Green Boat Cleaning Tips

How to clean your boat while also protecting the environment by using eco-friendly products and techniques (Guest Post)

Boating can be an absolutely wonderful experience.  Going out to fish, waterski, explore, or just relax can be a highlight of any weekend or vacation.  So why do boat owners have so many complaints, and where does that old complaint about the two best days of owning a boat come from?  Cleaning and maintenance are the usual culprits.

Cleaning is hardly anyone’s favorite activity, but with a boat it can be especially time consuming, particularly if you bring your boat in and out of the water frequently.  What’s worse is that the process of cleaning can actually be harmful to the environment.  There’s just something a little off about having a boating experience in the great outdoors and then blasting your boat with bleach or some other harmful chemical.  All things considered, some boat cleaning tips could probably come in handy!

1.  Clean your boat out of the water.  Protecting water sources from any chemicals released or used as a result of cleaning is much more easily done when the boat itself is not in the water.  Once you are out of the water, you can more easily control any runoff or spillage.

2.  Watch your fuel!  Some of the biggest messes boats make involve oil and fuel.  Check your boat often to make sure it is not leaking, and be especially delicate when fueling and performing oil changes.  We are all familiar with the fact that oil and water don’t mix; do your part when performing these boat maintenance activities and the ecosystem will be appreciative.

3.  Use an eco-friendly cleaner when cleaning your boat.  You can really step up your earth friendly efforts by switching your cleaners.  While people often recommend using less cleaner on your boat and more elbow grease (which is sound advice), you can up your contribution to the environment by switching to a more friendly product and using it at the lowest possible effective concentrations.  Switching cleaners can be helpful not just for environmental purposes but also for efficiency.  All-purpose green cleaners can help you clean your deck, your motor, as well as fiberglass and metal surfaces, and streamline the process.

4.  Take trash disposal seriously.  Of course one should not throw their trash overboard.  But you should also take care to dispose batteries, oil and oil filters, and hazardous waste at appropriate facilities.  You can also support green boating by joining a marina that helps you with these tasks and provides recycling facilities.  If your marina does not already do that, make it known that such changes are important.

Hopefully these green boat cleaning tips will make owning a boat a bit less onerous and allow you to spend more time enjoying your boat on the water.  After all, that is what boating should be all about!

GUEST POST BIO:

This guest post was provided by Robyn Schelenz on behalf of Bio Green Clean.  Bio Green Clean is an all-natural multi-use cleaning product used by many satisfied boating customers all across America.  Check out their website and read testimonials at biogreenclean.com

Also see our review of Seateak Quick Grip Boat Handle for easier hull cleaning while in the water!

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Diane Seltzer

View posts by Diane Seltzer
Diane is the founder of MyBoatLife.com as well as the boating lifestyle site for kids BoaterKids.com. Active in the boating industry, Diane has also led the marketing for multiple recreational boating businesses and startups.
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