How to Wash, Wax, and Polish Your Boat
Washing, waxing, and polishing your boat is one of the most effective preventive measures you can take. Washing and waxing your boat the correct way can help prevent corrosion, rust, and other damages. We here at LMC Marine Center in Houston, Texas, want you to get the most out of your ship, so we’ve compiled some instructions on how to care for it! After reading our guide you’ll be able to easily clean and maintain your boat from the comfort of your home.
Tools
First, you’ll want to find a good place to wash your boat. While some may encourage you to wash it in your yard, the cleaning agents in various products could easily kill your grass. Instead, use your driveway or a street with a nearby gutter. You’ll also want to choose an environmentally friendly cleaner made specifically for ships. The same applies to your wax and polish. You’ll want products specifically designed for boats, as they'll contain more effective protectants. You’ll also need a hose, a soft scrub brush, and several soft towels. If you’d like, you can purchase an electronic buffing tool to speed up the waxing process. We also advise using a boat cover once your done to protect your vessel from dirt and other damaging agents
When to Clean Your Boat
There are different cleaning processes for boats, depending on how dirty they are, or what point in the season it is. Firstly and foremostly, for any cleaning to be effective you’ll want to rinse your ship every time it leaves the water. Regardless if you were in salt or freshwater, you’ll want to spray the entirety of the vessel down afterwards. This should keep your boat from corroding and keep it cleaner for longer. Only when your boat begins to look visibly dirty will you need to break out the scrub brush and soap. You’ll need to wax and polish even more infrequently. It’s generally advised that you do this once before placing your boat in storage, and once more after it’s removed.
Washing Your Boat
To wash your boat, simply spray it down as you usually would and begin applying the cleaner. Scrub the ship in sections with your soft scrub brush, rinsing immediately afterward. This will keep the soap from drying and leaving dirty streaks behind. Once you’ve cleaned all the way around, begin drying with a soft towel. If it’s a particularly sunny day you can also let your ship air dry. Just be sure to put on your boat cover once it’s completely dried
Polishing and Waxing
If you want to polish and wax your boat, you’ll simply follow the directions above, with the exception of covering your ship. Instead, once it’s dry, you’ll begin applying the polish with a soft towel or buffering tool. Move in the same direction, with the same motion, all the way around the boat till it’s glossy. As this is an abrasive substance, you’ll want to be gentle. Immediately after this is done, you’ll want to grab your wax and begin applying it under similar circumstances. Use a buffer tool or soft towel and move around the vessel in the same direction and motion as before. Once this is done you’ll have to let the wax dry till your boat has a hazy look to it. Once this is achieved you’ll take another towel, or your buffer tool, and begin to buff out the wax. As always, move around the ship in the same direction as before, using the same motion. Once this is done your ship should look shiny and new, and you’ll want to place your boat cover down quickly.
Polishing and waxing your own boat is a great way to save on maintenance costs and detailing expenses! We hope our guide has not only been helpful, but informative on how and when to care for your boat. If you find that you need to replace parts, or have a maintenance problem beyond your expertise, we hope you’ll visit us at LMC Marine Center. We have one of the best service departments around, and proudly serve the city of Conroe, Texas.