How To Clean Pontoon Seats:
Cleaning seats on a pontoon is very similar to the methods listed above. Since pontoon seats are likely made from the same marine-vinyl material, you would use the same methods.
The only real difference to cleaning pontoon seats is that there are often more, and they might be styled differently.
When cleaning fold-up pontoon seats, you will want to make sure that you get the sides and even underneath. This is an area that can often be forgotten or neglected and that can cause difficulty when cleaning them later or even damage to the seats.
The underside of folding seats is often the most susceptible to mildew because of the atmosphere underneath the seats that do not see as much sun.
You also will want to make sure you properly care for any other seat types such as sun loungers, captains chairs, and other seat types.
Products Boat Cleaning Spray
Your boat and upholstery are not only vulnerable to harsh marine weather conditions, but they are also exposed to the harmful rays of the sun. A cleaning product by 303 Products bearing code no 58560 has superior protection against the damaging effect of the UV rays. It helps in preventing cracks and yellowing of vinyl which occurs due to excessive exposure to sunlight.
The cleaning product is rated as marine cleaning spray and can be used to clean vinyl boat seats to get rid of salt water, dirt or grease. It is also safe to use on Strataglass and Eisenglass. Hence, you can maintain your entire boat from a single bottle.
The product is alcohol-free, and it doesnt need rinsing after the treatment. But you need to wipe completely dry to avoid streaks. You might need extra buffing as well to get a non-streak finish. After the procedure, the protection against UV rays will last approximately 4 to 5 weeks.
Pros
How To Remove Mildew Stains From Vinyl Boat Seats
Though removing mildew from your vinyl seats is challenging, its not impossible. To help you clear off this harmful, unsightly fungus from your boat seats, try these simple dos and donts:
Dont Treat Mildew with Bleach: Resist the urge to use a powerful chemical like bleach to remove mildew or mold from your boat seats. Will it kill the mold? Yes, but in doing so, it can also damage your seat cushions and make you have to replace them sooner!
Do Invest in a Quality Mildew Remover: As with finding the best protective sealant for your boats upholstery, make sure you do your research to find the right mildew or mold remover, too. Make sure your product is specially formulated for boat usenot home use is safe to apply to vinyl material and doesnt contain harmful chemicals like bleach.
Dont Expect Your Mildew Remover to Work Miracles: Removing mildew and mold from your vinyl seat cushions is difficult, which is why it requires regular maintenance. After youve applied the mildew remover and treated your seats, be sure to practice cleaning and drying your seats regularly to avoid further exposure to mildew.
Don’t Miss: How To Clean Mildew Off Boat Seats
Can You Use A Magic Eraser To Clean Your Vinyl Pontoon Boat Seats
We get this question a lot and yes, more than likely, you can use a Magic Eraser on your white vinyl boat seats. That said, colored seats must be tested in a small area, perhaps under the seat, before using throughout. Use your best judgment and test thoroughly.
I know this has been mentioned before, but I thought Id just add my voice to the chorus of praises for the Magic Eraser. It aint cheap, but it IS amazing. If you have marks on the boat upholstery and have tried everything to no avail pick up six or eight of these little jewels and I promise youll be more than pleasantly surprised.
-iBoat Review
Were an Amazon affiliate and we hope you love the products we recommend! We may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. These images are provided by the Amazon Product Advertising API.
Should You Hire A Professional
Besides doing it yourself with a complete boat cleaning kit from PartsVu, the fastest way to clean your boat to a shipshape and seaworthy condition is by using professional services. However, this can be expensive, as professional boat detailing services tend to charge by the foot meaning that a 20-ft boat can cost up to $800 or more.
Unless the service is specifically included in the winterization of your boat, cleaning your boat prior to storage is a good idea but many boat cleaners may be overbooked during their busy season. While it may be a labor- and time-intensive job, cleaning your boat yourself is significantly cheaper than professional services and can help you observe any developing issues before storing it.
Don’t Miss: Who Owns Freedom Boat Club
Boat Bling Vinyl Sauce Premium Vinyl And Leather Cleaner
All cleaning products of Boat Bling is made in America, and this is one reason why this product is a popular choice among many boat owners.
The product claimed to be bio-degradable, safe, non-caustic and non-silicon cleaner. Hence, rinsing is not required after the treatment. You need to just spray on boat seats or cushions and wipe off after treatment.
The vinyl sauce can give you satisfactory results when it comes to removing dirt, oils, water spots, and mildew from boat seats and cushions. But it is not too effective as a stain remover. An added advantage of this product is that it acts as a sunblock and reduces the damages from UV rays. It is not only ideal for the vinyl cover or leather but an all-purpose upholstery cleaner.
The cleaning product is also an excellent choice for maintaining upholstery during storage. This is because, after the treatment, the product will help prevent mold and mildew growth.
