Boat Upholsteries are designed to withstand the harmful environmental conditions they encounter. Boat upholstery manufacturers utilize marine grade vinyl to cover seats since it’s known for its ability and strength to stand up to grime. Compare with most other man-made fabrics, vinyl is highly resistant to humidity and moisture, which is the reason why it’s become the standard for marine products like boat seat, boat seat covers, boat upholstery and so on. However, there’s only so much that vinyl can bring without breaking down or getting old.
On the off chance that you’re not giving your boat upholstery proper care while not using it, they’ll accumulate dirt and dust that damages them over the long run. If you want to protect your valuable upholstery for the long-term, you’ll need to take care of your upholstery while not using it and protect them against harmful UV rays from the sun.
The vinyl material that is skillfully designed stretched and sewed over the foam padding on seats, cushions and other different upholstery materials on your boat is designed particularly for marine applications with inhibitors that resist mildew and UV-rays from the hot sun. You can preserve the beauty and extend the life of your boat upholstery even further by taking proper care and protect the vinyl material and the stitching that holds it all together.
Not all vinyl of your boat upholstery is made same. There are different grades of vinyl, which are designed for different purposes and have various qualities. Marine grade vinyl is designed for applications in the conditions that a boat will encounter when it’s being used. Within the marine grade category, there are a couple of various sorts of vinyl. Some are intended to look perforated or like fabric. It’s a best idea to check with the maker to see whether there are any unique considerations in the event that you have some different option from the standard marine-grade vinyl.
After you checked your vinyl grade you can follow these tips to take care of your boat upholstery while not using it-:
Remove Upholstery
A lot of today’s new boats come with removable upholstery, for example, forward seating pads that give comfort to guests when riding boat for fun. In any case, this often light-colored upholstery can become trampled as anglers man the anchor or battle fish around the bow. Before you store your boat at the time not using it, remove such upholstered items and store them inside to protect them from the harmful UV rays and other environmental elements.
Clean and Dry
Thoroughly clean your boat upholstery utilizing a sponge with mild soap and fresh soap, and wash thoroughly with fresh water after each boat ride to remove salt and contaminants, for example, dirt, mildew and sunscreen. After that dry all of your upholstery with a clean towel, ensuring the vinyl is free from dust and moisture, especially around the creases. This will help prevent the formation of mildew that can produce ugly, dark stains. It will likewise help prevent “pinking” stains from developing on your boat seat, coaming pads and backrest.
You’ll need to make a regular schedule for cleaning to keep your boat upholstery look new and extend the life of them. On the off chance that you get into habit, you will not forget what you need to do when. How frequently you clean will rely upon how regularly you utilize your boat and how dirty it gets while you’re out. On the off chance that you notice any apparent grime, it’s best to scrub.
Avoid Harsh Chemicals
Upholstery coverings need to remain supple and soft to prevent cracks from developing and for comfort. Harsh chemicals like acetone, bleach, alcohol, glass cleaners containing ammonia, and paint remover—chemical you should seriously consider to remove stains or dirt—can harm the upholstery. These chemicals will in general turn vinyl and other upholstery covers hard and fragile, and that leads to uncomfortable seating and cracks in the upholstery. These chemicals can likewise weaken and harm the thread used to sew piping and seams in the boat upholstery. So try not to utilize any of them on your upholstery, regardless of the fact that you are so desperate to clean stubborn stains.
Cover the Upholstery
Indeed, even the today’s upholstery coverings, designed to resist UV rays, can eventually succumb to long-term exposure to sunlight. This can bring about unattractive rust-like staining and brittleness. That is the reason it’s necessary to keep your boat interior protected with a boat cover when not being used.
Boat covers made from fabrics, for example, resistance against UV rays from hot sun to keep the upholstery and other interior surfaces looking new for as long as possible. Also, the water resistance nature of such covers helps keep your upholstery dry during rain storms and on mornings when there’s heavy dew. The drier the upholstery, the more uncertain it will develop mildew and pinking.
Deep Cleaning
Over time, mild stains and grime can deface the textured surfaces of your upholstery, giving your seats and coaming pads a grimy appearance. That’s when it’s the best time for a deep cleaning with a product such as, West Marine Instant Vinyl Cleaner or Star brite Ultimate Vinyl Clean. Whichever brand you pick, follow directions cautiously. After a deep clean, apply a treatment, for example, Star brite Vinyl Brite or West Marine Moisturizing Vinyl Protectant as directs. These treatments help keep the boat upholstery flexible and add UV protection.
Taking the time to take care and protect the boat upholstery when not using it protects your investment and saves you the time and cash of rashly replacing your boat seats cover and boat carpet. Meanwhile, you’ll enjoy greater solace and perhaps a couple of praises as fellow boat owners admire your like-new boat upholstery.