Clean Boat Seats - Cleaning Mildew Stains On Vinyl
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- Need to clean your boat seats? What is the best boat seat cleaner? If you need to clean mildew stains from vinyl boat seats, there are lots of options and bad ideas. Cleaning stained marine vinyl seats in a boat can be very challenging. In this video I try several options to clean the stains on the vinyl upholstery in my boat. Mildew stains on boat seats are quite common and hard to clean.
What do you use for boat seat cleaning and have you found a product that removes all the mold and mildew stains from your boat seats?
Boat seats can be hard to keep clean, and old vinyl seats can get mold or mildew stains that are very hard to get out. Marine vinyl seats are durable, but when they get old and start to show their age, are there cleaners that will bring them back to new? There are lots of dedicated cleaners on the market, but I also try several other household products first, because I often hear how well they work so I try them out to see for myself! Find out which of these work best to clean the seats of my boat. I have tried many products and items including lemons, vinegar, Dawn dish soap, OrPine cleaner, Clorox bleach, lemons, Bar Keepers Friend, and Star Brite Mildew Stain Remover.
You can buy StarBrite Mildew Stain Remover here: amzn.to/3y1hXUQ
You can buy Bar Keepers Friend here: amzn.to/3A8A2Do
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
00:00 Introduction
00:53 What I have tried in the past to clean my boat seats
01:24 Can you use lemons to clean mildew from vinyl seats?
02:01 Can I use bleach to clean my boat seats?
04:21 Can you use Oxalic Acid to clean boat seats?
06:01 Does Star Brite Mildew Stain Remover work to clean boat seats?
11:09 Conclusions
#boatseats #vinylcleaner #cleanboatseats
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When using the Starbright Mildew remover you're doing it about 80% right. Try to apply in the shade, like you did, you need a medium brush and possibly a mild to medium 3M scrubby pad. Spray the area then scrub, let it work, come back mist lightly, scrub again, let it work, come back mist lightly let it work. You can wipe off the parts that get clean with rag and continue to work on the seams by, re-spraying, scrubbing and letting it work. On stubborn stains I've worked them for over 30 minutes to get them clean. Once your done Starbright does have a spray that you put on your cushions that blocks mildew.
Those 3M pads seem like they would scuff the surface like a magic eraser and many people say that's bad on vinyl.
Great video! Like the what doesn’t work, and what works. Elbow grease and patience added.
I use a 3 step process. First i clean the loose dirt off using Spray Nine & scrubbing. After rinsing that off i use a melamine sponge (magic eraser) to take off the more stubborn dirt.
Finally the only thing left is usually the mildew stains where I'm in the same boat as you. I gave up using mild cleaners & use Tilex or similar bathroom cleaners which will lighten the stains but never quite remove them completely.
The mildew spots on my seats have become stained. I saw another TH-camr purchase vinyl dye and basically paint their seats. It looked great but I have not gone that far. I give all the vinyl in my boat a good scrub with Grease Lighting at the beginning of the season then use 303 every other week to keep them nice and soft. The seats don’t look perfect but they are still comfortable and no one has ever complained.
Try "Zep" mold & mildew remover, then soft scrub to brighten then rinse off
Try absolutely fabulous- cleaned up my 20yr old boats seat pretty good and it was a couple of bucks at dollar general. Then i used vinyl protector to seal it and make it soft again.
Miracle Mist works fantastic! I tried Starbrite Mildew Cleaner twice today, with absolutely no improvement. Then got some Miracle Mist. Eliminated 95% of mildew on first try. A little more smell, but far better results. Never heard of either one before today.
I have never found Star Brire to be effective products. One product that really surprised me is Marine 31 mildew remover. There sre several videos of this product that look to good to be true, but they honestly don't due it justice. The stuff flat out works. FYI....I have a 2007 Donzi 32ZF with ORIGINAL UPHOLSTERY!
Wayne - big fan of yours here. I'm also a pretty new boat owner (of a bigger four winns - family had small boats my whole life) and I get a lot of help and value from your videos. Wanted to let you know that after hours of research I tired a bunch of different products, Including stuff they recommended at West Marine and none of worked well. I just tried Marine 31 yesterday and was blown away with the results. Much better than I expected. Hope it can help you.
