $30 to $150, depending on the machine’s brand and quality. It’s a good investment when you consider the return you get over the machine’s service life and the money you save on the costs of detailing the boat with a service.
How to Clean Fiberglass Boat Deck – Key Takeaways
- It’s all in the process; follow the guide from front to back, and you’ll have a clean deck in no time.
- Doing the job yourself can save you on the costs of paying a service to do it for you.
- You can pick up everything you need to clean the deck of your fiberglass boat online.
- Never use bleach to clean the boat. Invest in proper cleaning agents.
- If your boat stays in the water, pressure wash it with water after each use.
- If you take the boat out of the water, clean the deck after each use, especially if you’re fishing and bleeding or gutting fish on the deck.
- Do a thorough cleaning with a deck cleaner once a week to keep your boat looking great.
Fiberglass Boat Deck Cleaning FAQs
Q: How do I clean fouling from the hull?
A: You’ll have to pull the boat from the water to clean and antifoul the hull. It’s an extensive process, and you’ll need to take almost an entire day and the following morning to complete the job, especially when applying new paint.
Q: How do I remove those encrusted black streaks on the fiberglass hull?
A: Several specialized boat cleaners remove all types of stains from your boat, inside and out. These cleaners eliminate any encrusted stains occurring in the gel coat on the hull. These cleaners penetrate the grime and grease, causing the problem without damaging the delicate gel coat on the hull.
Q: Where can I buy my equipment for DIY cleaning?
A: We recommend buying the best detailing and maintenance products for your boat online. E-tailers like Amazon offer you fast, guaranteed delivery and the best prices available.
Wrapping Up – Save Money on Boat Detailing with DIY Cleaning
You can save on the costs of detailing your boat with a little elbow grease and some time. We get it; not everyone has time on their hands, and the value a detailing service brings to the table is worth the money sometimes.
However, most boat owners enjoy connecting with every bit of the boating experience, including the maintenance and detailing of the vessel. You can usually pick up professional-grade cleaning materials and equipment for a few dollars, and it lasts for years.
Over time, you’ll save hundreds of dollars doing the work yourself, and that goes to more fuel in the gas tank and time on the water.
