vinyl seat cleaners

rhmcd

Recruit
Joined
May 7, 2012
Messages
1
We have a 2002 Odyssey pontoon boat with vinyl covers on the seats. Over the winter, and with the boat being in a closed boathouse, quite a bit of mold / mildew has gotten on the seats. Does anyone have any suggestion for a good, effective cleaner? Or, a suggestion on what NOT to use?
 

mrbusdriver

Seaman
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
64
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

I tried several different types of cleaners and nothing worked, so even though they say not to use anything with bleach in it I used Clorox Clean up then flooded it with water. Worked great then I used 303 on it.
 

calvinator

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Messages
286
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

x2 Clorox Cleanup. It has not discolored my vinyl or boat carpet. It will discolor my shorts and t-shirts! Works great but test it!
 

bajaunderground

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
1,401
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

Others have said the magic eraser works great too...

X2 on the 303 protectant
 

lncoop

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
5,147
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

Pretty sure the recommendation not to use products like Clorox Cleanup is the adverse effect it has on the thread, so be sure to keep it away from the seams, and as busdriver says, rinse thoroughly.
 

Haerterich

Cadet
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
14
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

Always have had great results using magic eraser on seats and sunpad. Even for scuffs and the ladies toe nail polish marks.
 

Jeep Man

Commander
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
2,803
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

Generally, I use a mild cleaner and Magic Eraser where necessary, followed up with a wipedown with a wet cloth, and then 303 protectant.
 

pugsley

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
39
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

I use orange hand cleaner used by mechanics mostly to clean their hands after working. There are numerous brands, comes with a pump. I have cleaned vinyl bimini tops and cruddy seats when hardly anything else would touch them. Pump a handful and rub onto the seats as if you were washing your hands or use a soft brush. Hose it off. It works great, at least it does for me.
 
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mnypitboat

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 31, 2010
Messages
1,091
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

My owners manual specifically says not to use anything with bleach or clorox in it. It says to use cleaners like 409 or the like. As mentioned, the bleach damages the threads.

I also use Mr Clean magic erasers. The standard works great on mold, but the extra strength gets off the tough stains. I have yet to find a stain I cant get off with those erasers. The good thing about them is you can localize the strength, and not get it on the threads if possible.
 

Georgesalmon

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
1,793
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

I have had some success with a paste made out of plain old "arm and hammer" baking soda.
 

WaterDR

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
730
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

Here is the conundrum.....you need an oxidizer to get rid of the mildew like bleach, but I would never use bleach on my boat.

My second pontoon I got a great deal on it because it was nasty as hell with mold and mildew. I cleaned the crap out of it. I used a product called Jungle Juice which is likely very similar to simple green and A LOT of scrubbing. I diluted the product about 50/50 and used a lot of it with some soft detailing brushes. Worked great!

I used some laundry detergent and a power washer on the carpet.

Took my two girls and I about 3 hours to clean it up. kept the boat for three seasons and sold it for 30% more than what i paid for it just because someone did not wan to clean it.

The key is keeping it dry!
 

The_Kid

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
447
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

I use Murphy's oil soap to clean my vinyl. A couple of ounces in a 16 ounce spray bottle. Spray a section of the seat and let it sit for a couple of minutes before hitting it with a scrub brush. I'll break out the harsher cleaners and the Magic eraser for any real stubborn spots.

It seems like the worse stains to remove are from leaves that sit on the vinyl and the little black dots from spider crap. The 22 year old seats on the pontoon look almost new.
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

Magic Eraser or actually the generic brand where you get more work but they work almost too well if you over do it. Given your seats are really bad, I would scrub them with the erasers and hope for the best but for just general cleaning of seats that are already nice, you can easily overdue it with erasers.
 

nuboater

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 14, 2008
Messages
37
Re: vinyl seat cleaners

Over the winter my blue cover left many blue stains on my white vinyl. I used rubbing alcohol and the stains came right off. Followed by rinsing with water and an application of 303.
The magic eraser works well also.
 
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