Anyone who’s owned a boat long enough has been there. You’re
with a friend and suddenly you’re both carried away by the notion of taking the
boat out for a spontaneous trip. Excited, you hop in the car and head to the
docks.
That’s when you remember: Your boat is filthy.
A good boat owner keeps plenty of cleaners on hand for
exactly this situation. If you want to be ready for the unexpected, here are
some of the top boat cleaners you need to try:
There’s nothing that will solve most problems quite like a
safe, effective general boat cleaner. The key here: a biodegradable formula. Boat hulls, unlike car tires, always
interact with the environment around them. That means you have to keep your
boat clean as well as environmentally
safe—or you may be looking at a hefty fine.
Aluminum can be a much more subtle metal than most people
think—which is why you’ll need an equally subtle cleaner. The chief advantage
here: the polishing characteristics. In boats such as pontoons, there is a lot
of aluminum to handle. And if that aluminum doesn’t look consistently bright,
it prematurely ages your pontoon until it’s virtually unrecognizable. Much
better to get a cleaner that also polishes.
Your bilge is a hotbed of scum, bacteria, and all sorts of
nastiness that will turn into its own civilization if you don’t clean it out on
a regular basis. It’s a good idea to go with the gallon here so that you’ll
have plenty of bilge cleaner on hand. Even if you don’t use your boat that
often, your bilge will need regular attention.
Fiberglass is one of the most popular materials with which
boats are constructed these days. A dedicated fiberglass cleaner won’t only
give it a fresh, polished look, but will leave the fiberglass surface ready for
waxing so that you can keep it clean and
protected for longer.
If you don’t want the powder, you might consider the Fiberglass Kreme Cleaner instead. The chief advantage here is cleaning without intense
rubbing or scrubbing.
If you fish regularly, then you know just how quickly a live
well can take a turn for the worse. The
key here is the deodorizing property: it leaves your live well smelling fresh.
When you like to take guests fishing with you, a fresh-smelling live well is an
absolute requirement.
Stainless steel might have an invincible name, but boat
owners know that it’s just as susceptible to dirt, grime, and a number of other
problems if you leave it alone for long enough. It’s better to keep some
stainless steel cleaner on hand to remove debris as soon as it appears.
Don’t see the product you need on this list? Browse through
all of our top boat cleaning products to see if there’s a boat cleaner that suits your
needs.
