Here’s how to clean mold off a boat cover or top, get stains off, and have it looking almost as good as it was when you first bought your boat.
Remove the fabric from the boat and lay it out flat.
Remove any loose debris and hose down the fabric.
Using soapy water and a soft-bristled brush, scrub the fabric. Allow the soap to sit for about 20 minutes.
Rinse away the soap.
If stains or mildew persist, use a specialty cleaner for the trouble spots.
Allow the canvas to dry completely.
The cleaning process for a boat canopy or canvas is simple.
The fabrics used for boat canopies are specially treated so that they are waterproof, and you wouldn’t want it any other way. It helps keep the fabric in good shape for longer, but that doesn’t mean it is impervious to getting dirty with mold, stains, black streaks and so on.
When it does need washing, marine fabric can be more difficult because you can’t use a washing machine or harsh chemicals.
Step 1: Remove the canopy
It is best to remove the fabric from the boat, if at all possible. Having the fabric on the ground will allow you to get into every part of the fabric with ease, and you will be able to scrub harder without damaging it.
This is also a great time to inspect the canopy’s hardware and clean any of the railings that hold it up.
Depending on where you’re doing the scrubbing, it might be a good idea to place a tarp under the canvas to protect it during the cleaning process.
For a light cleaning, it isn’t necessary to remove the canopy.
Step 2: Remove loose debris and hose down the canopy
There’s no point scrubbing away dirt that could just be pushed off the fabric.
Using a soft-bristled brush or broom, remove any loose debris. The bristles will pull up any of the loose stuff that is just hanging on.
Alternatively, you could give the fabric a good shake and brush away anything that’s left behind with your hand.
Hose down the fabric to remove any remaining dirt, and to prepare the canvas for the soapy water scrub.
Step 3: Scrub the vinyl or canvas
Now it’s time to get to work, but before you start scrubbing, you’ll need to make sure you are using a soap that won’t hurt the fabric or the environment.
Use the right type of cleaning fluid / soap
The most important part of this step is picking the right soap. You can’t use just any old detergent or dish soap on marine fabric because it could reduce the effectiveness of the waterproofing treatment.
I recommend using a mild detergent for this step such as Ivory Snow or Murphy's Oil Soap
What NOT to Use:
Detergents that contain bleach.
Detergents that contain ammonia.
Other harsh chemicals.
Scrub the canopy
Now it’s time to break out the elbow grease. Dunk a soft-bristled brush in your bucket of soapy water and scrub the fabric. You shouldn’t need to scrub too hard. The soap should do a lot of the heavy lifting for you.
Let it sit
Once you’ve scrubbed the entire boat canvas clean, you should let the soap sit for about 20 minutes. Some people like to leave it for an hour, some only 15 minutes, so it doesn’t have to be exact.
Step 4: Rinse the canopy down
Now you need to rinse away all that soap you just soaked into the fabric. All you need is a garden hose and some patience.
It is important to make sure all the soap rinses out of the fabric as soapy residues can collect grime and leave your fabric looking dingy.
Step 5: Get tougher on the stains and mildew
In some cases, a simple cleaning is all you need to remove any stains or mildew, but it isn’t always enough. If a stain or mildew persists after cleaning, you will need to treat the affected area with a cleaner.
I recommend 303 Multi-Surface Cleaner
Here’s how you use it:
Spray the stained area and scrub.
Allow it to sit for a few minutes.
Rinse it away.
If the stain persists, try a second treatment.
After you’ve cleaned one side of the fabric completely, it may be necessary to flip the fabric and clean the other side.
Step 6: Let it all dry
Once the boat canopy fabric is clean, you should let it dry completely before reinstalling it. Mildew and mold thrive in wet environments, so ensuring a thorough dry will help prevent the mold from recurring.
Can you use bleach to clean a boat canopy?
I never recommend Bleach on any boat fabric. Especially anything that has stiches. It might work on the fabric itself, but will disintegrate the stitching.
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