tips for cleaning fiberglass hull before winter storage? freshwater boat

[irish1985]

hi all. i'm sure this topic has been covered before so i apologize in advance if that's the case... after a quick search i couldn't find anything.

i'm pulling my '86 bayliner out of the water this coming weekend, and will surely have a boat load (heh) of plants and algae on the hull. the boat is fiberglass and is in fresh water, not salt.

i have a cheap brush and bleach, but wanted to check in and see if there are any other product recommendations and/or tips before i head into town. it's an older boat and i certainly don't need it looking perfect, just want to properly get her ready for winter storage.

i checked out this page but it looks like it's more intended for boats in saltwater: How To Clean Your Hull, iboats.com How To Library

thanks a lot!

 

[90stingray]

Re: tips for cleaning fiberglass hull before winter storage? freshwater boat

I would probably start with a power wash and then review the hull. Most likely a soft scrub brush and soap will do the trick. Maybe some hull cleaner if you have a stain from water line still left. I dont like to use too much of the hull cleaner as its an acid and stains the trailer and my driveway. Plus all the protective equipment you are supposed to wear. Not sure how many use bleach to clean boats. I am sure others will chime in... goodluck!

 

[babbot]

Re: tips for cleaning fiberglass hull before winter storage? freshwater boat

Bleach does not clean very well. It kills the bacteria but it will not clean very well. Gonna want to use soap and water with a brush. If that is not strong enough there are other cleaning products as stated by stingray. Dont forget a wax after cleaning. Power washer will work but you must be careful as some are very strong and can put holes in things.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: tips for cleaning fiberglass hull before winter storage? freshwater boat

I go directly from the water to the car wash and pressure wash the heck out of it.... works toilet bowl cleaner takes off anything that the car wash does not.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: tips for cleaning fiberglass hull before winter storage? freshwater boat

Iron Out . . . gets rid of the brown (iron) stains on the hull . . .

Here is my boat after a season in fresh water. . . No amount of cleaners, clorox, scrubbing, etc would remove the stain . . .

Then I sprayed the hull with Iron Out and sat and had a beer. . . I came back and it looked like this . . .

Then, I rinsed the hull off and started to grind out the blisters

 

[irish1985]

Re: tips for cleaning fiberglass hull before winter storage? freshwater boat

awesome, thanks everyone

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: tips for cleaning fiberglass hull before winter storage? freshwater boat

West Marine carries this stuff called "On and Off" which worked great taking off caked on algae growth on a Jet Ski I bought. Definitely want to be careful and use gloves and goggles since you can hear it eat at cement

 

[25thmustang]

Re: tips for cleaning fiberglass hull before winter storage? freshwater boat

Iron Out works great, as shown above. Keep in mind, it can be very nasty to breathe in. I made the mistake of mixing it too strong and heading into the bilge without a good enough respirator. Felt a bit woozy after that.

You should be good though with cleaning the hull. Maybe some polish and wax after.