The vinyl seats on our boat were custom made thirty years ago. We looked at how much it would cost to get them remade and we could not believe how expensive it was. We thought it would be a better idea to put that money into something more important rather than just making our vinyl seats more pleasing to look at. Keep reading to find out how to clean vinyl boat cushions.
30 Year Old Vinyl Boat Seats
I did quite a lot of research to figure out what types of products were okay to use on this expensive vinyl. Many sites were warning of products that would take off the waterproof coating and suggested buying fairly expensive marine vinyl cleaner.
After taking this into consideration I realized our cushions were already thirty years old and they were no longer waterproof. They were covered in years worth of mildew, dirt, sunscreen, and even some rust from an old winch that was sitting above their location on the boat.
I began cleaning the vinyl cushions with a light coat of Lysol Mold and Mildew Spray ($12) on each seat.
How to clean vinyl boat cushions
I gently scrubbed each cushion to ensure that it had an even coverage of the cleaner.
Removing Mold and Mildew from Vinyl Boat Seats
I let this first coat sit for about two minutes and then a rinsed each cushion with water. I repeated this step three times which helped get the many layers of “scum” built up on the cushions.
Cleaning Vinyl Boat Seats
I did not want to leave the cleaner on for too long because it did have some bleach in the solution and I was worried what the chemical reaction would do to the stitching. Two minutes seemed long enough to get deep but short enough not to damage anything.
I had two cushions that were improving but still not getting as clean as I would like. I decided to experiment with a magic eraser($4). I have previously used magic erasers while cleaning paddleboards and they worked like a dream so it was worth a try.
I started on a small piece to make sure it was not going to damage the material. It worked great and got the remainder of “scum” out leaving a noticeably cleaner surface.
Using a Magic Eraser to Clean Vinyl Seats
I was super impressed with the finished product. They are not perfect by any means but they look so much better than before! I also splurged a little bit and bought Star brite Vinyl Bright Protectant ($17) to protect them from the sun and all the adventures they are about to partake in 🙂
Refurbished Vinyl Boat Seats
If your vinyl cushions are relatively new I would invest in products that are a little more gentle and made specifically for vinyl to preserve the waterproof coating. But if they are super old and pretty far gone like ours were then these items did a great job bringing them back to life:)
I spent a grand total of $33 compared to the couple hundred it would have cost to have them remade.
Let me know if you have any questions!:)
Sierra
Great job…..:)
Great job. One thing worth looking into might be vinyl dye to restore them to as white as original. They make different vinyl dyes for redoing car seats. I’ve had excellent results with that stuff. It’s very inexpensive (under $20 or so all said and done). Just make sure you strip off all oils from the vinyl before starting.
33 dollars and elbow grease what a dramatic difference. If anything you have extending the life of them till in the future you decide to replace them.
Probably a little late but you can save some elbow grease for other projects by making a brush attachment for a power drill ( about $5). From you local Walmart or similar pick up a replacent round soap dispensing kitchen sink brush head, usually comes in a two pack. Then thread a 3″ long carriage bolt through from the bristle end and secure with a washer and a nut. Chuck the whole thing up in a power drill and get to scrubbing. You will find many uses for such a tool; grout, shower tiles, sinks… The possibilities are endless. Happy cleaning
Nice job! For older seat cushions that have been sun baked you may want to use white towels that can be sewn into custom slip covers. Not only will they block the UV from doing further damage and extend the life of the cushions, they can be removed and thrown the the wash when needed. One last nice point, your skin doesn’t stick to them.
white vinegar for mould and mildew,good luck.
ps billy check out B&G H50 handheld vhf with ais.
Cushions look great. Good job you guys!
Have you ever tried Awesome Cleaner from Dollar General Store? Another boat page turned me on to it and I never ceased to be amazed at what it will clean. Plus it’s really inexpensive, like $2 a bottle.
Anyway, good stuff.
All the best with your new cat.
Next project try automatic dishwasher gel. Just rub the gel into the material, let it sit overnight and rinse it off in the morning.
Now easily remove Vinyl Boat Cushions with help of Gestalt Pink Away Home Solution. Helps to remove all stains, vinyl from boat seats. It take a day to remove from boat seats.
Now easily remove Vinyl Boat Cushions with help of Gestalt Pink Away Home Solution. Helps to remove all stains, vinyl from boat seats. It take a day to remove from boat seats.
Yes! Gestalt created Pink Away solution. Apply the solution on pink stain. It removes in 60 minutes
3M cleaner is also great. I was amazed at how this product was so easy to apply to the vinyl and other leather parts of the boat. Meanwhile, I was also mesmerized by the ability of this product to restoring old furnitures in my boat. Apparently, it comes with a formula that restores and rejuvenates old furniture to make it look new again.
But the best feature that caught my attention is its capability to remove dirt in any type of seats, covers, boat bumpers and other similar materials quickly. As it turns out, it comes with a cleaning agent that masterfully remove any type of dirt in different parts of your boat.