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If you want to learn how to clean boat interiors as efficiently and effectively as possible, you’ve come to the right place.
Boat interior cleaning is a necessary evil, and as much as you might want to shower off the sunscreen and fish slime and settle in with a beer after returning to the dock, you should wash off the salt spray, mud, and debris as soon as possible.
Learning to clean a boat interior is key to keeping your boat shiny and durable. In this article, we’ll teach you how to clean marine carpet, fiberglass, vinyl, cushions, interior metal, and fabrics.
Specific Areas to Clean
The best way to clean boat interior areas is to tackle the cleaning process one section at a time. Let’s start with the carpet.
Marine Carpet
Marine carpet is very similar to outdoor rugs you may have on your porch at home. It’s usually made of a very low-pile polyester blend, protecting it from stains. Marine carpets are typically very porous to prevent rotting and encourage airflow for quick drying.
If you’re looking for more information on specifically cleaning boat carpets, check out our full guide here.
Precautions Before Cleaning
When cleaning marine carpet, steer clear of bleach and prevent splashing while using bleach on other areas.
Type of Cleaner to Use
To clean marine carpet, spray it with your hose on a high-pressure setting to dislodge any debris. Spray it with a bleach-free, all-purpose cleaner (like 409), let it soak for a few minutes, and rinse it off. The 303 Marine Multi-Surface Cleaner can do the job as it is alcohol-free, safe for use on a variety of surfaces including chrome, upholstery, plastic, metal, aluminum, rubber, stainless steel, paint, and including all types of fabric and vinyl.
Important Tips and Notes
For tough stains, you can let all-purpose cleaners sit overnight without rinsing.
Non-Slip Fiberglass
Fiberglass is the main component of most boat decks, and since it’s usually white, it requires a little extra elbow grease.
Precautions Before Cleaning
While most fiberglass is non-stick, wet surfaces can quickly become slippery. Ensure to maintain points of contact or wear slip-proof shoes while cleaning to prevent injuries.
Type of Cleaner to Use
One of the best combinations for fiberglass is five parts water, 1 part dish soap, and 1 part bleach. Mix the solution in a bucket and use a long-handled brush to reach every nook and cranny.
Important Tips and Notes
Even diluted bleach can irritate your skin. Try your best to prevent splashing while cleaning, wear clothes you don’t mind staining, and wear gloves for maximum protection.
Vinyl
Vinyl is used to wrap hulls with graphics for name and registration stickers, seats, and other flexible elements onboard.
Precautions Before Cleaning
You should clean vinyl with bleach, dish soap, and water solution like you would when cleaning fiberglass. But, since vinyl is more porous than fiberglass, stain removal requires additional effort.
Type of Cleaner to Use
You can use the same solution you use to clean fiberglass for vinyl: Like fiberglass, simply use a brush to suds and scrub your vinyl and rinse the solution with a hose when you finish.
For persistent stains and fading white vinyl, spray some Tilex shower cleaning solution on the seats and let it sit until it dries. After a light scrubbing, your vinyl will be bright white again.
As mentioned before, the 303 Marine Multi-Surface Cleaner can be used in all types of fabric and vinyl. On the other hand, the 303 Aerospace Protectant is highly recommended for rubber, plastic and vinyl as it also helps prevent fading and cracking and keep surfaces looking newer.
Important Tips and Notes
Like bleach, Tilex can burn your eyes and irritate your skin, so use caution to prevent injuries.
Cushions
Learning how to clean boat seats is easy since they’re usually made from vinyl, which is bleach-safe. If your cushions are made from vinyl, the 303 Marine Multi-Surface Cleaner and 303 Aerospace Protectant can be used.
Precautions Before Cleaning
Use caution while learning how to clean boat cushions. While vinyl is bleach-safe, there may be other fabrics on the cushions that could stain. For cushions made from fabric, the 303 Fabric Guard may be your best choice. This strong, unscented protectant can be used to rejuvenate your fabric’s shield against frustrating spots and stains. It also helps protect against both water-based and oil-based accidents.
