Nothing crushes your pride and joy of owning a boat than a rusty, old, and beaten-looking ride. However, you can turn that around by keeping watch on boat maintenance, making it look fresh and like new all the time. An essential spot to focus on when rounding up your boat health is the seats, as they could make an impression at first sight. To effectively carry over this task of cleaning and maintaining boat seats, here are some guidelines to follow:
Check what material your boat seats are made of
The components of your boat seats will command the cleaning solutions to apply. For the most part, you only have to wash the seats with freshwater and gently scrub residues and dirt with a mild soap solution to avoid mold and mildew from setting in. Most boat seats are made of vinyl cushions to be utterly comfortable. Waterproof marine vinyl provides stylish upholstery that can withstand the elements. To clean it, you need to treat it with a mild solution using a soft cloth or sponge before rinsing and drying thoroughly. Gentle routine cleaning helps keep the boat seats free from ugly stains, smelly odors, and other things that make them look unattractive.
Maintaining boat seats according to their type
Different boat seat types may be installed, depending on the style of your boat and your preference. Pontoon boats, which are used primarily for cruising, generally require a set of seating options that provide utter comfort. Lounge chairs, benches, sunbeds, and captain chairs are the typical choices for pontoon boat owners. Bass boats, which are usually meant for fishing in freshwater streams, lakes, and rivers, require more flexible seating. In this case, the function is placed higher than comfort, and folding chairs usually suffice. There are different cleaning and preventive maintenance regimes for different types of boat seats. Again, you have to determine their make and style to properly understand how to treat them.
Schedule a deep cleaning session in between boating seasons
Your boat usually takes a hard beating when you set it on sails during spring and summer. But when it is too cold or when the weather is unfriendly for a relaxing ride of the waves, you do not have another option but to keep it moored. Use that time to indulge your boat seats and entire boat for a deep cleaning treatment. After washing and rinsing, you may apply solutions that breathe new life to the seats. The frames will make do with fresh paint to look neat and stay protected from rust. On the other hand, the vinyl cushion may benefit from a quality sealant. If the upholstery looks dreadful, your best hope is to change the seat skins.
Regular boat seat cleaning and maintenance, on top of other things, can help make your boat look like new every sail session. Do not skip this if you want to sail with pride by keeping your ride looking impressive all the time.