See full version: Cleaning Pontoons with Toilet Bowl Cleaner: How to do it
You can choose to use a standard hose or your pressure washer to get the job done, but the objective is to get all of the cleaner off so you can see how well it got rid of any blemishes and stains. If there are any tough spots left, you can do some spot treatment by reapplying the solution with a sponge on the areas where you might need some extra cleaning. here
It’s only normal for a pontoon to accumulate all sorts of filth the more you use it. Stains, debris, algae, and scum can cover most of your pontoon’s tubes after a few uses, making them look like they were dragged through a muddy bog. But aside from the aesthetic problems they can produce, all of the filth can also weigh down on the performance of your boat and even cause long term damage if left unaddressed.
Here’s another household essential you might have lying around that also doubles as a pontoon cleaning solution. Vinegar is acidic which eats away stains on reactive bases like aluminum. So if you’ve got some tough stains, you can use a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar to get rid of them. Fill up a handy spray bottle with the mixture and perform spot treatment on any problem areas. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes and then wipe off to reveal the stain-free result. [links]
If you’ve got sensitive hands, you might want to wear some rubber gloves for the process. You also won’t need to scrub the solution too much onto the surfaces since you’re going to leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes so it can dissolve any stains or difficult debris. more
In a clean bucket, add about a gallon of warm water and mix in 1/2 cup of toilet bowl cleaner. This should be just the right concentration for cleaning your tubes. Then you can dip a large sponge into the bucket and start rubbing the surfaces of your tubes with the solution. more
Use CLR ® Stain-Free Carpet, Floor and Fabric—An all-purpose, multi-surface stain remover compromised of an eco-friendly formula removes tough water stains and spots. And when your done with your boat, you can use CLR Stain-Free Carpet, Floor and Fabric for your home. It’s great for painted walls, hardwood floors, baseboards, glass, metal, brick, concrete, marble, laminated countertops, and more. here
Jenny from South Carolina, our third CLR 101 Uses contest winner, says that she uses CLR to clean the water stains off of our pontoons. “We just spray it on and let it sit for about an hour and then wash it off with a pressure washer.”
Use CLR ® Metal Clear—A safe and mildly abrasive cleaner is perfect for polishing aluminum. It can help reduce drag by providing a smooth surface for the pontoon tubes so your boat can move easier through the water… saving you gas! [links]
Use CLR ® Mold & Mildew Clear —A safer and more effective cleaner than bleach, you can use it after every outing on your vinyl and fabric surfaces. The foam sprayer was designed to give you a more direct application preventing splash back as well as mold spores from spreading in the air—just spray and wipe. more
Boat seats and fabric coverings: more
Pontoon boats are not supposed to have water in them. Water in large amounts especially can cause serious damage to the engine, weigh down the pontoon boat, and make existing problems worse. However, it is common for small amounts of water to get through and not be an issue.
There are two main ways of fixing a leak in a pontoon boat. The first is welding the damaged area to cover it up and reseal it. The second is using a steel or aluminum compound putty to repair the area. Welding is generally considered to be better but much harder for the average person to do themselves.
A good rule of thumb is that about half the log or less of the pontoon should be under the water. So, for a 32-inch log, about 16 inches should be visible and 16 inches in the water. here
Like most pontoons that don’t get cleaned on a regular basis we have a few in stock that have a lot of mineral build up on the bottom half, below the waterline, of the tubes, which cleaner works best and how well will it work on mineral build up in some cases looks like concrete.
VS721 is a clear protective, super slippery coating that resists the attachment of marine growth and makes clean up much easier. When slime starts to form on the pontoons, if you wipe the slime off with a sponge, the pontoons will remain free of marine growth and mineral deposits. If the pontoons are not maintained, cleanup is usually a matter of pressure washing. VS721 is an annual application.
If the aluminum is still stained, for example from acid washing, or streaked from improper cleaning, salt pitting or staining from industrial pollution, you will need to buff them with Alumabuff until shiny again. With Alumabuff and a linear buffer, you can typically buff out a pontoon in less than 60 minutes. here