Hi, it's either dirty, in which case it can be cleaned, OR the top layer is simply worn off and will need to be refinished. Hard to tell from the pictures. Good luck.
It is, from what I can tell, a combination of dirt and mildew. We are going to try a couple of different options in a couple of small spots to see what might work. Those options are good old cleanser with bleach and oxalic acid. Just trying to see what other suggestions before I go with a carpet brush loaded with rubbing compound attached to a slow speed angle grinder.
Start light. Simple Green, diluted, then full strength. Oxalytic acid is good for BIG stains, not the stuff you seem to have, but hard to tell from pictures. Good luck.
If you use a power washer, don't get too close to the fiberglas as the pressured water can remove the gel coat. Also be sure not to pressure wash any lines or halyards which may be on deck. How do I know? Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.
I have had great success with Mr Clean. To start with I used it in 1 to 1 dilution and sprayed it on the dry surface. I let it sit for 30 minutes and then used a 20 to 1 dilution in a bucket of water with a stiff head brush. Once the boat was entirely scrubbed I let it sit for another 45 minutes before rinsing. Most of it came off, but there were some tough spots which with a little extra elbow grease came away. It also seemed to help repel the morning bugs and mosquitos.
Thanks all. I did mean to add that we will use a low pressure power washer first and foremost just to see if it will cut through the crud or not and then move on to the chemicals.
Power wash (not too close) then softscrub with bleach and a good brush. Also, the magic eraser is great on fiberglass when paired with softscrub. Clean it right up.
We went out to the lake today with some cleaning supplies to start the cleaning process. As we were making our way down to our slip, one of the guys who works there handed me a large bottle of Dawn dish soap and asked me to stop by after trying it. I'll be darned! With just a little scrubbing I made a clean spot (or two)! And then it rained.
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