Pros
Dont Create Additional Work For Yourself
Many people start out by cleaning their boat seats with a low-grade, low-intensity cleaner such as dish detergent solution to see if that does the job. Unless your problem is very minor, you may as well skip this step. If your mildew or mold problem is serious enough to cause odor, theres a good chance its already deep-set in your boat seats. Youre going to need a cleaner with a little more heft to make quick work of it.
You May Like: How Much Is Freedom Boat Club
Can I Use Bleach On Vinyl
Although it may be tempting to use bleach, this whitening agent can dry out and in turn, damage vinyl. While some recommend a diluted solution of water and bleach, there are plenty of products that are far superior reducing your risk of damage and potentially needing to reupholster.
The same is true with any other harsh compound, including but not limited to concentrated detergents, waxes, dry cleaning fluids, solvents, and acid-based cleaners.
Regardless of the issue, its best to check your vinyl seats maintenance instructions. That way, youll gain insight into suggested best practices moving forward. If your seats are removable, take them off so that you can clean them more effectively and always use soft cleaning tools.
Its best to have soft-bristled brushes handy, as well as some spare sponges and/or dishcloths. This will reduce the risk of damage.
When in doubt, always opt for a specialized cleaner. For all of your marine needs, regardless of the application, there are effective products.
Can You Use Magic Eraser On A Boats Fiberglass Or Clear Coat
This is one instance where I wouldnt recommend it if you have a newly applied boat gelcoat. But its not always going to be the case
There are small amounts of a fine abrasive in the product, so for me, taking the risk of using that on newly applied gel coat or similar isnt worth it.
They can make a shiny surface duller if you apply too much pressure for example, I would never use it on my cars paintwork.
However, if your gel coat is very strong and thick, or on bumpy non-slips gels, then its not so much of an issue and can work wonders. Essentially, its very similar to wet sanding your gel coat, but can leave water spot stains you will need to polish away afterwards.
Also Check: How To Clean Mildew Off Boat Seats
Use A Boat Cleaning Kit For The Best Results
One of the most common questions boaters ask is: What is the best thing to clean a boat with?
The truth is that there are a number of surfaces and materials on your boat that all require their own cleaning products and tools. Regular washing with freshwater is always advised after you take it on the water, before and after winterization, and when it has been sitting for a while .
To ensure that you have every cleaning product and tool on hand before cleaning your boat, purchase PartsVus Deluxe Boat Cleaning Supplies Kit. Designed for all of your deep boat cleaning needs, the kit includes items from top brands, such as Star-Brite, 3M, Buffalo Industries, Meguiars, and The Absorber Mini. Heres whats included:
- Star-Brite Boat Wash 16oz
- Buffalo Microfiber Detail Towel 20×20
- 3M Perfect-It Boat Wax 16oz
- Buffalo Microfiber Wax Applicator Pads 4 Pack
- Star-Brite 2-Piece Wooden Handle Hnadle With 8 Standard Brush
- The Absorber Mini 13×17
- 3M Marine Finesse-it II Glaze 16oz
- Star-Brite Vinyl Cleaner & Polish 16oz
- Meguiars #59 Quik Wax 16oz
- Star-Brite Mildew Stain Remover 22oz
- Star-Brite Heavy Duty Bilge Cleaner 32oz
Meguiars Marine Vinyl And Rubber Cleaner And Protectant
Meguiars is a reputable company when it comes to producing cleaning products. The Meguiars M5716SP is a premium marine vinyl or rubber cleaner and protectant. This cleaning product is specifically tailored towards treatment for surfaces that are exposed to the hard marine environment. Hence it is an ideal cleaning product for boat seats.
It has a complex blend of premium ingredients that not only does a deep cleaning but shines and protects the surfaces.
The product is easy to use as it has a spray trigger that can conveniently spay on the seat surfaces that needs cleaning or protection. Another advantage is that the cleaning product doesnt have a strong odor.
After the treatment, you can acquire clean and natural sheen without a greasy residue. The conditioner will prevent the boat surfaces from drying, fading or cracking. Another useful feature of this product is that it has UV protection. This will immensely help in reducing the damages caused by the sun.
Pros
You May Like: Is Banana Boat Sunscreen Good
Star Brite Mold And Mildew Stain Remover
This mold and mildew stain remover by Star Brite helps you deal with exposure to extreme marine conditions, which makes boat seats and cushions prone to mold and mildew stains. Hence, you no more the worry about how to clean vinyl boat seats of mildew. This stain remover and cleaner with a high-alkaline, triple-action formula containing buffered-bleach will wipe out all mold and mildew stains.
This stain remover brand has chelating agents that lift ground-in dirt and surfactants that can cut grease and grime. It is very useful on boat carpets, getting rid of mildew and mold. Quickly remove unsightly mold and mildew stains from fiberglass, vinyl, plastic, wood, concrete, tile, and more with this. The specially buffered formula is good for vinyl upholstery or threads though designed for tough marine environments.
You need to wait until the stain disappears. I would suggest not rinsing it immediately for several rounds of application until the stain disappears completely. Make sure you rinse it thoroughly and wipe it dry to avoid degradation of the surface and stitching. I dont like applying this product repeatedly and do heavy scrubbing to remove the stain.
