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One of the most common questions we get concerns the cleaning
and restoration of the non-skid surfaces on the boats we maintain.
As with most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure and daily washing with a mild soap and elbow grease
will go a long way towards keeping the non-skid deck looking
ship shape and Bristol.
Unlike the rest of the gelcoat surfaces on the boat we can't
just compound and use wax to protect it, as anyone who has
stepped on a waxed floor with a little water on it knows.
While there are some products which claim to protect the non-skid
from stains and oxidation many of them contain chemicals,
such as silicon, which create their own problems and are nearly
impossible to remove if you are not happy with the results.
Back in the real world, what to do when the washings have
been infrequent, the cleaners often far from mild, (bleach,
detergents, abrasives, etc.) and the non-skid looks like it
belongs on a boat twice (or three times) as old as the rest
of the vessel. Assuming that it hasn't gotten to the point
of no return and needs to be re-decked, what can be done to
bring back that shine and sparkle to a
dull and stained non-skid surface?
We start off by wetting down the topside to
loosen up any dried on dirt and grime. We then wash the decks
using a mild soap and deck brush, a section at a time, rinsing
as we go, and turning the hose on the rest of the decks to
keep them wet till we get to them. This procedure will remove
most of what will remove easily and we can assess the situation
and decide on our next course of action. The idea here is
to use only what is needed to get the job done.
If the deck isn't in too bad condition after the initial
washing one of the regular non-skid deck cleaners put out
by Marykate, Starbrite, West Marine, and others will do the
job and leave a non-slippery, protective coating behind to
make future washings easier.
If we have a few stains which are beyond the reach of the
over-the-counter solutions we get down to finding the least
offensive chemical to eliminate the stains and then wash the
whole deck again with one of the above mentioned cleaners.
OK. We got it, the deck looks good, maybe not new but a whole
lot better than it's looked in recent memory. So
how do we keep it that way? |
