How to wash a boat

Washing your boat correctly is key to making sure it stays in great condition for as long as possible. This is especially important if you're boating in the ocean - saltwater is corrosive to almost every part of a boat. Our blog readers will know about the importance of flushing their engine, but did you know cleaning the rest of the boat is just as important?

Here's how to wash your boat

Hull and decks

The hull and the decks are the first thing you're going to want to clean. While a good rinse down with fresh water can go a long way to removing the risk of saltwater corrosion, you're going to want to use an actual cleaning solution to get tougher stains and marks out. However, products like dishwashing liquid are no good for washing a boat - they strip its wax and aren't healthy for the waterways either.

We'd recommend Aquaviro Professional Boat & Vehicle Wash - it comes in a concentrated form, so a one litre bottle gets you 500 litres of washing water. It's designed to be used on both gelcoat and metal surfaces, making it a useful all-round product for many parts of the boat.

You also need to take into account the kind of brush you're going to use. Using a brush that has harsh bristles can potentially damage the gel coat of your boat's paintjob. A harsher brush may be OK for the decks, to get things like blood stains from fish or built-up gunk. 

Stainless steel surfaces

While the Aquaviro boat wash is good for cleaning almost all surfaces, the metal ones can always do with a further clean-up. For that, you can't go wrong with Marine Shine, a metal polish that can make all the stainless steel items on your boat look shiny and fresh.

Windows and canopy clears

All the transparent pieces of your boat are going to need different treatment still. Vuplex Canopy Clear Cleanercan not only spruce up your canopy clears as well as the acrylic and glass windows and windscreens on your boat.

Again, you need to be careful with your choice of brush. Harsh and hard bristles run the risk of scratching, something that's far more obvious on transparent surfaces.

For more tips on using and caring for your boat, check out some of our other blog articles. If you like what you see, you can sign up for our monthly newsletter using the box on the top-right of the page.