Pontoon cleaning/polishing

[Dommigirl]

Just bought a 2003 Godfrey Sweetwater. Need to work on the pontoons that are stained from being in the water long-term. What's the best cleaning and polishing compounds that you have used?

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

sno-bowl toilet cleaner from the dollar store for cleaning mineral buildup

if you plan on polishing, you will need to first clean, then wet-sand, then go thru multiple compounds to machine polish the aluminum logs, then you need to apply a sealant like sharkhide every few months in between re-buffing.

Im my mind, hit it with a brush and toilet cleaner to remove minerals, wash with simple green, then go boating.

 

[ThomW]

Star Brite Ultimate Aluminum Cleaner/Restorer works well. Spray on, let sit, then hose off. After that, any good aluminum polish should work.

 

[Toyelectroman]

I used white diamond metal polish from the auto parts store and it made my toons really shinny, but it took a lot of rags to buff it off

 

[Jvickroy1013]

I used white diamond metal polish from the auto parts store and it made my toons really shinny, but it took a lot of rags to buff it off

This stuff is amazing, Have not used it on my toon yet but I am going too this spring. This stuff is so easy to use and aside from wiping it away does not require much labor, No heavy polishing.

 

[5150abf]

Polished tubes look awesome for a couple weeks then they start getting hideous.

The aluminum is going to oxidize or "rust" there is nothing you can do about it, even sharkhide only last a short time and bumpers and docks will rub it off and the aluminum will oxidize.

Unless you want to constantly repolish the tubes just use one of the chemical cleaning methods mentioned above.

You can see the tubes on the boat anyhow

 

[clemsonfor]

It's going to take a lot of work every year to keep then shiney and at least one or two coats of protectant a year to keep it shiney.

But to me part of the speak of a too is the low to no maintenance of the toon part. Just let it be what it is and go boating. Mine are stained from dark lake water and oxadized and grey from years of age. Sometimes I wish they were shiney, but then I think of the money o .chemicals or labor to polish and I just live with it go boating and spend that time and money on something else.

 

[Capt Sully]

What's best to remove mildew from the seats ??

 

[clemsonfor]

I use something called I think mildew away. I get it at Walmart. It in a white spray bottle with a yellow sticker and a circle with a crossed through on mildew.

It's basically bleach. You can make a diluted bleach solution. Check on seats to make sure it does not change color. And watch carpet if you have it. But spray on and let sit then wipe off and use clean water to make sure you get it all off

 

[LarryNoel]

Honestly, Toilet Cleaner, followed by a quick buff and metal protectant works very well.

https://boatcrunch.com/clean-pontoons-polishing-boat/

 

[wrvond]

What's best to remove mildew from the seats ??

Wet the area with diluted vinegar then use a cloth or sponge to rub baking soda until the stains are removed. It's not necessary to rub hard. The vinegar kills the mildew and the baking soda removes the stain. Rinse well and coat with 303.