There’s a reason they say that “BOAT” stands for “Break Out
Another Dollar,” and it has nothing to do with boats.
We think some boat owners just aren’t taking the time to
spend their money wisely.
Sure, a lot of boating equipment is expensive. But when it
comes to cleaning and maintaining your boat, know-how and a little elbow grease
will go much further than a few extra bucks shelled out. If you do it right,
you can employ these tips to stretch your boat cleaning dollar, use the right
equipment, and save money all the while:
1. Buy cleaning
supplies in bulk whenever possible.
You know that “Mega-Mart” subscription you pay for? Well,
the same principle applies here: buying in bulk can save you money in the long-run,
especially on items that you know
you’ll end up buying once again. For example, the price of our Bilge Cleaner Gallon
is actually inexpensive enough to justify having a little extra cleaner handy.
Don’t think about the higher cost now; think about how little you’ll have to
spend some time later when your cleaner hasn’t run empty yet.
2. Rinse, rinse,
rinse.
Water is free, after all. Rinsing your boat effectively is
actually one of the most important steps in the process. It clears out
remaining debris and ensures that a cleaning product isn’t left remaining. In
fact, rinsing can be key to making sure that you’re keeping your boat
environmentally-friendly, too. Rinse your boat effectively after a wash—it’s
just common sense.
3. Add to your boat
cleaning arsenal as needed.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t always have to buy the
whole boat store when you buy a new boat. Sometimes, it helps to simply buy new
supplies as needed—then you’ll have them handy if you need them in the future.
Of course, your definition of “as needed” will vary—and we think that buying
supplies to prevent boat degradation
will be important. But the principle is the same, in that you don’t have to buy
five things when one thing will do the job just fine.
4. An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Keeping your boat well protected from the elements is a sure
way to save money in the long run, and that includes cleaning money. For
example, a good wax will keep much of the boat protected, which means you will not have to do as much
work repairing or cleaning as you might have to do if the boat isn’t
well-protected. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is true
especially in the boating world; you do not want to address a problem after it’s
already reared its ugly head; you want to prevent the problem entirely.
5. Establish a
regular cleaning routine.
To ensure that you don’t spend too much money, it helps to
be regular about your cleaning sessions. If you have to create an email
reminder that says “clean your boat this weekend,” so be it. Don’t let your
boat get dirty beyond repair; that will cost much more than any cleaning
product would.
