Ships or yachts are some of the marine vessels that bring valuable additions into our lives. Quite often, we use them to explore peaceful and cool destinations on the open waters. Equally, boats or ships allow people to feel that great relaxation derived from cool water breeze. Over time, however, your yacht or ship is likely to look a little bit dirty and an unappealing appearance. In most cases, dirt from the air and bacteria from the water will soon begin to collect on the parts of your water vessel. When this happens, it is a clear indicator that you need to engage in an intensive boat cleaning to restore its original glory.
Well, when it comes to ship or yacht cleaning, some owners have been known to be going overboard. Indeed, they seem to spend a lot of time polishing and scrubbing their vessels than actually being on the sea or lake fishing or cruising in them. Yes, it absolutely necessary and important to keep your vessel clean, but it is not worthwhile to spend long and backbreaking hours to restore the newness of your vessel. You simply need to equip yourself with the right cleaning products or tool and clean your vessel regularly and efficiently. Here, the key to boat or ship cleaning is to do the work ‘smarter’ and not ‘harder.’ This means, you need to develop an effective and efficient cleaning routine that has to be made a ritual habit after every water-trip. Inherently, tips on how to keep your yacht or ship clean is paramount at this stage.
Stunning Tips on How to Keep Water Vessels (Boat, Yacht and Ship) Clean
The following are some of the pointers that help boat owners to preserve their vessel’s good looks and protect them from the unforeseen and unforgiving marine environment:
#1. Choose the right cleaning tools
First and foremost, before choosing cleaning tools, it is very important to consider the composition and type of your vessel. This will ensure that you have the necessary materials and tools in hand ready for the job. Inherently, you are supposed to choose sturdy cleaning brushes that remove stubborn dirt, salt and grime, without damaging the gel coat or the smooth finish on your vessel. Generally, the right boat cleaning tools and products include brushes with sturdy handles, medium-soft bristle brush, and other necessities such as washing pads, bucket, a mop, chamois cloths, towels handy, and sponges. It is highly advisable that you need to store cleaning tools and products in the same place any other time.
#2. Choose the best and an environmentally-friendly cleaning soap
Ideally, for marine use, you are required to choose a cleaning soap that is extremely tough on grime, dirt, fish blood and salt. At the same time, any chemical-substance released on the water bodies need to environmentally friendly-therefore, the cleaning soap selected should meet this condition. In addition, an affective boat cleaning soap should be biodegradable with a neutral PH factor. Be warned that there are some ‘super concentrated’ cleaning detergents that are suitable for cleaning water-going vessels. This is because, such cleansers can damage or strip away finishes on boat or ship when left on the surface for an extended period of time.
#3. Have the right boat/ship cleaning techniques
Once you have the right cleaning equipment, detergents and soaps at your fingertips, it is now the time to start the actual cleaning job. Although cleaning any water vessel is fairly simple task, the truth of the matter is that the above task can be quite daunting if you do not have the proper cleaning techniques. Indeed, if you need to save time while cleaning your boat, it is necessary that you start cleaning at the top and work your way to lower parts of the vessel. Next, you are supposed to start at the bow and proceed towards the stem. If you follow this to the latter, then be rest assured that you would not have to go areas you have previously cleaned.
#4. Opt for power washers
Discoloration and stains are some of the common thing that makes the life of every angler harder. Nowadays, with the tremendous advancement in washing industry, power washers offer great solutions to the above challenges. Indeed, if you want the best results, you are advised to consider using a power washer to remove all surface muck. Generally, power washers are sophisticated cleaning devices that give your vessel the ultimate cleaning results.
#5. Carpet cleaning-interior boat cleaning
It is unfortunate to note that most boat/ship owners think that a clean vessel is that that shines from the outside. While that is true, but there is more than that! The interior parts of your vessel need to be cleaned as well. If the cabin portion of your ship/boat is carpeted, you should carry out regular cleaning and vacuuming. Indeed, boat’s carpets get lots of foot traffic that is usually pushed deep into the fibre’s carpet. Carpet dirt and dust can be removed by the use of specialized hose attachments or power washer.
#6. Wax On-Wax Off
Once you have cleaned your vessel, you need to give it some time to dry off. Yes! You are satisfied with perfect cleaning you have done on your yacht or ship. You may want to protect its fiberglass and buff to make it more shinny. One of the best ways to achieve this objective is by applying new quality wax. It is not really necessary that you keep on waxing your boat/ship after every cleaning, but this practice should be performed at least once/twice during the season. In most cases, if you need to preserve the luster of the hull, it is preferable that you apply several costs of quality carnauba wax.
Conclusion
Cleaning your yacht or ship should be one of the major regular maintenance practices, not only does it offer amazing restoration and protection amenities, but it also increase the value of your vessel. Naturally, if your vessel is clean, you will have a happy feeling when you hear others saying that your yacht is looking new and fresh. Therefore, you are advised to follow the aforementioned simple steps and tips if you need to have a properly cleaned water-vessel.