Boats
How to Wash a Boat After a Day in Saltwater
By Solpath Window Detailing · Published · Updated
After saltwater, rinse the whole boat with fresh water from the top down, wash with a soap made for boats using a soft mitt on smooth surfaces and a soft brush on non-skid, rinse again, and dry the glass, stainless and gelcoat before the sun leaves spots. Do it the same day. Salt left to dry is what dulls gelcoat, pits stainless and clouds isinglass.
The order that works
- Rinse everything with fresh water, top to bottom, to float the salt off before anything touches it
- Wash from the top down with boat soap and a soft mitt
- Use a soft deck brush on non-skid, where salt and grime sit in the texture
- Rinse again before soap dries in the sun
- Dry the windshield, stainless and hull with a chamois or microfiber
- Clean the isinglass last, on its own, with a cleaner made for clear vinyl
Products that do harm
- Dish soap, which strips wax and protection from gelcoat
- Household glass cleaner on isinglass
- Stiff brushes on gelcoat
- Letting the boat dry in the sun still soapy
What a wash does not cover
A wash is the outside above the waterline. Flushing the engines, the bottom, running gear and the interior are separate jobs, and flushing is worth doing the same day as the rinse.
When nobody has time
Most boats come back late, and the wash is the job that gets skipped. A boat that sits salted until next weekend loses more to the salt than to the trip. A regular wash in the slip or on the trailer fills that gap.