Thanks - I think I'll have to give that a try!
I'm about to try the same, but believe you must rinse after use if it gets on threads. Bleach will damage threads if not rinsed.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy I used the Marine 31 on my pontoon boat seats and it was great, my neighbor used it as well and his boat seats were worse then mine, but Marine 31 made them look almost new. Just be sure to rinse and you don't need to scrub very hard with a microfiber cloth.
Perhaps once you have got it clean you could use something like vinyl revitalizer which contains a plasticizer to seal it and stop the mildew coming back so quick....
Good stuff Wayne! There is a mildewcide that can be mixed with paint. I'm wondering of it could be applied as a wash?
I’ve found that Star Brite product to be amazing. Let it soak for a minute or two and scrub then rise with the hose. Soft bristles on the stitching. Might have to repeat if it’s bad. Could be coincidence but seemed to work better on sunny days.
Interesting!
I agree. Star Brite makes good products. I'm using one of their products at home, to treat mildew spots which appear from time to time in my bathroom. It's almost magic. The spots disappear within a few seconds and they don't come back before months.
That said, I never had any mildew issue on my boat cushions. I'm living in a dry area and my cushions are dark blue... That helps, probably.
Those are some tough stains! One thing came to mind while watching. If you could find a good match, you might spray paint that vinyl like they do car seats.
In future when winterizing cover vinyl areas with terrycloth towels or auto headliner fabric for moisture absorption.
Just used Walmart star bright mildew spray with magic eraser. Magic Eraser is the key ingredient
Meguir's #39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner is hard core and works like magic compared to anything else I have tried...and I try hardcore stuff.
Marine 31 Mildew Stain Remover works well. Probably a little better than the Starbrite.
I just wanted to add like another did in the comments, Starbrite products are the best out there... I can personally vouch for the following: Hull Cleaner, Rust Remover (omg it's unreal how good this is), Rub Rail Restore, Stainless Polish and their boat soap (blue berry scent). I've tried so much and they are the best... The only product I use outside of these is 303 Aerospace Vinyl Protector and CRC to stop rust from forming on my engine.
Did you try a magic eraser?
If that doesnt work, you can always get some vinyl spray paint that matches your color closest and spray them. Properly prepped, the vinyl paint works great.
Looking forward to your videos, Brandon sent me!
Awesome! Thank you!
I used a mold cleaning product for bathing rooms called HG schimmelreiniger (its Dutch). Not sure if its available in the US. Spray on, wait 10 minutes, brush and rinse off with hose. Gets all stains out. Treat with a vinyl protector afterwards.
Neat - does it contain any bleach?
Several TH-camrs have put Starbrite up against Marine 31. Based on the results I'm going to order the Marine 31 and try it out. It looks somewhat stronger than the Starbrite. Maybe try that?
How did the Marine 31 work for you?
I have used marine 31.. it is equally expensive and probably the same product under another’s name, smells very much like bleach and used it along with a medium brush and it did do a decent job on my 1o yr old pontoon seats.
Starke works pretty good, but I'd suggest using vinyl spray paint after getting it as clean as possible.
I finally gave into trying pure bleach after trying many other methods without much success.l let it sit on the vinyl for 30 to 60 minutes to really work the area.didn't have to scrub either.I don't think a couple minutes is long enough for the real stubborn stains.I didn't notice any damage to the vinyl after the cleaning and applied a conditioner afterwards.
Works great
Auto detailers use steam and it seems to work well removing stains , could be worth a try.
Thanks! I might try that.
Auto detailer business owner here…Steam cleaning will take a lot of it off! BUT sometimes there’s still some small black mildew specks left. Fighting with a 72 bronco right now trying to get it completely off the vinyl seats. Cause the owner doesn’t want a roof/top 😫😫 hope he knows the mildew that we got off will be back without a top on it.
Mildew is the devil on any upholstery
Wayne. I have a house with white vinyl siding which had a lot of black drops in various places. I discovered it was spider poop and nothing would remove the stains. Tried everything until I discovered a product in one of those dollar type stores. Sprayed it on the stains and to my surprise they came off. I'm going to try it on my stained boat vinyl. Let you know what happens.
It's called LA's Totally Awesome Orange.
I have heard good things about that product!
