How to Clean a Waterline while the Boat Remains in the Water

To properly clean a waterline, boat owners must know what type of bottom paint they have. This is important so the paint isn’t removed or damaged while taking care of the waterline. Shurhold Industries offers the tips and tools to clean this important area. A video of the process can be viewed at http://shurhold.com/article/clean-n-simple/how-do-i-clean-my- waterline/.

Those looking to work from the boat or dock will need a bucket filled with properly mixed boat soap, Shurhold extension handle with a soft brush, medium brush, curved adapter and light-duty Swivel Scrubber. Also, since the boat is in the water, owners shouldn’t work with any harsh chemicals that may hurt the environment.

Owners should clean a small section at a time. They should start by rinsing the area to soften and loosen the scum with the pressure from the hose. When they begin to scrub they’ll want to start with the softest tool and only move up to harder tools as needed. Also, Shurhold’s curved adapter will help reach those odd angles from both the dock or the boat.

When working with a very soft ablative paint, owners should only use a soft brush and be careful to not smear it. They should only brush along the scum line above the paint from side to side or use one directional strokes down. Pulling up could bring soft paint onto the clean hull sides.

Many boat owners also find the best way to clean the waterline is from a small work raft, kayak or even standing near a sand bar and doing it up close by hand. In this situation, owners will need a spray bottle filled with properly mixed boat soap, soft brush, light-duty scrub pad, Magic Eraser sponge and suction cleat.

The suction cleat is key because it gives owners something on the hull to hold on to while they scrub and prevents them from pushing the boat away. As before, they’ll want to work a small section at a time and spray it with the boat soap. Then, they can work that area in a horizontal scrubbing motion to loosen and get rid of the scum. Tougher areas that leave some staining are then easy to address with a Melamine sponge like the Magic Eraser. Using this same motion with the sponge, owners will find that the staining and scum come right off.

Nothing looks worse than a boat cruising around with a dirty scum line. Regularly cleaning the waterline with nothing more than a soft brush once a week can keep the hull looking good with little to no effort.

Shurhold’s Handles start at $6.98, while the Swivel Scrubber attachment is $25.98 and Brite Wash boat soap is $11.98 for 32 oz.

Dedicated to educating boat owners, Shurhold provides key tips for boat value preservation at www.shurhold.com. Inventor of the One Handle Does It All system, Shurhold manufactures specialty care items and accessories to clean, polish and detail.