Type of Cleaner to Use
You can continue using your bleach, dish soap, and water solution for cushions as long as your seats are 100% vinyl.
Important Tips and Notes
If you’re using bleach on your cushions for the first time, do a spot test in a discreet location on any fabrics you suspect might not be bleach-safe.
Interior Metal
Luckily, interior metal is pretty durable, but once hard water stains are set on metal components, they can be hard to remove. When cleaning metal rails, the hose is your friend. You can use an all-purpose cleaner like 303 Marine Multi-Surface Cleaner. It is safe to use on a variety of surfaces including chrome, upholstery, plastic, metal, aluminum, rubber, stainless steel, paint, and more.
Precautions Before Cleaning
Be sure to soak metal components thoroughly before scrubbing. Re-soaking the water stains will help them lift once you start using your cleaning solution.
Type of Cleaner to Use
Continue using your bleach, dish soap, and water solution for your boat’s metal components. The bleach will help lift water stains, while the dish soap will leave the surfaces shiny and smooth.
Important Tips and Notes
Metal surfaces can scratch, so using a soft cloth or a soft-bristle brush instead of a coarser one for scrubbing will help lift stains without creating more scratches for stains to settle into.
Fabrics
Like marine carpet, most boat fabrics are made of a polyester blend to encourage fast-drying and prevent odors. But, also like carpet, be careful not to splash bleach into fabric surfaces.
Precautions Before Cleaning
When using your bleach, dish soap, and water solution, or when spraying Tilex onto persistent stains, take care not to splash bleach into your fabric components.
Type of Cleaner to Use
Like marine carpet, you can spray down your fabrics with a hose, spray on an all-purpose cleaner (like 409), let it sit for a few minutes, and rinse it off. The 303 Fabric Guard is best for fabrics. This protective spray does not alter fabric color, feel, flammability, or breathability, and it is safe for use on all fabrics, as well as synthetic and natural fibers, including upholstery, cushions, umbrellas, life jackets, suede, canvas, and several other outdoor fabrics.
Important Tips and Notes
Treat tough stains like you would on your clothes. Use products like OxyClean, Tide-to-Go, or Shout to remove—or fade—nasty fabric stains. For fish bloodstains, spot-treat fabric with hydrogen peroxide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learning how to clean boat interior areas is pretty straightforward, but you may still have questions. Let’s explore some common inquiries below.
How Do You Remove Mildew from Boat Upholstery?
If your bleach, dish soap, and water solution don’t do a number on mildew, scrub mildewed areas with undiluted bleach or Tilex. It might take effort, but mildew stains will eventually lift.
Is Vinegar or Bleach Better for Killing Mold?
For marine applications—especially mold killing—don’t be afraid to use bleach. While vinegar might be a great DIY solution in your home, most of your boat materials can withstand the tough mold-killing power of bleach.
What Kills Black Mold Permanently?
Unfortunately, mold can grow anywhere, anytime, especially in humid and wet environments—like a boat. However, cleaning your boat regularly (even if you’re not taking it out) can help prevent black mold growth.
How Do You Remove Bad Smells from the Interior?
First, find the source of the odor. For stinky bait wells, use bleach. For odors on fabrics or carpet, wait for the surfaces to dry completely after cleaning, sprinkle or gently rub baking soda into them, wait 24 hours, and vacuum up the excess.
How Do You Remove Pen Marks from Vinyl?
Pen ink is a nonpolar substance, so other non-polar substances can lift ink from surfaces like vinyl. Use bleach on white areas, but for non-bleach-safe surfaces, use rubbing alcohol.
Boat Interiors Cleaning: Worth the Time Investment
The most important tip for learning how to clean boat interiors is to pack your patience. The time, materials, and physical effort spent cleaning your boat is worth its weight in gold and the shiny, mold and stain-free surfaces you’ll maintain.
Cleaning your boat’s interior can improve the longevity of your materials, and your shiny vessel will be the talk of the dock.