I am from Toronto Canada Awesome Orange work great . I open the bottle that it come in and empty some in a bowl take a 4 inch paint brush and paint it with the Awesome on the area that needed to be cleaned. Take a dry clean cloth and wipe it out. Then take a pail with warm water and wipe it out..
Hope that helps.
Wayne I have just the thing to clean your boat seats and yes it actually works. I use Acetone. I know you're probably thinking that it's a little harsh but it won't hurt the vinyl at all and will return the seats to almost new condition. Just put some on a clean rag and rub it on in circular motion until the stains are removed. It will leave the surface feeling tacky or sticky until it dries. After you're finished I use a good vinyl protectant and it leaves the seat feeling nice and smooth. if you are concerned at all about it leaving a film you could wash with your seats with mild soap and water after but I never bother to do that. Give a try....
I have some acetone- I’ll check it out - thanks!
Like nail polish remover? Or like straight acetone?
@@WayneTheBoatGuy did it work?
@@k7roger following
Hello from Canada. Great videos Wayne. I have a 2008 19 ft Campion 542SC that I bought new in 2008 for about $42,000 Canadian. Now the same package is $80,000. Talk about boat prices going up. Great saltwater fishing rig that you can use on the lakes as well. Boat is always under cover so is real nice shape. The best products I have found for removing tough stains from vinyl are either acetone as James S mentions below, or high strength hydrogen peroxide. Have tried everything else and nothing seems to do much. The problem with acetone is that it can dissolve/melt the vinyl quickly and remove its surface finish and/or surface print if not a solid color vinyl, so best to test an inconspicuous place first. The hydrogen peroxide has a bleaching effect so also need to use with care. Leave it on the stain until the stain is bleached out and then remove - don't just wipe with a rag soaked with hydrogen peroxide - it won't do much. Vinyl stains are difficult to remove because the stain is usually in the vinyl and not just on it. Stains seem to penetrate it. I always start off with soap and water though, and work my way up through the cleaning products, and only use hydrogen peroxide or acetone as a last resort and sometimes even that doesn't work. Had a Daiwa SG47LCA Linecounter fishing reel laying against the seat and the gold finish on the edges of the reel left a stubborn orange stain on the seat that I couldn't remove without risking damage to the vinyl. Who would have thought a fishing reel would stain boat seats - was totally pissed! Ended up just leaving it. Happened a couple of times before I figured out what was going on. Keep the videos coming and btw I love the old 2-stroke motors as well. Have a 1985 Merc 2.2 and 1977 Evinrude 9.9 that I've had since new - both run great but don't use them much any more.
Starke mildew remover...was simply amazing...little pricey but it will take all that mildew right off....
I spilled acetone(the comercial one they sells at Home Depot)on my vinyl by mistake and it made it so clean and white but I’m afraid to use that on vinyl and that was last summer and still looks whiter than the rest, good thing it was only a quarter size drop.
Interesting!
I did the same thing. Size of a dime.
Interesting, I’m very tempted to try!!! If somebody tries it please let us know!!!
X14 works magic but be sure to clean it with a soap and thoroughly rinse afterwards. Next step would be magic eraser but keep in mind it’s a mild abrasive.
In Hawaii, we do have a humidity challenges which creates that same mildew problem. On my boat, I been using tile-ex, the bathroom spray product which I think is basically watered down beach. It seems to work well on my seat cushions that are maybe 8-years old and I assume are china made. For now the stitching seems to be holding, but we will see. My theory was not to brush it or apply anything abrasive that might make the surface of the material more porous which would provides more "pockets" for the mildew to grow? So far, I just spray on the tile-ex, let it sit and work then rinse it off and most of the spots and dark areas disappear. In all truth, I never considered that the bleach speeds the deterioration of the stitching, but that does makes sense. So bleach is a harsh chemical, but it works, I guess its a balance of aesthetic and longevity. Maybe a crazy idea, but could you use vinyl spray paint and make the cushions a dark color to hide the spots? Might actually seal the vinyl and thus no place for the mildew to pocket and grow, or might just make another problem? However, and as always I enjoy your channel and content. Keep up the great work! Stay safe!
Bleach is ok as long as you spray a good vinyl conditioner on afterwards. We use 303 here in Louisiana to help the stitching
You need to seal them when you're done.
