How to Clean Vinyl Boat Seats
The best way to prevent mildew and mould from getting cozy on your boat seats is to practice regular cleaning and maintenance.
Moisture, dirt, sunscreen, harsh cleaning products and lack of ventilation are the prime causes of your vinyl issues.
Try these simple do’s and dont’s for how to clean boat seats:
Do Wash Vinyl Seats Regularly: After you come in from a long day on the water, be sure to wash your vinyl seats with dish soap and water. Use a cloth to carefully scrub and clean each seat to remove dirt, sweat, and debris and sunscreen
Don’t Let Your Vinyl Seats Air Dry. After you’ve washed your boat seats, remember to always wipe them down until they are “completely” dry. Remember, when moisture is left on a surface that’s susceptible to high humidity, it creates the perfect breeding ground for mould.
Do Use a Protective Sealant: There are many top-rated brands on the market that can help you prevent the onset of mildew or mold from forming onto your cushion’s surface. Remember to do your research to find out which product is best for your fabric and follow all directions carefully. With no affiliation, Starbrite, 303 and 3M all are good products. Don’t use a product that takes out the plasticizes from the vinyl, leaving it hard and brittle. Ditto a bad product on the stitching will cause the cotton to rot.
Don’t Skip on Cleaning: If your instructions recommend that you apply a sealant monthly, remember to never skip a single session. Be diligent with your cleaning routine. It’s much easier to prevent the onset of mould than it is to remove it for good.
Have a particularly stubborn sunscreen stain on your seats? Read our tips to get rid of it!
How to Remove Mould Stains from Vinyl Boat Seats
Though removing mould from your vinyl seats is challenging, it’s not impossible. To help you clear off this harmful, unsightly fungus from your boat seats, try these simple do’s and don’ts:
Don’t Treat vinyl mould with Bleach: Resist the urge to use a powerful chemical like bleach to remove mildew or mold from your boat seats. Will it kill the mold? Yes, but in doing so, it can also damage your seat cushions and make you have to replace them sooner!
Do Invest in a Quality Mildew / Mould Remover: As with finding the best protective sealant for your boat’s upholstery, make sure you do your research to find the right mildew or mold remover, too. Make sure your product is (1) specially formulated for boat use—not home use—(2) is safe to apply to VINYL material and (3) doesn’t contain harmful chemicals like bleach.
Don’t expect your mildew / mould remover to work miracles: Removing mildew and mold from your vinyl seat cushions is difficult, which is why it requires regular maintenance. After you’ve applied the mildew remover and treated your seats, be sure to practice cleaning and drying your seats regularly to avoid further exposure to mildew.
Don’t allow the boats cover to rest on the vinyl seats particularity in the sun as it can discolour them badly. Pool noodles work well here.
Try to keep the boat ventilated with an air flow particularly in hot humid climates.
When it’s time to head in for the winter, make sure that after you have properly cleaned (and dried) your boat’s interior and exterior surfaces and keep it ventilated.
