Cleaning vinyl boat seats

[theoldwizard1]

My son bought a 20 year old Four Winns power boat. The vinyl upholstery has many very small gray/black mold/mild spots. Simple Green, Clorox Clean Up and even Mr. Clean Magic Eraser won't touch these spots !

Suggestions ?

 

[Shiftless]

Did you read this series of reviews?
Our son in law has a boat and I have helped clean it from time to time. He has a regular guy that does routine cleaning. And a diver that does routine below the waterline stuff. Keeping a boat ain’t cheap.

The 10 Best Mold and Mildew Cleaners | Boat Safe | Water Sports, Product Reviews, and Nautical News

Mildew is the scourge of many boaters. This fungus will flourish in the conditions presented to it on many boats. It needs a dark, damp place with lots of moisture. Poor air circulation and cool temperatures also help. Your fishing boat is a prime breeding ground. Even your carpets and…

www.boatsafe.com

 

[Pig_Pen]

Marine 31 has a vinyl cleaner that’s supposed to work well. I think once boat upholstery becomes mildewed, though, you’re on the clock for eventual replacement because it always seems to come back and whatever you use to clean it removes its UV protection and shortens whatever life it has left.

 

[dnschmidt]

I can't swim so a boat doesn't do me any good. However, I would contact a detailing supplier (like Detailed Image) and ask them about this problem as boats are the second biggest market for detailing services after cars.

 

[Dig Doug]

Magic Eraser

Magic Erasers

I've tried several marine vinyl cleaners/conditioners, but none even come close to cleaning like Magic Erasers. Always follow up with a conditioner like 3-M, but worry if the erasers are bad for the vinyl or the stiching. Anyone have any thoughts. Thanks.

www.riverdavesplace.com

 

[Shiftless]

Magic Eraser

Magic Erasers

I've tried several marine vinyl cleaners/conditioners, but none even come close to cleaning like Magic Erasers. Always follow up with a conditioner like 3-M, but worry if the erasers are bad for the vinyl or the stiching. Anyone have any thoughts. Thanks.

www.riverdavesplace.com

OP in his first post said he tried magic eraser and it didn’t work. That surprises me but the oldwizard said it didn’t.

 

[Dig Doug]

Try scrubbing bubbles

RD detail tip #1 Vinyl cleaner

You should condition afterwards but if you want your interior to look new. Pull all the dirt out of the little cracks.. Then in my experience nothing works better. They work harder so you don't have to.. Spray on wipe off and it will be white again. It's gentle, and easy. Short...

www.riverdavesplace.com

 

[Dig Doug]

Soft Scrub and then a conditioner

maybe try
Orange hand cleaner apply w/ damp cloth and wipe off with a Wet cloth

 

[Jsf721]

OP in his first post said he tried magic eraser and it didn’t work. That surprises me but the oldwizard said it didn’t.

You guys realize the eraser sponge is really just a fine Sanding media ? I would not use it on vinyl.

I bet the vinyl in a 20 year old boat is no longer clear coated and it’s a stain not a spot. Good luck. Maybe try a quat disinfectant like micro ban 24

 

[GTO]

303 Products has a lot of Marine Products.
I don't own a boat, but I do use the 303 Speed Detailer and the 303 Protectant.

303 Products - Marine

www.303products.com.au

 

[JohnKal]

Try “Awesome”. Can be found in the Dollar store.

 

[1foxracing]

My neighbor cleans her boat with a steam cleaner and seems to get excellent results.

 

[bobg03]

Crud cutter and a semi-soft brush to work off most of it and then one of the many 303 products to make it look new...PIA project

 

[uscarry45]

SEM soap prep. It is mildly abrasive but designed for vinyl. Excellent product and have used for cleaning old cars vinyl seats and hard plastic

here a link to what it looks like description. I buy it at local auto paint supply store

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/sem-soap-mild-abrasive-cleaner?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CBoating%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CNVol%7CNMT&&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlMqy-pOY_wIVP3tvBB1w7QhcEAQYBCABEgKckfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[speed bump]

I can't remember where I got tip from but scrubbing bubbles cleaner works great. Just make sure to try it in an inconspicuous spot first.

 

[Fierljeppen]

Cleaning will only go so far on 20-year old vinyl. When I had a boat, I used this product to freshen up my boat upholstery and it made everything look brand new. A lot of other boat owners on our dock started using the product as well after seeing the results. It goes on very thin and seems to absorb into the vinyl and it's a lot cheaper than replacing the upholstery. The sun is brutal to the vinyl and giving it some UV protection will help get the most life out of the upholstery.

I know a lot of people will think I'm crazy, but I truly enjoyed working on the boat, both at the dock and in the off season. It was an absolutely gratifying experience, however expensive. There's something special about being on the water.

 

[Steve_P]

Dunno, but I use diluted bleach and simple green to clean the mold off of my house, I spray it on, and it eats it right up. Obviously you need to be careful with bleach, but it pretty much will kill everything.

 

[rockettauto]

Mineral oil, drip on, let sit at least ten minutes.
Wipe up with alcohol then wipe with mineral oil when you're done.

 

[coldh2o]

I can't swim so a boat doesn't do me any good. However, I would contact a detailing supplier (like Detailed Image) and ask them about this problem as boats are the second biggest market for detailing services after cars.

Seems like you're exactly the kind of guy who needs a boat...

We have a pontoon boat with white vinyl seats, this stuff works great. The longer you leave it on, the better. We get it at Canadian Tire but it appears to come from the States.

http://www.starbrite.com/item/mildew-stain-remover

 

[theoldwizard1]

OP in his first post said he tried magic eraser and it didn’t work. That surprises me but the oldwizard said it didn’t.

Shocked me also!

 

[mcj115]

Buy a lemon front the grocery store....cut it in half and then start rubbing it on the vinyl...it takes a little work but it should remove thos black mold stains on boat vinyl

 

[IndyGarage]

Marine 31 is what you need to clean mildew.

I've used everything above and it's better than all of them. I did my pontoon boat last week - it is a 1996 model and has the original seats.

They were covered in grime and a lot of small mildew spots - the white parts literally had black streaks on them.. I would say the seats now look 95% as good as new. There are a few places where the vinyl is sun damaged, and it can't fix that.

There's a lot of bleach in the stuff, so you need to be careful, and previously I ruined my clothes I was wearing when I used it. Spray it on, wait 5 minutes or so - agitate with a brush - respray if the stuff isn't coming off. On my seats it took 3 applications to clean the seats. Then hose it off really good to wash the bleach away. I used an electric pressure washer for the rinse. I then applied a good coat of 303 to the seats.

I had thought the seats were done and needing replaced. I now think I can get at least a couple years out of them.

 

[Chic Marine]

My son bought a 20 year old Four Winns power boat. The vinyl upholstery has many very small gray/black mold/mild spots. Simple Green, Clorox Clean Up and even Mr. Clean Magic Eraser won't touch these spots !

Suggestions ?

Hi Buddy! Black, pink, purple or orange spots are attacking the core of the vinyl. That is the reason why chemicals or magic eraser are not working. I clearly recommend the Chic Marine Mold Removing Treatment. 100% working. The only thing you have to do is applying the treatment cream and exposing the boat seats to the direct sun rays. The is the link to the boat seats mold remover

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I use a brush to scrub vinyl, it gets down into the "grain" better.

 

[rmack898]

I spent over 45 years in the marine industry and owned a boat dealership for 15 years. For every “marine” cleaning product, there is an everyday product the is equal or better.
For mold and mildew stains on vinyl WD40 is your friend.