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Cleaning Boat Upholstery
My pontoon boat cover ripped last winter causing a lot of mildew on my vinyl upholster and the carpet. I used “Mean Green” (a product of Dollar General Stores) and a strong solution of bleach on the upholstery and carpet. The upholstery came clean and the carpet is looking better. I used full strength liquid bleach on the worst mildew stains on the carpet and it worked pretty well.
After reading the information on the Lakeside Canvas web site, I am concerned that I may have removed the protective coating on the upholstery and weakened the vinyl. There is no apparent damage to the upholstery, however, but I am afraid that I may have lessened the life of the upholstery.
I have a few questions:
1. Is there anything I can do to replace the protective coating to the upholstery or at least prevent further damage?
2. Also, how can I preserve the carpeting and prevent damage to it as well?
3. We are having a “snap on” mooring cover made for the boat to be used during the boating season, but I am interested in your instructions for a Winter Cover for the boat. How effective is this type of cover in protecting the boat during the winter months in Southern Indiana ?
4. Our Bimimi Top is canvas. I would like to protect it as well. Any suggestions?
Thanks for any input you can give me, Jim Janssen
, but the good stuff is up there ^
Hi Jim, I will try to answer your questions,
1. upholstery The best thing you can do after using a harsh chemical such as bleach on the upholstery is to rinse it with plenty of water. After the cleaning is done and the upholstery is dry, I recommend a vinyl protectant coating. There are a few on the Market that are good for marine use.. Such as 303 Aerospace Protectant and Star Bright has some decent vinyl treatment.. The important thing is to use one that is specified for Marine use. I do not recommend automotive treatments because many of them have petroleum distillates in them which will harm the vinyl. The marine protectants have a sun screen in them, and should be re-applied every 6 weeks, depending on exposure.
See also on Lakeside Canvas, http://www.lakesidecanvas.com/upholstery_care.html
2. Carpet.. Most marine carpet is acrylic and doesn't require much maintenance.. However.. Cleaning is important!
What happens to most carpet--
...The dirt gets in it and as you walk on the carpet the dirt acts like sand paper under you feet and damages the fibers, which leads to wear patterns and matted fibers...
...The dirt also hold moisture which will cause moss and mildew to form when it's wet.
...The best way to clean the carpet is with a shop vac, using the crevasse tool or something like it.. If you scrape the carpet with the tool as you vacuum, it will break the dirt loose and it gets vacuumed up. It is a job when done properly. [ The carpet must be dry ]
...After vacuuming...You can also use any mild soap and water with a plastic bristle brush. Just pour the soap mixture on the carpet and scrub it.. Then rinse with the garden hose.
....Some people want to use a pressure washer... I suppose it's ok if you use low pressure and don't get to close to the carpet with it.. I have seen people cause damage with pressure washers that were set at high pressure..
3. Mooring Covers for winter use.. Please read this post about putting plastic over a boat cover... And here is a page from the Lakeside Canvas site about covers and how to make them last.. tips 1, 2, 13 and 14...
4. Protecting the Canvas top.. If the top is open weave canvas, such as sunbrella. First, clean it or wash it with mild soap and water. Then apply any type of waterproofing you want that is for marine canvas. The best one I know of is 303 HTFG [ high tech fabric guard ]. 303 will add a sort of coating like scotch guard does and also has a sun screen in it. Again, please use a "marine" product.
Many good marine products can be found on Overtons web site and in their catalog or at a Marina / boat dealer.
Custom boat covers, tops and enclosures.
Lakeside Canvas.com
The best custom covers available on Buckeye Lake !!