Everybody wants their boat to be the best-looking in the docks, and to do that you need to detail your boat – but how?
Here, we are going to dive into boat detailing including all the steps you need to take. Check out the information below, follow along, and you will have your boat looking as good as new in no time at all!
Step One: Deep Clean Your Boat’s Exterior And Interior
Your first step in detailing your boat is to give both the exterior and interior a deep clean.
This step should be done first as it will help remove any surface grime and loose debris from your boat.
After that, you can move on to other steps such as polishing and coating – but first, you need to get rid of all the dirt, grime, and debris.
This is a very easy step to complete and one that many boat owners repeatedly do even if they never give their boat a full detail. So, let’s take a look at this step in a little more detail.
Cleaning Your Boat’s Exterior
To wash down your boat’s exterior, you can use a range of tools and products.
Some people use warm soapy water and a hose and a brush, others use a pressure washer or a foam cannon. It’s best to use a soap that is formulated for boat detailing so it’s designed to lift dirt and grime from your boat.
However, you may need a stronger cleaner depending on how tough the dirt and grime on your boat are.
Remember to start from the top of your boat and work your way downwards, loosening any grime and debris so it falls down your boat. Once your boat is clean, dry it down using a microfiber towel.
Cleaning Your Boat’s Interior
For the interior, you will need to scrub down the deck, wash any carpets or loose components, and wipe down any surfaces. Empty out any cupboards or storage compartments, clean them down, and pack everything away.
The purpose of this step is the same as washing the exterior of your boat – you are lifting and loosening any dirt or grime and cleaning it away from your boat.
You will need to use a range of different cleaning products to clean down the interior of your boat and cabin. Most of the products you can use (magic cleaner, carpet cleaner, microfiber rags, etc) are the same stuff you use at home, so they will be straightforward to source and use.
Step Two: Wax or Seal Your Boat
Now your boat is nice and clean, it’s time to start applying a protective seal over its exterior.
Sealing, or waxing as some people prefer to call it, involves applying a polymer boat sealant that can provide your boat with between 6 to 12 months of protection (depending on what brand of sealant you use).
It helps protect your boat’s paint from water damage, as well as protecting it from UV damage – so it’s definitely something that should be added to all boats during a detail.
To apply the sealant, you can use a waxing machine to easily apply the sealant all over your boat’s exterior. Remember to also apply the sealant to your boat’s topside too.
Step Three: Clean The Seats
Returning to the ‘interior’ of your boat, it’s time to clean the seats.
Most boat seats are made from a type of leather or vinyl, so it requires different cleaning materials compared to the rest of your boat.
Avoid any bleaches and instead, use leather-safe cleaning products to help prevent your seats from drying out or fading in color.
Magic Erasers are a popular choice because they are great for lifting stains without damaging the material of your seats.
Dry down the seats using a microfiber towel or rag.
Step Four: Polish The Metal And Clean The Glass
One of the final steps in a boat detail is polishing the metal components of your boat, and cleaning any class components with the appropriate cleaners.
Metal and glass are two materials that require their own cleaning products to help them shine. So, you can’t use any of the previously mentioned cleaning products on these components of your boat – they require their own products.
For your metal components, you will need a type of metal polish. Apply it and wipe it using a rag to any metal parts on your boat such as railings, pipes, bolts, hinges, etc.
For the glass components of your boat, you will need a typical glass cleaner. For cleaning your boat’s screens, you may want to use and find a streak-free glass cleaner that is safe to use on screens and not just glass windows.
Again, wipe it away using a microfiber cloth and you will have completed the final touches of your boat detail.
Step Five: Inspect Your Boat
To wrap up your boat detail, you will want to give your entire boat a once-over and just make sure that any excess chemicals, dirt, or wax are cleared away.
Some people like to give their boat’s deck a sweep and a mop with diluted leaner, scrubbing away any footprints or marks left when cleaning the seats, metal, and glass of your boat.
Alternatively, you can spray all the hard surfaces over with a power spray and dry everything down with a microfiber towel.
The whole point of this step is to check your work and ensure that every surface on your boat is pristine. Once you are satisfied with everything, you can step back and admire your work!
Final Thoughts
So, those were all the steps you needed to take to detail your boat!
Detailing a boat is really simple and easy but it does take quite a lot of time and a range of tools and products.
However, it is essentially a deep clean of your entire boat and providing the right layer of protection sealant afterward to get it ready for the water once more!
We hope this guide has helped you out, and good luck with your own boat detailing!