Clorox 2 for colors is not bleach. It's a uv brightener soap, that's why it looks blue. Ps. if you hunt don't use any detergents with uv brighteners in them they make your camo glow at dawn and dusk.
Starbrite has worked best for me. Try saturating a clean rag with Starbrite and lay it on the bad section for a few hours. (Or a day)
Also….sunlight. Most stains on vinyl diminish after sitting in the sun for a few days.
I like the rag idea!
Thanks. Interesting. Sadly, I have also not yet found a magic solution! It's really frustrating, right!!
Pool shock, water with dawn soap leave on for 5 minutes . This has made our seats look like new.
The pool shock probably has a high chlorine content which is that double edged sword!
how much shock do you add to a gallon of water? and how much soap?
ever try Simple green? worked well on our RV
I tried Simple green on my boat vinyl. It was partially effective.
The mold is on the inside. moisture gets in through the stitches, so stains are coming out from the inside.
I know that boats spend most of their time in use in the sun, which is a big reason why the majority of boat interiors are predominantly white or other lighter colors. The constant battle with mildew/mold stained seats is enough for me that if I ever have my boat reupholstered it's going to be either black or some type of very dark grey color. Obviously the mold/mildew issue will still remain, but keeping the stains from being visible will be much easier with a dark neutral color than some type of white based color. I don't even care if the dark seat would burn me alive every time I sat on, it'd still be worth it to me.
It's like buying dirt colored carpets! I always tell my wife that I like carpets that look like dirt.
Star Bright stain and rust remover works awesome on the seats and fiberglass for mildew and hard water stains
Magic eraser with lil purple power cleaner.. let it sit few mins.. lil water.. dont over do it ..gets nost out.. some of black spots will have to stay.. another trick is Pro Tek multipurpose environmental stuff same way. Last trick is 1 i used when i worked in a vinyl upholstery shop!.. gasoline & white rag!
StarBright is great.
Also SprayNine. and finally a 'cocktail' of Comet and SparyNine wait 2-3 min Scrb again and thouroghly rinse off.
Wash down the area with mild dish soap to remove any residual chemical.
Finally use a vinyl 303 Protectant Polish/restorer to protect the material.
Does the Navy have a solution? Doubt these stains would be tolerated. Have you contacted DOD? They can really be helpful in matters such as this.
I used liquid bleach mixed with water probably about 1 to 5 ratio and put it in my bleach sprayer and I sprayed everything on my boat and it killed all of the mold then all I did was hose it off I had very dark black looking mold in my bathroom and I sprayed it all down gone within a minute I don't know about the stitching being corroded with bleach but it's what I used and it worked your bleach with color is probably doesn't have the chemical in it to kill it like straight up liquid bleach
To prevent this I use 303 quite a bit. 4 years later the seats still look brand new. Keeping the boat in the garage helps as well... 😂
Garages are the best - but I’ll never have one that fits my big boat.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy Garages are not large enough for boats. Barns are. But unless you're living away from towns, who can afford to have a barn for his boat nowadays? Hum... I'm afraid we have to stick with covers... and mildew!
how about regular old mineral spirits. We clean vinyl floors with it all the time.
Bad mildew staining on pontoon. Started 4 years ago in one spot then snowballed. Because of cleaning products applied in sun orange staining has occured
There I a product named X14.
It kills mildew on tile in seconds. ☆☆ Have plenty of ventilation.☆☆ I've never used it on vinyl. It's made in San Diego by the WD40 company. Ironically, California banned it about a decade ago. Zep is another mildew killer. Home Depot carries it.
Marine 31 seems to rule TH-cam. Have you tried a magic eraser?
Best way to remove stains is take off your prescription glasses 🤓
It does make a lot of things less noticeable!
Only go fishing at night.. the boat looks amazing in the fish don't care :-)
marine 31 works very good
Combine the Star brite with a magic eraser
Marine 31 works great!
Yeah I need to try that!
@@WayneTheBoatGuy Literally just the same problem. I could if made this video! Spray it, let sit for 5 min, lightly scrub. Let me know how it works for you! Amazing stuff
There are a bunch of additional suggestions touted in the comments. Why not put likely-sounding ones to the test also?
