Cleaning non-skid surfaces and Wax

[mhfowle]

I'm having trouble cleaning the non skid portions of my deck on my S2. There is alot of ground in residue/dirt/etc... Does anyone know of an environmentally friendly way of cleaning these area? I was able to clean the rest of the deck with mr. Clean eraser spounges.

Also, what is a good wax for boat decks. I was using nu finish (which isn't a wax at all) because it's pure white and it doesn't leave the decks stained a wax color like some others. I found that nu finish doesn't last very long. Do I need carnuba wax?

Thanks

[NOLAsailing]

Any of the 3M boat wax products work well, in my opinion. Do a small area at a time though - they don't respond well to being left on too long.

I've heard some say Tide granules do a good job of cleaning non skid. However, if you go that route be sure you rinse and rewash carefully, otherwise your decks will be very slippery.

[sailingdog]

I've used StarBrite's non-skid deck cleaner with PTFE and it works quite well. I'm not exactly sure how a product with Teflon in it works to make a deck stickier, but the decks that have been washed with it seem to be more non-skid than the ones that haven't been. Hmm...

West Marine has a pretty good Fiberglass polish with teflon in it that was highly rated by Practical Sailor magazine, but I would hesitate to use it on the deck as it will probably make the deck pretty slippery. YMMV.

[cardiacpaul]

I'm a firm believer of the clabber girl cleanser with bleach and a brush with a 16 year old boy attached to the handle.

[sailingdog]

I prefer a 20 year old nubile boat bunny, preferably in a bikini, attached to the handle...but that's just me...

[14432]

Attach what you wish to one end of the handle but use a stiff brush on the other end. I start with straight Chlorox in a small "yard-type" sprayer to kill the mildew (I'm sure that part of what is down in the non-skid is mildew). Scrub with brush and rinse. After rinsing the Chlorox wash/scrub with Simple Green. Works great. Of course with the Chlorox you need to be wary of its corrosive powers.

[Parley]

Practical Sailor just did an article on cleaning/waxing non skid (Oct 2006). Woody Wax beat all others hands down. They state the non skid was left with a nice shine and most importantly, resisted mud and blood stains. Woody Wax also provided the best traction providing much more traction than untreated deck. For cleaning prior to waxing, they recommend either 3M or Meguiar's nonskid cleaners (reviewed in Jan. 2005 issue).

[TrueBlue]

I use plain ol' boatsoap, water and a soft bristle brush on my "non-skid" decks - but always brushing across the grain . . . saves the teak. ;^)

[sailingdog]

No teak deck...so don't worry about the grain on my boat... Teak decks are way too much work, and too hot in the summer time for my feet.

[Lecy]

Marine Tex makes a Deck Traction Wax that is pretty good.