Cleaning a the cockpit non-skid floor

[Parker23WA]

I'm on my second parker and I love'em dearly but damned that non-skid floor - it holds every bit of dirt, grime, etc. and is a @#$% to keep clean.

I'm looking someone in the morehead city area that can put a different floor on it...I've heard there is someone that puts an awlgrip type and it will clean up like teflon.

I've tried all the remedies - barkeepers friend, bleach, 3m non skid cleaner...i usually end up scrubbing the daylights out and it still isn't clean.

Does anybody know anyone in the morehead city, nc area that can redo the cockpit and cabin area with something ALOT easier to clean up?

 

[John_Madison CT]

Here's my concoction: About 8oz of bleach, about 3oz of Soft Scrub and maybe 4 oz of Simple Green. Obviously these are guesses on the ratios, but it works well. Oh yeah, fill a 5 gallon bucket about half way with water to start.

 

[TimC2520]

Before you spend a lot of money, try some Soft Scrub Gel w/Bleach. Available at Food Lion, WalMart, etc. Splash on deck, spread w/brush, let sit 5 min or so on a sunny day, hose off.

It will destroy cloth. Removes oak leaf stains. I've been using it and Clorox Gel for years.

NO SCRUBBING!

That's what I use, the key is to let it sit for a few minutes after working it around the entire deck.
Works great.

 

[grouperjim]

have not tried the above concoction, however i have gotten quick and easy results with Starbrite hull cleaner from WM or BW. the oxcyllic acid in the hull cleaner is powerful so be handy with the water and scrub brush.

i have found that the trick once cleaned, is to spray the deck liberally with 3M wax and shine while the deck is still damp. use a damp boat towel and rub in. let air dry or dry with a dry towel. the deck will repel stains for quite a while. repeat the 3M wax and shine periodically or just before a going out fishing. blood and shoe prints hose right off, even if dried on.

if you don't put any wax or other sealant on the deck, the gelcoat will become porous over time and hold grime and stains.

 

[Foggylink]

The Soft Scrub with Bleach works for me too ... 8)

 

[R & R]

Twice each season I use a product called Marykate on and off. It is
called a hull and bottom cleaner for fiberglass. I wet the deck with water and work a small amount of the "on and off" into the deck. Keep moving it around with your regular deck brush. Add more, until you've
compleated the entire deck. Letting it stand for a bit will allow it to do it's job. Make sure that you wear appropiate shoes and long pants as this is an acid based product. Be sure to rinse well with hose andc water.

 

[Parker23WA]

Thanks for all the tips...i'll try them next time.

 

[bigeye2k]

Barkeeper friend. Walmart 3 dollars. It's like comet but has peptic acid that will eat stains.

 

[Megabyte]

When I bought my boat 6 years ago, it had been sitting on a trailer under some oak trees for a long time. Long enough that the tannin from the leaves had turned the boat a lovely shade of brown and green moss was growing on the deck amongst the leaves.

I scrubbed and scrubbed that deck, but what finally got most of the funk off was Marykates On/Off hull cleaner. Put it on full strength... pushed it around with a deck brush, then let it sit for about 30 minutes. That got me closer to where I wanted to be.

Since that time, my typical boat wash has been a combo of Orpine boat soap, Zep orange citrus cleaner, and plain old liquid bleach applied with a medium bristle brush.

Scrub the deck down... let it sit until it starts to dry a bit, then hose it off lightly. If any bleach solution remains, it will continue to whiten the deck along with the sunlight.

This is how it looks today.

The Parker cockpit floor has a fairly aggressive surface, but after having been on other boats with a less aggressive surface, I'll opt for what I have now every time. You can lean out over the washboards on my boat and never loose your footing. I did that on a friends Twin Vee and my feet slid out from under me and I fell on my trolling rod, breaking it in half.

These decks will clean-up. It's just a matter of finding the right combination and sticking with it. It might take a dozen washes to get her sparkling, but after you do, maintaining it that way is pretty simple.

Good luck!

 

[newunamas]

Starbrite makes a nonskid cleaner that has worked really well for me.

 

[M5]

 

[HM5]

I introduced the non-slip to a 2000 psi pressure washer after sudsing with Simple Green and bleach. It's clean 8)