End of day clean up

(midwesttex) · (midwesttex) **Join Date: Jul 2004** 08-30-2007, 6:15 AM

What is everyone's cleaning procedures with their boats at the end of the day? We run in Brackish water so right now we:

Flush the engine
Hose down trailer and boat
wipe boat down with soapy water
dry with chamois (The absorber)
Dry vinyl and wipe down with 303
Throw the cover on and drive home.
The boat is stored at the ramp so we don't get a chance to vacum the carpet or let it dry out.

What does everyone else do to keep there ride looking new?

(Message edited by midwesttex on August 30, 2007)

(jayc) · (jayc) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 08-30-2007, 6:33 AM

I ride in saltwater and do pretty much the same as you but throw a bit of wd40 on the engine, trailer hitch/winch after each use.

Only takes about 30 mins and keeps the boat looking nice.

(bsebllhglyknit)

Everytime we get off the lake, while still in the parking lot, we wipe down the outside with vinegar and water to remove all water spots. vinyl with some all purpose stuff. Glass with windex. Wax a couple times a year and vacuum about once every two months. It still looks new.

(hatepain) · (hatepain) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 08-30-2007, 8:15 AM

Towel down outside and inside each time
Babes and 303 everything once each week
vacuum roughly 2 times per month

I try to leave everything open when ever possible to dry out but it's not feasible every time.

(scottman) · (scottman) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 08-30-2007, 5:58 PM

Wipe down outside with towel, wipe down inside with 303, take it to dry storage and then flip the cushions. We don't cover it in dry storage either...

(mars) · (mars) **Join Date: Aug 2005** 09-01-2007, 4:33 AM

We sometimes ride brackish water... when we do, our flush, trailer rinse, and wipedown is with saltaway-it really does make a difference over time. Well worth it.

(rallyart) · (rallyart) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 09-01-2007, 9:58 AM

Take the towels in to dry and hose down the kids.

(sidekicknicholas)

pull onto the lift, crank....

K.B.C. 09-01-2007, 12:48 PM

put it on the trailer, tie downs on, drive it home, cover.

(mkperceptions) · (mkperceptions) **Join Date: Jan 2007** 09-03-2007, 1:37 AM

Sounds good I have been using the babes on the outside and 303 on the inside. Is the vinegar and water mix ok for the wax? what kind of vinegar and what is the mix vinegar:water?

(mammoth) · (mammoth) **Join Date: Apr 2005** 09-03-2007, 5:24 AM

At the end of every ride:
Clean hull with spot free cleaner rinse followed by wax
Clean all seats with vinyl cleaner and conditioner
Bag all trash and vaccum carpet
Polish tower and speakers with spray polish
Wash all windows and mirror with foaming glass cleaner
Oil the teak deck
"Back to Black" the rubrail
Polish the hook on the winch strap
Wash and rinse the trailer
Tire and wheel cleaner
Check the air pressure in trailer tires
Fill bilge with bilge cleaner
Drain cleaner from bilge.
Anti-Sieze the threads on drain plug before installation.
Check lug nuts on trailer tires, inspect brakes.
Rubber conditioner on the bow stop.
Polish the adjusting hardware on the wake plate
Remove, clean, and replace the plastic seat covers like grandmas put on their couches.

Every 3rd trip we rent the carpet cleaner at Savemart for the trailer bunks and we do an oil change before leaving the ramp.

(big_matt) · (big_matt) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 09-03-2007, 5:47 AM

Nate, what do you use for a "Spot free cleaner"?

(wakesetter101) · (wakesetter101) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 09-03-2007, 7:06 AM

Wow Nate, when do you have time to ride.

(nasty530) · (nasty530) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 09-03-2007, 10:18 AM

Nate is it possible you are OCD? I am all about maintenence but damn...

