Soap, shampoo, water. Toothbrush and floss. Dishwasher soap
in the dishwasher, and repeat. For most of our lives, cleaning is easy and
simple. You have one or two products you use regularly and then you call it a
day.
But it’s different with boats. A boat is more than just a
single piece of equipment; it’s a complicated machine with a lot of moving
parts—many of which interact with a live marine environment. Keeping that kind
of machine clean isn’t easy. Not unless you know where to find the right boat cleaning
products, that is. If you know which ones to keep handy, you’ll not only
keep your boat clean, but you may just extend its usable life. Here are the
products you need to ensure that happens:
Basic Materials:
Aluminum and Fiberglass Cleaning
First, you need to think about what it is that your boat is made out of. In the shower, you can use
soap just about everywhere. But a boat doesn’t just have one skin. It’s made
from aluminum, fiberglass, glass, and more. If you’re going to clean it the
right way, you need the cleaners that will address all of these materials:
- Aluminum
needs an Aluminum
Cleaner that will also brighten and polish. Because aluminum can quickly
lose its luster if not regularly cleaned in this way, it takes more than just
soap and water to ensure that your aluminum looks its best. - Fiberglass
has to deal with algae, mildew, oxidation, and more. Miss a spot and you
might have a problem on your hands. A quality Fiberglass Kreme
Cleaner is a great way to ensure that you clean off your fiberglass with
total coverage every time.
But your boat is more than just two materials, which is why
it’s important to have more than just two cleaners.
Keeping Tanks,
Bilges, and More in Working Order
It’s not just your boat’s materials that have to be cleaned
out. It’s the various parts of your boat that interact with the environment
around them:
- Your boat
bilge requires a Bilge Cleaner that can emulsify both oil and scum. This Bilge Cleaner in
particular can also clean carpets and upholstery to give your boat the clean
coverage it requires. - Live
wells and bait wells are part of
everyday life if you enjoy fishing; make sure that your Live Well
& Bait Well Cleaner keeps these areas fresh and odor-free.
With the right cleaners in hand, you can keep your boat
fresh, clean-smelling, and free of issues like scum and rust. But with one
general cleaner, there’s no telling how ineffective or even outright damaging
your boat cleaning can be. It’s best to use dedicated products that handle each
step of boat cleaning with the precision your boat needs.
