Sorry if this is a bit off topic but I'm wondering what people use to clean their boats. Specifically fiberglass gelcoat boats.

Our "new" 1991 Arima has quite a bit of dirtiness or stains in the off-white gelcoat. I've tried everything from a decent boat wash soap to household cleaners but haven't found anything that works.

I'd like to try to restore it to a like-new condition. Does anyone have any good suggestions?

Thanks!

Brazin

Auntym: Can you buy the stuff at a store, or do you have to order it from an infomercial?

There is a product called On and Off...you wear gloves and ppaint it on with a brush but it really works to get stains off gelcoat finishes. It is normally used to remove the brown water line stains that boats get when sitting in the water at moorage but it also removes rust and other stains that cleaners won't even touch. Try it on a small area and see. It is available at West Marine and Boater's World I know.

Hmmm...that On and Off stuff sounds like what I need. I'll give it a try tomorrow if West Marine has any in their store.

Thanks!

Brazin

AuntyM:

Thanks a ton. I'm going to try it. I need something to get fish blood off white/gray painted floorboards in my boat. Dunno why the previous owner thought white might be a good color for floorboards.

My next question may be about paint for wooden floorboards in a boat.

brazin, when you get your boat all cleaned up and rubbed out try putting some collinite 885 wax on it, its great stuff and lasts along time.

If you use "On and Off" read the warning label, it has 3 different acids in it and it will damage metal (trailers) if it comes in contact and isn't rinsed off, great stuff, just be careful.

It probably won't do much for the stains,but I've used Simple Green for about 6 years,and I think it works great for general cleaning.

For simple deck cleanup I have always used Soft scrub with bleach and a stiff brush. If it doesnt come off with that then I just get used to it.

you may not believe this as i did not believe it when a friend told me, but I saw it work and was amazed.

My freind ken had just bought a used tri-hull that was in good shape but had a faded paint job with a lot of Oxidization. you know that white sunfaded dicolorzation that old boats get. Well he tried all the automotive products out there and none worked that well.

We ran over to a freind of mine from high school who has a detail shop where he does cars and boats and asked what he used in a case like this. HE goes in the back room and brings a spray bottle with a red liguid in it and tells us to use this but in small amounts.

Well back to the boat the next day and we try the red stuff. It cleaned the oxidization right off and left a deep shine on a hull that had not seen wax in at least 10 years.

A week later I stopped by the shop to find out what the red stuff was so I could get some more. What I was told shocked me. It was transmission fluid. Some one had turned him on to it years ago and he had been using it on fiberglass hull every since. I would not have done it if he had told me ahead of time ,but man it sure works well.