Bought Starbrite- tried it while scrubbing. Did nothing. Left it soaking on the seat overnight. Did nothing. Just as good as water. Save your money.
I believe steam would be effective when used with the cleaner
I plan to try steam in the future!
@@WayneTheBoatGuy - Do a video on using a steamer if you get one to try out.
Any detergent that’s “bleach for colors” isn’t actually bleach. It’s just a play on words for advertising purposes to make you think “my colors will be as clean as my whites get with real bleach.” Real bleach would bleach your colored clothes. You need to try a real bleach product. Just like the threads in your clothes, if you don’t rinse the thread super well, your thread will deteriorate but just try to steer clear of the stitching as well as you can and rinse very well. Bleach is only for every once in a while cleaning, maybe yearly or every other year. After some research, I have found for weekly or monthly cleaning, that it takes one product to kill active mildew and a different product to remove the stains left by the mildew… so annoying, but worth knowing. Good luck!
Did you try The Works with hydrogen peroxide 50/50?
I did not.
"Bleach" for colors is not sodium hypochlorite which is a chlorine bleach. It is a different chemical - a peroxide. Totally different. Bleach does work the best but should be diluted. It is in all the commercial mold removers.
Liquid chlorine from the pool section. Put it in a sprayer.
30 seconds outdoor cleaner mixed with miracle mist will do the job
Would a power washer work?
Could be a bit intense in vinyl. Also I haven't seen a power washer do more than I can do with a good scrub brush on other surfaces.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy just a thought... in my mind it was a lower intensity nozzle. Just less elbow grease I guess
I've used a 3100 psi pressure washer with the 40° nozzle on my vinyl and it helps without cutting. But be careful! 4-year-old seats.
Hydrogen peroxide or simple green?
Use Marine 31 best mildew cleaner on the market...
Miracle Mist and a magic eraser.
I hear mixed things about magic erasers. On many surfaces I can clearly see where they have been abrasive.
i had some luck with a magic eraser
If left to long, mildew causes permanent damage to the vinyl paint. No amount of bleach will be able to clean that. If I where you just try pure bathroom bleach. It’s nice to see you worried about the stitching but you have come to a point where this cannot be removed at all or only in a way that might slightly damage stitching. But then again it looks like the damage is already done anyways. Just rinse or neutralize the bleach with a light acid. Next boat don’t leave the mildew on the surface so long :p clean with hydrogen peroxide 12% this will remove mildew without the corrosive properties of bleach.
It’s a challenge! Best effort kind of thing if you ask me. Thanks for an honest video! Most of the clowns out there have agendas and are sideshows. . I think you just have to live with best efforts. Kind of like a wife.
I bring my seats home
What about peroxide?
I have not tried that
white vinegar baking soda water will do it.
Magic eraser.
Apparently that damages the surface of the vinyl.
Chlorox for colors is not bleach
It was worth a try!
Original bleach will take it all out less then a minute that color boost bleach is definitely not bleach 😂
You should not use acidic\abrasive cleaners on your boat seats, they break down the UV coating in original production and will shorten the vinyls life span.
If you remove your cushions every year, clean them and stored them before storing your boat for winter, MILDEW will not happen.😁😁Just do the extra....
Fish eat year-round :-) I never winterize my boat because I'm using it
@@818773 I pull my cushions off every fall, clean and treat but 4 years later now getting mold. Scout boat . I keep my boat clean I just dont understand it bad luck I guess - rather save the good luck for the fishing
HA
You didn't even use bleach!!! Clorox for colors does not contain bleach
Straight pool schock
That's what ruined some shirts of mine as a kid!
You can't remove the stains I would try using my wife 😂
lemon
That's not bleach
The vinyl has lost its surface finish it is not mildew
Try using scrubbing bubbles. You know, the bathroom cleaner!
Soft scrub with bleach.
I have a solution that we'll take out all of mold staining on your seats.
Are you waiting for someone to ask you what your solution is? If so, I'm asking.
I found this on youtube. This guy likes vinegar and warm water. Just search youtube for DO NOT Use These Products to Clean Your Boat's Upholstery. All bleach, alcohol and harsh scrubbing is bad for the vinyl and stitching.
Lysol worked for me. Just buy a new cushion and this time don't wait 20 years before you try and clean it.
When I bought the boat the cushions were 20 years old already.