Best spray on / spray off deck cleaner for sailboats

Jul 20, 2007
39
- - Lexington, KY
What's the most effective spray on / spray off deck cleaner for sailboats? Possibly something sold as an RV cleaner. Up til now I've been pressure washing a couple times a year but wagging that thing down to the dock has become a real pain. Plus I'm learning it's probably a little too harsh for the boat as well.

Thanks!
 
Sep 23, 2009
1,475
O'Day 34-At Last Rock Hall, Md
On and off is great stuff but usually too strong and will corrode any metal like hardware. Spray Nine works well and is less caustic.
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
just be very careful with products containing bleach or any product listing sodium hypochlorite as an ingredient.. That stuff produces chlorine which will attack stressed stainless parts, like swedged end fittings on shrouds and stays.. If you do use something like that, be sure to carefully and thoroughly rinse any deck fittings and rigging that it may have contacted.
 
Jan 22, 2008
101
Hunter 40.5 New Bern NC
Try "Awesome" only available at the Dollar Tree stores, it's Awesome!!


What's the most effective spray on / spray off deck cleaner for sailboats? Possibly something sold as an RV cleaner. Up til now I've been pressure washing a couple times a year but wagging that thing down to the dock has become a real pain. Plus I'm learning it's probably a little too harsh for the boat as well.

Thanks!
 
Feb 5, 2009
255
Gloucester 20 Kanawha River, Winfield, WV
What's the most effective spray on / spray off deck cleaner for sailboats?
Not strictly a spray on/off thing, but I get good results with Oxiclean type products. I usually mix up a bucket of the stuff and apply it with a brush or mop. It does a good job and I've never seen it damage anything. If you get the kind that's just sodium percarbonate without fragrances and stuff, you don't really have to rinse it.
 

Les

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May 8, 2004
375
Hunter 27 Bellingham, WA
I have been using Z spray for about five years. Inside and out, it is my general purpose cleaning spray. http://zcare-cleaners.com/zcare-mildew-cleaner/ I grew tired of having a cleaner for one thing and another cleaner for something else. This Z-Spray seems to take of all my needs and it hasn't seemed to hurt anything in the process.
 
Mar 2, 2008
406
Cal 25 mk II T-Bird Marina, West Vancouver
Do not use a pressure washer on your decks. That is the best way of creating water leaks around deck fittings. I learned that lesson from a power boat friend. A small low pressure washer is sometimes needed to get grime out of the non-skid but don't get the jet close to any deck fittings or your rub rail. An environmentally friendly boat soap, a soft boat brush and a water hose is the safest.
 

Pat

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Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
strong cleaners, esp. bleach will take off the poly glow if you are using it. You will see streaks.
 
Jan 4, 2006
6,444
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
Do not use a pressure washer on your decks. That is the best way of creating water leaks around deck fittings. I learned that lesson from a power boat friend.
Jalapeno, have you ever noticed it's mostly the ^&%$#* power boaters who use the big gas powered pressure washers on their boats. The bigger the boat, the bigger the power washer. I've seen this most often over in the covered, high rent moorage section. And of course the worst areas for grunge are around the port and hatch seals, but they sure do manage to clean them up nicely.

Money and brains ............. just no relationship when it comes to power boats.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
I would just try Simple Green and a scrub brush on a long handle. Eco friendly and more 'potent' the less you cut it with water. A couple other things that improve its cleaning power, use a half gallon of boiling water in the bucket and then add the Simple Green, scrub decks and let the cleaner sit for 10 minutes and scrub over one more time before rinsing. Readily available in the gallon size at any 'Big Box' store.
 
Oct 15, 2009
220
catalina 320 Perry Lake
Deck Cleaning

I use a small electric power washer. For really tough bird/spider poop stains, I spray them with Totally Awesome first and they melt away.
 
Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
Remember

The more powerful the cleaner/detergent/acid/chemical the worse it is for the waters that are so important to us all. At least pressure washers and elbow grease are not a problem for the environment.

Ken
 
Jun 21, 2004
2,532
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
I don't see any problem with using a pressure washer to clean the nonskid deck. I always use it after I get the boat out of the boat yard as there is always a ton of dust on it from bottom sanding on the boat as well as adjacent boats. Mix in a little rain and you've got a mess. I also typically power wash in the late spring, to rid the nonskid of mildew and dirt that has accumulated over the winter months when I don't scrub the deck routinely. Its just common sense, keep the pressure stream away from deck fittings, hatch frames, chain plates, etc. Its quick, easy, effective, environmentally safe as there are no soap solutions---just water. After the initial power wash in the spring, I usually maintain with Starbrite non skid deck cleaner & a boat brush. I also occasionally use Woodys non skid sealer after the initial cleaning.
I prefer not to use abrasive cleaners like soft scrub as it scratches the gelcoat and makes it dull and easier to stain. I like to keep the cabin sides waxed as well as the cockpit waxed so I don't use strong cleaners like simple green that will strip the wax quickly. Not that I don't like Simple Green--it is a great cleaner. I usually use it when I haul out, to thoroughly clean the top sides before polishing & waxing.
 

lizdom

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Mar 20, 2015
8
Macgregor 25 bay areae
im looking for nontoxic cleaners for deck and bottom . I remember years ago always helping a friend clean the bottom of her boat with simple green, but im wondering if steam cleaning with vinegar will work......
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Steam cleaning is always superior... if you can get your hands on a machine than can keep up with the task and not cost an arm and a leg.

I have a small steam machine about the size of a small shop vac, only holds about 2 quarts of water. It creates a very hot stream of steam and works wonders... only problem is the nozzle only allows for a straight 'needle' stream. If I could find a nozzle that made it into a small fan spray I could do so much more with it. The way it is now all I really do with it is clean the grout on my kitchen floor.

im looking for nontoxic cleaners for deck and bottom . I remember years ago always helping a friend clean the bottom of her boat with simple green, but im wondering if steam cleaning with vinegar will work......
 

lizdom

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Mar 20, 2015
8
Macgregor 25 bay areae
This is probably silly question can I run boat and trailer through the car wash????
 
Dec 3, 2013
169
HUNTER 29.5 PORT CHARLOTTE FL
This is probably silly question can I run boat and trailer through the car wash????
yes, of course you can...

just be sure there is enough room to enter and exit the carwash bay.
had a good laugh watching powerboater get large suv and boat on trailer wedged in carwash bay. they had to disconnect from trailer and reposition trailer by hand. LOL
 

lizdom

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Mar 20, 2015
8
Macgregor 25 bay areae
Wow hey guys and gals geez was finally heading out to marina went to pick up motor. Found a merc 9.8 that runs great anyway was doing a u turn in a tight space and the coupler snapped right off the tongue.
They say they can weld a new tongue and coupler is that good to do a weld on an old trailer or is it best to go get another used trailer??