Powerful UV blockers resist fading and yellowing. The silicon dioxide formulation lasts up to twice as long as traditional waxes. It is so easy to use. Away from direct sunlight, simply spray it on your clean gelcoat, rinse it off and wipe dry. Simple buffing with a dry cloth like a Ultra Plush Microfiber Towel increases surface bonding and water repellency.
Periodically apply the protectant to simplify future gelcoat maintenance. If you prefer a matte finish, choose Marine Aerospace Protectant. Skip to Main Content. Search for: Search Now. Login My Cart Toggle Dropdown. When wiping down the area, make sure to use a soft sponge or microfiber cloth. Avoid using any abrasive material such as steel wool or a wire brush to clean fiberglass.
There are two types of Gelcoat staining. Mineral stains are the result of rust, while organic staining is the result of bird droppings, plant matter, and other natural materials. To get rid of these nasty stains, you need an effective fiberglass boat cleaner that will restore your boat to like-new condition.
This will save you a lot of cleaning time in the future and is better for the environment, too. Put a coat of wax over your boat before putting it in the water for the boating season.
Using a protective wax coating over the Gelcoat will create a barrier between the pores in the Gelcoat and eliminate the possibility of those future inevitable stains. It will also make stain removal easier. Using baking soda and vinegar to wipe over the entire surface will also prolong the life of the wax coating. If the inevitable has already happened and your boat is heavily stained, then you may need to get out an organic and mineral stain remover.
Here is an easy cleaning technique that works wonders for that regular cleaning routine. While it may not be ideal for removing tough stains and overly dirty tubs, it is perfect for adding to the weekly checklist of household chores. Fill the bucket with the hot water and dishwashing liquid. Soak the sponge with the soapy water and scrub all areas of the shower and bathtub. Make sure to get into all of the corners and crevices to remove gunk build up. Rinse the bathtub and shower with clean water.
For shower cleaning, you can turn on the showerhead to rinse away leftover messy residue. Mineral stains cause an unsightly yellowing in fiberglass and other materials.
Vinegar is an acidic solution that helps to break down the build-up of hard water stains that result from mineral deposits. Vinegar is such a versatile liquid that is used not only for cooking and preserving but for cleaning. You can also make a homemade glass cleaner with Dawn and vinegar. Restorer formulations renew the gloss in essentially the same way as wax — by providing a new smooth surface — but without the need for buffing.
Results can be dramatic, but because restorers are a plastic acrylic coating — similar to urethane varnish — they can wear off, flake off, and occasionally discolor. Restorer kits typically include a prep wash and sometimes a polish in addition to the restorer.
A specialized stripper for removing old sealer is also necessary. There are variations in the recommended application, but in general it is the same as already described — clean, polish, and coat. The acrylic sealer is usually water-thin, so applying it to the hull is much easier than, say, paste wax. And it dries to hard film, so no buffing is needed. However you do have to apply several coats — five is typical — to get a good shine.
If the product you have selected doesn't include an applicator, use a sponge or a soft cloth to wipe the sealer onto the gelcoat. Drying times are short, so subsequent coats can generally be applied almost immediately. A multicoat application can restore the shine to weathered gelcoat for up to a year, but when it is time to renew it, you will need to remove the old sealer using the special stripper supplied in the kit or available separately.
Apply five fresh coats of sealer and your boat should shine for another year. Don Casey has been one of the most consulted experts on boat care and upgrades for 30 years, and is one of the BoatUS Magazine's panel of experts. He and his wife cruise aboard their footer part of the year in the eastern Caribbean. We use cookies to enhance your visit to our website and to improve your experience.
Membership Search. Service Locator. Get a Quote. Become a Member. Renew Membership. If that restores the shine, great. If not, you know you need to move to the next step.
If cleaning did a majority of the work but you still feel like you need some extra oomf , it may be time for you to wax your boat. Here are the basic steps:. You may need a fresh polish if you want your boat to look like new. Unless your gelcoat is truly degraded, a polish should restore its luster. Apply PolyShine either by hand or with an electric buffer. You may also want to consider using Fiberglass Rubbing Compound before the polish if you really need to do a lot of work to get the fiberglass looking its best.
Remember to polish before applying a layer of wax , as the wax will then work in tandem with the polish to protect the luster of your fiberglass.
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