The streaks. The dust. The stains. If there’s anything that
vexes boat owners, it just might be their windows. They’re supposed to let
water bead on them without collecting a film of dust, giving your boat the
clean, steady shine that you need. But as any boat owner knows, that’s not always
what happens. So what can you do? Here’s how to clean boat windows.
First Things First:
What Windows Do You Have?
The most primary mistake boat owners make is treating all
windows the same. This isn’t the case. Many boat windows are made from one of
two materials: clear vinyl or acrylic.
- Vinyl
boat windows tend to turn more opaque as they’re exposed to the sun. You
can tell when a boat owner has been neglectful of these windows if the color
has faded and the window gives a “lazy” or numbed-down appearance. The key here
is to avoid evaporation that comes with exposure to the sun, which eliminates
many of the plasticizers that helped make the vinyl look great to begin with. - Acrylic
boat windows are lightweight and deliver much of the same strength as
plastic. You’ll notice that the plastic windshields and port lights almost
universally tend to be acrylic. What are the challenges here? Cleaning with
friendly chemicals and not wearing the window away. You can do this by using a
mild soap in a solution with plenty of water.
Once you know what kind of windows you’re dealing with,
you’ll have a better sense of the best practices you need to keep them clean.
Cleaning &
Maintaining Your Boat Windows
With the above in mind, what should you do beyond soap and
scrubbing? Here are a few ideas:
- Remove
any debris and dust first. It’s tempting to clean your boat windows by
spraying and wiping. But if you want the best results, remove any debris and
dust first. This will help ensure that
you get as much contact with the surface itself while doing a more thorough job
of cleaning the window out. - Protect
your vinyl windows from evaporation. Covering your windows when they’re not
in use is critical for maintaining you’re the vinyl for much longer. This tends
to extend their life—as well as their appearance throughout that life. - For
acrylic boat windows, make sure that you use a gentle boat cleaner. A
solution of Boat Cleaner with
plenty of water is gentle and leaves behind a pleasant fragrance. You might
find that you need far less cleaner than you imagined when you started.
It doesn’t take long to understand why your boat windows
need different treatment than your living room windows. They’re not the same
materials, and they’ll need different solutions. But when you make a routine
and use the right boat cleaning
products for your specific needs, you’ll find that you can enjoy
clear, clean boat windows that last a lot longer than you anticipated.
