This deep clean matches scuff erasers, hull cleaner, deck brushes, and polishing supplies to the right boat surfaces, then explains a practical cleaning order for fiberglass, painted hulls, bare aluminum, and metal hardware.
Match each cleaner and tool to the surface.
Treat bare aluminum differently from painted aluminum.
Most of a boat cleanup comes down to using the right product on the right surface. Here is how the Better Boat lineup in this video splits the work.
Pro tip. Check the surface before choosing a cleaner or brush. Bare aluminum, painted hulls, decks, and hardware each need a suitable approach.
Scuffs and marks.Boat Scuff Erasers help lift shoe marks, salt, grease and grime. Wet the eraser, squeeze it and wipe the mark. They work on fiberglass, vinyl, gelcoat, aluminum, plastic, glass, painted surfaces and wood.
Waterline and hull stains.Instant Boat Hull Cleaner is made for waterline stains, rust stains, exhaust marks, algae stains and scum on fiberglass and painted hulls. Apply it, let it sit and rinse it clean.
Decks. The Deck Boat Brush Head 8" comes in soft, medium and stiff bristles, so you can match the brush to the surface and the mess. Its 3/4 inch Acme thread fits Better Boat extension rods and many standard threaded handles.
Cleaning and Polishing an Aluminum Boat
Better Boat also sent a set of products to Jaime Astin, who cleaned his aluminum fishing boat on camera in 2020. His boat had a dark tarnish ring along the hull after a wet winter and a few fishing trips. The scrubbing and general cleaners took the regular dirt off the top of the hull, but they did not remove that tarnish ring. Oxidation on bare aluminum is a different job from everyday dirt. An aluminum cleaner handles it, and an aluminum polish brings back the shine afterward.
Better Boat pick
Aluminum Boat Cleaner
Bring stained, oxidized aluminum back toward a cleaner brighter look without turning the job into all day scrubbing.
For bare, unpainted aluminum, start with Aluminum Boat Cleaner. It is made for bare aluminum pontoons, jon boats, canoes and similar surfaces. Choose the 64 ounce bottle with sprayer or the gallon refill. One bottle can cover both sides of a 24 foot aluminum pontoon. Painted or finished aluminum is different. Clean it with Instant Boat Hull Cleaner instead.
After cleaning, finish bare aluminum with Marine Aluminum Polish. It brings back shine on pontoons, jon boats, canoes and hardware, adds UV protection and stain resistance, and can be applied by hand or with a buffer. For chrome, stainless steel and aluminum hardware such as rails, ladders and cleats, Marine Metal Polish removes tarnish, surface rust, light oxidation and grime, then leaves a protective coating.
Apply With Foam, Buff With Microfiber
Apply with foam, then buff with clean microfiber.
Jaime's most useful tip was about the pads. The Microfiber Wax Applicator Set includes yellow foam applicator pads and blue microfiber pads. His approach was to apply polish with a yellow foam pad and buff it out with a blue microfiber pad. The set also includes two microfiber buffing cloths for the final finish. The pads have a hand pocket for better control. Tarnish turns the pads dark while you work, so rinse them as you go. The pads, sponges and cloths are machine washable when the job is done.
Finish With Marine Polish
Once the tarnish ring was off, the last step in Jaime's detail was a coat of Better Boat Marine Polish, wiped on until it hazed and then wiped off. He took the boat fishing afterward, gave it a quick wipe down, and reported that the shine held. Marine Polish polishes fiberglass, gel coat, metal, aluminum and painted surfaces on boats, RVs, campers and autos. It leaves a slick high gloss finish that helps water bead and makes future cleaning easier. For heavy oxidation, use a polishing compound first, then the polish.
Pro tip. For heavy oxidation, use polishing compound before the final marine polish. Apply the polish with a clean cloth or wax applicator set.
A Simple Order for a Full Clean
Work from the full wash to final polishing.
Wash the whole boat. The Boat Exterior Cleaning Kit includes Boat Soap, a foam gun that connects to a standard garden hose, a large sponge, 2 microfiber cloths and an Original Boat Eraser.
Take care of scuffs and marks with Boat Scuff Erasers.
Treat waterline and hull stains on fiberglass or painted hulls with Instant Boat Hull Cleaner, then rinse.
On bare aluminum, use Aluminum Boat Cleaner and follow with Marine Aluminum Polish. Polish chrome and stainless hardware with Marine Metal Polish.
Finish fiberglass, gel coat and painted surfaces with Marine Polish, applied with a foam pad and buffed with microfiber.
