Boat seats can take a beating over winter storage and summer use in 2021. Cleaning and maintaining vinyl boat seats are important for you and your guests and lengthening the use of your boat furniture.
There are many boat cleaning products that you can purchase on Amazon or at your local hardware store but we recommend trying something you already have in your house – dish soap.
Thank you for visiting us learning some best practices for cleaning boat seats. You may also be interested in our recent posts about bumpers, fenders, and accessories, portable toilets & privacy enclosures, replacement flooring options, and snow covers for the winter.
Steps to Cleaning Your Vinyl Boat Seats with Household Products
1. In a bucket, combine a small amount, 2-3 drops of dish soap with warm water.
2. Use a clean cloth or sponge to lightly clean off the seats. Try not to let the water pool.
3. Rinse with clean water and dry with a clean towel.
That’s it. A couple of drops of dish soap and some clean warm water.
Steps to Cleaning Tough Stains on Your Vinyl Boat Seats
1. In a bucket, combine a small amount, 2-3 drops of dish soap with warm water.
2. Use a clean cloth or sponge to lightly clean off the seats. Try not to let the water pool.
3. Rinse with clean water and dry with a clean towel.
4. If stains still persist, utilize a small mix of alcohol and water and a soft brush in a circular motion. ** Do not use cleaners that contain ammonia, bleach, Windex or Simple Green. They can easily scrub the color off of the material.
How to Protect and Maintain Vinyl Boat Seats
1. Clean your boat seats often with the instructions above.
2. Use a marine vinyl conditioner and protector a couple of times a year.
3. Utilize boat seat covers when your boat is not in use.
4. Protecting and maintaining vinyl boat seats are super important to the lasting value of your boat. During the season, we recommend covering your boat seats, even if you use a mooring boat cover or canopy when not in use.
- Gives vinyl a protective treatment
- Cleans vinyl to keep it looking new
- Restores natural sheen
We’re an Amazon affiliate and we hope you love the products we recommend! We may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. These images are provided by the Amazon Product Advertising API.
When Should I Clean My Vinyl Pontoon Boat Seats
We recommend cleaning and protecting your vinyl boat seats 3-4 times a year.
- Before winter storage
- When opening the boat in the spring
- Prior to summer use
- Following summer use
How To Replace Your Pontoon Boat Seats
To prolong the life of your boat and pontoon furniture, we have you covered – ha! Read our detailed guide to boat furniture covers here.
Can You Use a Magic Eraser To Clean Your Vinyl Pontoon Boat Seats?
We get this question a lot and yes, more than likely, you can use a Magic Eraser on your white vinyl boat seats. That said, colored seats must be tested in a small area, perhaps under the seat, before using throughout. Use your best judgment and test thoroughly.
I know this has been mentioned before, but I thought I’d just add my voice to the chorus of praises for the Magic Eraser. It ain’t cheap, but it IS amazing. If you have marks on the boat upholstery and have tried everything to no avail pick up six or eight of these little jewels and I promise you’ll be more than pleasantly surprised.
-iBoat Review
- While Some Other Eraser Sponges are too small, don’t work, or simply fall apart, we raised the bar and designed our eraser...
- Just Add Water to Erase – Put away that smelly bleach. Say no to abrasive, corrosive chemicals. Grab the gentle and...
- Trusted By Professional Cleaners – Whether you have an occasional mark or a large cleaning company, you will enjoy the...
We’re an Amazon affiliate and we hope you love the products we recommend! We may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. These images are provided by the Amazon Product Advertising API.
How to Clean Your Vinyl Boat Seats with Marine 31 Mildew Remover
1. Spray directly onto surface and allow 1-3 minutes for penetration.
2. If necessary, agitate the surface with a brush or terrycloth towel.
3. For stubborn stains, allow cleaner to penetrate for 5 minutes before agitating.
4. Thoroughly rinse and dry surface.
5. Treat with Marine 31 Mildew Guard to protect treated surfaces.
Marine 31 is one of the most reviewed and highest rated vinyl seat boat cleaning products on Amazon. We suggest using if only if household soap is not working on your seat. Why spend the money?
This product does not prevent mildew or mold, only removal. Works very well on my boat upholstery, which is why I bought it. Each season I have to remove winter’s crud from my boat. They work well on lawn furniture as well.
-Marine 31 Review
Best Vinyl Boat Seat Cleaning Products
As mentioned above, do not use these products unless you tried the cleaning process stated above. Many of these may have ingredients you can find in your house already, like soap!
We’re an Amazon affiliate and we hope you love the products we recommend! We may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. These images are provided by the Amazon Product Advertising API.
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