Pontoon Boat Detailing: Tubes, Vinyl, and Carpet Each Need Something Different

Pontoon boats are some of the easiest boats to own and some of the trickiest to detail well, because almost nothing on them is gelcoat. Most of what makes a fiberglass boat look tired, oxidized hull and chalky topsides, does not apply. Instead you have aluminum, marine vinyl, carpet or vinyl flooring, and canvas, each with its own chemistry and its own ways to get damaged.

The tubes

Pontoon tubes are aluminum, and in the water they pick up a brown or yellow stain at the waterline, plus a dull gray film of oxidation over time. Lake water with tannins and minerals stains them faster, and a pontoon that stays in the water all season gets the worst of it.

Cleaning tubes usually means an aluminum cleaner, and most of the effective ones are acidic. That makes them work and makes them risky. They need to stay off vinyl, carpet, and anodized rails, they need to be rinsed thoroughly, and they should never be used in the water at a slip, where the runoff goes straight into the lake. Tube work is a trailer job.

Once the tubes are clean, they can be polished to a bright finish or left with a clean satin look. Either way, a sealant or coating afterward slows down how fast the stain comes back.

Clean tubes on the trailer, never at the slip. The cleaners that work on aluminum are the ones that should not go into the lake.

The vinyl seating

Pontoon seating is a lot of marine vinyl, and it lives outside. Sunscreen, body oils, and spills soak into the grain, and in the seams and folds, moisture lets mildew grow. Mildew shows as black or pink spots that keep coming back.

• Use a vinyl cleaner and a soft brush to work into the grain and seams.
• Avoid bleach and strong solvents. They can strip the protective finish on the vinyl and weaken the stitching, which makes it crack and tear sooner.
• Treat mildew at the source, including the cushion seams, or it returns.
• Finish with a UV protectant made for marine vinyl, which slows the sun damage that makes vinyl stiff and cracked.

The deck

Pontoon decks are usually marine carpet or vinyl flooring over plywood. Carpet holds sand, water, and spills, and when it stays wet underneath, it grows mildew and can rot the deck below over years. It needs a thorough vacuum, extraction or a careful wash, and above all time and air to dry completely.

Vinyl flooring is easier to keep clean but can still trap water at the edges and seams, and it fades and gets slick with the wrong dressing. A non-slip protectant is the right finish, not a shiny one.

Rails, fittings, and canvas

Rails are often anodized aluminum, which should be cleaned gently, since harsh aluminum cleaners can damage the anodized finish. Stainless fittings get polished and protected against water spots. The bimini top and any covers get cleaned with products for marine canvas, then treated with a water repellent if the old one has worn off.

Where to do it

The deck, seating, and rails can be done at the slip. The tubes really need the boat out of the water on its trailer, where they can be reached and cleaned without the runoff going into the lake. If your pontoon comes out for winter storage, that is the best time to have the tubes done, so it goes back in next spring looking new.

Send us a photo of the tubes, the seating, and the deck, and tell us whether the boat is in the water or on a trailer. From those we can say what can be done where it sits.