There’s no feeling in the world that’s quite like taking a freshly detailed boat out onto the Percy Priest Lake. A gleaming exterior alongside a deep cleaned and fresh interior is sure to get attention out on the water. However, so many boat owners are unsure of how to detail a boat, and what the process looks like.
Should you do it in-home yourself, or take it into an experienced professional? Here’s a basic framework for what professional detailers do when they detail your boat.
How to Detail a Boat
Let’s run through the general process of what detailing a boat encompasses. The two main branches within auto-detailing are interior and exterior, and we’re going to cover both topics in this article.
1. Rinse it Down
The first step when detailing your craft should always be a rinse. Removing the surface bacteria, Tennessee water debris, and the other larger scraps that can be attached to your boat first will make the rest of the clean significantly easier.
You could use a normal hose for this job, but you’ll see professionals using power washers for the freshest possible clean. For all the following steps, it’s important to note that with larger vessels it’s best to take the boat one piece at a time. This will help avoid any streaks or hard water stains on the vessel.
2. Lather Up
Next, we’ll introduce soap, and as is true for all steps involved with detailing, it’s best to scrub by hand. A gel coat marine soap produce the best results, and here Detail Time, we love to use GTECHNIQ’s line for all of our polishing and washing needs.
It’s important to remember to wash the boat in pieces. If you let soap dry on the exterior by trying to wash the whole boat at the same time, you’ll be left with tough hard water and soap stains.
3. Protect That Shine
The two most important remaining steps are about preserving the cleanliness and luster of your boat. Though it’s no short process, you need to buff and wax the exterior of your vessel by hand. Cleaning your boat with the gel coat will clean your boat, but buffing it out by hand will prepare it for the wax’s shine.
Waxing your bought can seem like huge hassle at home, but it’s the only way to achieve that like-new shine. Waxing only small areas at a time, and buffing again in order to get that perfect shine is what truly sets Detail Time apart, as can be seen in the unmatched sparkle our clients’ vehicles get after being serviced.
4. The Interior
Even after the huge project that the exterior was, you can’t forget to deep clean the interior of your vessel.
It’s important to buy the right kind of cleaner for the various fabrics and surfaces in your boat. You can have an array of materials such as fiberglass, vinyl, carpet, cushions, aluminum, and more. When buying cleaning products, make sure they’re designated for the material you’re cleaning, and that they’re made for marine life.
Get your Boat Detailed
Does all of the work and out-of-pocket expenses sound like too big of a project to take on by yourself? Or do you still not know how to detail a boat? We totally understand.
That’s why at Detail Time, we offer the best boat detailing in the market, servicing the Nashville area as well as the rest of Middle Tennessee. If you want your boat detailed by professionals for an affordable price, check out our website and contact us for a quote!