(882001) · (882001) **Join Date: Nov 2003** 09-03-2007, 10:32 AM

ride-
flush motor wipe everything down with vinegar and water, inside and out.
pull boat under cover let dry for a couple of days then cover repeat

nate is a mad man. hard to do all that stuff in the dark when i get back

(spicychalupa69)

Nate - im interested in this so called "Back to black" stuff for my rubrail, does it work? where do i get my hands on some and does it take the white marks from the guide posts off? thanks man

(882001) · (882001) **Join Date: Nov 2003** 09-03-2007, 11:23 AM

eder try acetone like magic on mine.mine is rubber. wont work if its vinyl

(nyelland) · (nyelland) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 09-03-2007, 11:58 AM

Wipe down with Babe's spot saver (when we pull out of the lake)
Wash boat at the house (takes 5 mins)
Hang up all life vest, fat sacs, ropes, ect.
Turns seats sideways to dry out compartments
Vacum next day when everything is dry
303 inside - Babes boat brite outside (when needed)

(mbrown) · (mbrown) **Join Date: May 2005** 09-03-2007, 4:13 PM

Get all water out of the bilge, Babe's outside, 303 inside rarely, it collects too much dust.

(rallyart) · (rallyart) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 09-03-2007, 5:47 PM

Nate I'm assuming you do that every ride while you're waiting for the next to get their boots on right...

(hatepain) · (hatepain) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 09-03-2007, 8:57 PM

Guy's that didn't get it, obviously Nate is joking.

(westsiderippa)

i drag it from the ramp 300 yards to my storage unit. spray the outside from top to bottom with mcguiers and wipe, wipe and wipe, inc trailer and rims.

now i pull off my new primal seat covers to take home and wash. wipe down the inside and turn the boat inside out so it airs out and shut the door and lock it. done. i will admit i get yelled at by the girls when its dark and im still polishing the power wedge. lol. jk im done in about 15 min, oh and dont forget the standard trash and cooler cleaning

(scott_nor_cal_syndicate)

Wow, i don't feel too bad for being a clean freak now.
As soon as we get out of the water.
First man starts at one end with Water and Vinegar top to bottom of boat. Second goes behind him with mequiars spray cleaner, first man goes back behind second with spray wax, the wife usually emties boat of all trash and cleans upholstery, wash windows and polish tower and chrome. I first empty the bilge install all straps and check boat and trailer for towing then the wife and I stow the bimini and install tower and board rack covers. When we get home we open all compartments and empty out everything dry out vests, tow lines, inflatables and flip cushions, check the oil, trans, v-drive fluids, air pressure, greased bearings and lugs on trailer...Believe me I found a couple lugs loose so this gets done every time now..Put all vests and gear back in following day and ready to go again.

(acurtis_ttu) · (acurtis_ttu) **Join Date: May 2004** 09-04-2007, 8:52 AM

I'm curious to know what guys who keep their boats on lifts do for cleaning.

(mammoth) · (mammoth) **Join Date: Apr 2005** 09-04-2007, 9:28 AM

Guys...I was kidding. Can't believe I got as many of you as I did. I expected another guy from my crew to step in and call BS on me.

FWIW - Back To Black is a Mothers product, decent stuff. Turtle Wax makes a spot free cleaner, but it won't remove existing spots.

Adam - I'm on a lift...our actual end of day cleanup consists of getting most of the empty cans from the boat, and trying to remember to assign someone to hose off the hull while I hang my wet vests from the board racks. Boat stays uncovered because we ride a few times a week and it would otherwise never dry out.

(tparider) · (tparider) **Join Date: Aug 2003** 09-04-2007, 9:28 AM

We walk on the cross beams of the lift to wipe the boat down (microfiber), wipe down the inside, and cover the boat while it's on the lift after each session.

I use Zaino about 2-3 times a year and never need anything else other than a damp microfiber to make the boat look great.

(nickbot) · (nickbot) **Join Date: Feb 2007** 09-04-2007, 1:36 PM

mine lives on a lift. i just towel off after every ride, wax 2-3 times a year, and major clean it (wax, vacuum, teak oil) at the beginning and end of the season...i'm thinking about getting something for the water spots (babes, water & vinegar...for oil change and what not, i just pull it out for 30 minutes and change it in the launch parking lot.