You take great care to ensure the interior of your boat is clean, not to mention the obvious sections of your hull that show to the world. But what about your deck? Is it possible to clean it safely without spending too much time on back-breaking labor? As it turns out, there’s plenty you can do—so long as you have the right products in your corner. Here’s how to clean a fiberglass boat deck the easy way.
Prepping the Deck
It starts with adequate preparation. You’ll want to brush off all the debris before cleaning it. Here are some tips for adequately prepping your fiberglass deck without too much strife:
- Wipe down the deck first. You can purchase gloves specifically designed for dusting and wiping away debris, or, better yet, invest in a push-broom with a fiberglass-friendly attachment that makes it easy to handle lots of fiberglass real estate at a time. You’ll want to get the debris off the fiberglass before you add any cleaning product to it to ensure that you end up with a streak-free remainder after you’re done cleaning.
- Rinse down the deck before working with the cleaning material. This can jog loose any additional debris and make it easier to wipe off any streaks or other hard-to-clean areas on the boat deck. One quick note: always let the rinse dry off before you step foot on the fiberglass deck!
Cleaning Your Fiberglass
Once you have the deck adequately prepared, it’s time to think about how to best approach the actual cleaning. We recommend that you work with the right materials from the outset. Otherwise, you’ll only make the process harder on yourself. Here are our suggestions:
- Boat Cleaner is a non-phosphate, environmentally safe formula that’s great for cleaning broad areas on your boat. Your fiberglass deck happens to qualify. You can mix this solution with water for plenty of extra volume, which is integral for a job like this.
- Release Adhesive & Sealant Remover. This spray is great for any adhesives you’ve been meaning to get off the deck—or any surrounding areas—for some time. You’ve likely been putting it off because you’re afraid of doing damage to the underlying fiberglass with a scraper. This is the product that will help you remove the entire adhesive, if possible, without leaving any streaks.
Once you have these two products secured, you’ll want to formulate your strategy. Typically, boat owners will use something like a long-handled squeegee to make quick work of it. Make sure that you have solid footing and that you put safety first, working out at the edges and then backward to ensure that you have dry footing. But make sure you look before you step!
More Great Boat Cleaning Products
Your deck doesn’t have to be a major threat to your enjoyment of your boat. But it should be something you think about. Use the right boat cleaning supplies to clean your fiberglass boat deck available here at BoatLIFE and you’ll be surprised by how easy cleaning your entire boat can be!
