Cleaning tip
Here's how to clean your fiberglass boat without harsh chemicals! Wood benefits greatly from being scrubbed with a rich soap—we have written about that many times—but what about fiberglass boats? Today's blog is about cleaning your boat in an environmentally friendly way.
Boats are a chapter of their own. There is a lot to deal with, and not everything is truly environmentally friendly. Over the years, paints and cleaning products have been developed that were not at all good for the environment. Thankfully, labeling and monitoring are more thorough today, so you can be fairly sure that products available in stores have been checked in some way. BUT you should ALWAYS read labels carefully and make environmentally responsible choices yourself.
Here are some tips for cleaning your boat in an environmentally friendly way:
The principle that like dissolves like is a good rule to keep in mind when it comes to cleaning.
Alkaline cleaners dissolve dirt from animals and plants, such as algae. By using a soap that is basic (alkaline), you can easily dissolve this kind of dirt. Much of what discolors the boat is algae, and you will notice that soap removes most of it. The soap is very environmentally friendly and readily biodegradable, but you should still be careful where you wash your boat, as you may actually be washing away more than algae, such as oils, which is not good for the environment.
We use Soapa which is an extra-fatty soap, along with three different brushes, cloth and eco-fiber sponge.
Since the soap is fatty, it will also dissolve greasy dirt. All greasy oils from engines, engine rooms, etc. must be handled carefully and with caution; they are not kind to the environment, so never release the wash water directly into the lake or sea.
We also used this giant dish brush, originally intended for old-fashioned milk churns but perfect for boats and actually hot tubs too.
We have hot water in the bucket and then “go over it” with a scrub brush, a coarse one where it is heavily soiled. A soft brush where it is less soiled, and the ecofiber cloth on, for example, the seating boards.
We use an ecofiber cloth because the plastic has a texture that allows algae and dirt to become embedded in the uneven areas.
Before and after image
Yellow stripes
Acids dissolve oxides, and a pH lower than seven dissolves oxidation. When a yellowed stripe appears on a white plastic boat (e.g. gelcoat), oxidation is often the problem. Many boat owners use oxalic acid to remove the yellow stripe/discoloration, but it can be replaced with, for example, lemon or another highly acidic fruit—this is much milder than oxalic acid. A soft drink with high acidity, such as Coca-Cola, can also be used, but the sugar must then be washed off as it will form a sticky surface.
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Questions and answers
- Why is it important to use alkaline soap when cleaning plastic boats?
Using alkaline soap is beneficial because it effectively dissolves dirt from animals and plants, such as algae, which is common on plastic boats.