- Useful for marine boats, homes, and RVs under tougher marine environments
- High-alkaline, triple-action, and buffered formula to remove mold and mildew stains
- Using this on your boat seats or upholstery will not harm stitching or threads
- Proudly made in the USA
How To Remove Mildew Stains From Boat Seats
If you have mildew, you will need a mildew stain remover. Mildew stain removers have the correct active ingredients to wipe out the mildew issue.
Make sure to select one that is rated for marine vinyl use. You will see it contain a mix of ingredients like stain removers, buffered bleach, surfactants, and degreasing agents.
Wait! I know, I know. I told you not to use bleach at the beginning . Without getting into the chemistry, buffered bleach is more effective than bleach water and also will not damage the material or threads.
The application method is really simple with these products, just spray on, scrub lightly and rinse off stains. Don’t be alarmed though if one treatment is not enough. You may need to go through this process a few times to fully remove the stains.
Let the vinyl completely dry between each application so you can properly access where you are at.
If the stains continue to persist, you may need to bring in a pro and hire a local upholstery cleaning shop to give you a hand.
Also Check: How Much Does The Freedom Boat Club Cost
Keep Mold Away From Your Fabrics With Vinegar
While the magic eraser trick is great for removing stains in boat seats, sometimes mold and mildew can be absorbed deep in the surfaces of fabric. Luckily, theres an easy fix: white vinegar.
Simply spritz areas with a spray bottle when you detect any odors, see dark blotches, or when you choose to put your boat in storage. Spritzing with white vinegar is especially important for winterization, where mold and mildew can grow and spread throughout your boat while its tucked away in storage.
Products Mold And Mildew Cleaner
Finally, mildew has a nasty tendency of reoccurring, especially in boats where the environment is conducive to their growth. To prevent this from happening, 303 Products came up with a solution in the form of this mold and mildew cleaner + blocker formula.
What I love about this product is that it not only removes mold and mildew stains quickly, it does so upon contact. Moreover, its designed in a way that your boat seats are thoroughly cleaned of any mildew. Its even formulated to prevent them from reoccurring as well.
Additionally, it has a bleach-free formula which allows for cleaning delicate surfaces without the risk of damaging them. It also leaves behind a fresh scent, unlike formulas with bleach which produces a strong and harsh odor.
- Doesnt leave behind strong odors
- Safe for different types of surfaces even fabrics
- Might not effectively work on some areas
Also Check: Mold Remover For Boat Seats
Wash The Seats With Warm Water Soap And A Sponge
Get a bucket of warm water, a sponge and some soap. Clean in sections to make it easier.
Wash the seats in steps:
- Scrub the seats with warm water and soap: Use a sponge in a circular motion and wash the dirt away with soap and warm water.
- Apply marine grade spray to wet seats: A mildew and mold remover spray like 3M will help easily wipe way tougher stains and dirt.
- Let the spray set on the seats before wiping away with alcohol wipes: Follow the instructions of the spray and let it set on the seats before wiping away with alcohol wipes. This will remove deep stains.
- Wash remaining dirt with sponge: Gently wipe the remaining dirt with sponge.
Do not aggressively scrub seats. This will help avoid color fading or seat cracking.
Spraying the seats and wiping with alcohol wipes will help easily remove deep stains from the vinyl boat seats.
Washing the seats should take between 10 – 15 minutes depending on the amount of seats to clean.
SummaryWash the boat seats with warm water, a sponge and marine grade mold remover in a circular motion to remove dirt. Wipe with alcohol wipes to remove deep stains.
How To Clean Vinyl Boat Cushions
The vinyl seats on our boat were custom made thirty years ago. We looked at how much it would cost to get them remade and we could not believe how expensive it was. We thought it would be a better idea to put that money into something more important rather than just making our vinyl seats more pleasing to look at. Keep reading to find out how to clean vinyl boat cushions.
30 Year Old Vinyl Boat Seats
I did quite a lot of research to figure out what types of products were okay to use on this expensive vinyl. Many sites were warning of products that would take off the waterproof coating and suggested buying fairly expensive marine vinyl cleaner.
After taking this into consideration I realized our cushions were already thirty years old and they were no longer waterproof. They were covered in years worth of mildew, dirt, sunscreen, and even some rust from an old winch that was sitting above their location on the boat.
I began cleaning the vinyl cushions with a light coat of Lysol Mold and Mildew Spray on each seat.
How to clean vinyl boat cushions
I gently scrubbed each cushion to ensure that it had an even coverage of the cleaner.
Removing Mold and Mildew from Vinyl Boat Seats
I let this first coat sit for about two minutes and then a rinsed each cushion with water. I repeated this step three times which helped get the many layers of scum built up on the cushions.
Cleaning Vinyl Boat Seats
Using a Magic Eraser to Clean Vinyl Seats
Refurbished Vinyl Boat Seats
Sierra
Also Check: Mildew Remover For Boat Seats
