Teak Cleaners & Protectants

Marine Teak Cleaners and Protectants Resources and Information

PartsVu is thrilled to offer a complete selection of marine teak cleaners and protectants from top manufacturers, including Star-brite, MDR, Snappy Teak, Boat Life, CRC and others. The finish on your boat’s teak flooring and accents requires a particular cleaning formulation to avoid damage. Don’t risk harming your teak by using any generic cleaning product. Stick with PartsVu’s selection of marine cleaning products from the most trusted manufacturers in the industry. 

Looking for more boating and marine products? Check out our complete selection of Products and Accessories or Cleaning and Care products. Or, browse our broader category of Boat Cleaners, Protectants, and Degreasers.

Boat Teak Cleaners and Protectants FAQs

What are some of the best boat cleaners?

Star Brite Instant Hull Cleaner – Remove scumline, rust stains, and grassy marine growth quickly and easily with this cleaner. You don’t even have to do any rubbing, simply wipe on and rinse off the solution to reveal spotless fiberglass.

Star Brite Instant Black Streak Remover – This popular spray-on cleaner instantly removes unattractive streaks caused by water run off. It can also be used to lift dirt and grime on metal and painted surfaces in addition to fiberglass.

Marine Spray Nine – Another convenient spray bottle cleaner, this product is an excellent degreaser. It also eliminates odors, kills germs, prevents mold, removes streaks and stains caused by food or drink. It’s safe to use on almost any hard surface.

Orpine Wash & Wax – This environmentally friendly boat soap and wax comes in a highly concentrated formula so a little bit goes a long way. It’s an excellent product for removing salt and dirt from fiberglass as well as metals, wood, and plastic.

Star Brite Sea Safe Boat Wash – This boat wash is very concentrated and powerful against stains, dirt, salt, grease, and oil. In addition to fiberglass, you can use it on metal, glass, or rubber. 

Orpine Bilge Cleaner – This heavy duty, concentrated cleaner dissolves oil, grease, and fuel from your bilge. With its fresh scent, it also effectively removes mildew odors from bilges.

Star Brite Non-Skid Deck Cleaner – This is a high quality deck cleaning product that is used by the pros. It’s safe to use on textured fiberglass, painted decks, vinyl, teak, and metal. The cleaner leaves a protective coating that repels dirt, stains, and UV damage.

What are the best tools for cleaning my boat?

Gilmour Marine & Recreation Hose

Hosing down your boat is a simple but necessary task, as it rinses away harmful residue. This specific hose is powerful with high burst strength and easy to coil with kink resistance. It has a durable exterior that won’t mar your boat surfaces. The hose is ideal for use while boating or around the dock. It also meets FDA standards so zero impurities are imparted to the water.

Gilmour Plastic Nozzle

This high-quality nozzle easily attaches to the Gilmour Marine & Recreation Hose. It’s specifically designed for marine use, as it resists corrosion caused by saltwater. The durable polymer body on this nozzle includes an internal spring mechanism, making cleaning your boat safe and easy.

PVA Towel

Star Brite’s 27″ X 17″ PVA towel is a must-have for all boaters. It absorbs 50% more than natural chamois making it an excellent tool to try key areas of your boat before turning in for the day. It’s highly resistant to mold and doesn’t leave behind any lint residue or streaks when drying off your boat. It’s also conveniently machine washable.

Star Brite White Cotton Diaper Polishing Cloths

Super soft and absorbent for special cleaning jobs. 17″ X 17.5″ 100% pure cotton diapers are the best cloth for polishing.

Reggae Sponge (or Mitt)

Both of these products are made of microfiber that is highly absorbent yet soft, so you can be sure it won’t scratch your gel coat or painted surfaces. You can use either the sponge or mitt wet for washing, or dry for dusting. The sponge has a special scrubbing side that quickly removes tough stains and scum lines. Both products are machine washable.

How do I clean my boat? 

As a checklist for a thorough boat cleaning, the following are the parts of your craft that you’ll need to clean and detail:

• Hull
• Decks
• Superstructure
• Flybridge
• Swim platform
• Interior (ie. cabin, engine room, bathroom)
• Stainless steel/chrome elements
• Seating/upholstery
• Windows
• Fenders
• Carpeting
• Outboard motor(s)

It’s often easier to tackle a DIY job in one block of time. Some products, as a wax and color restorers, take time to set, but you can busy yourself with other tasks in the meantime.

You should clean your boat every 4 – 12 weeks to protect your boat’s surfaces. Buildup of salt and dirt interferes with a metal’s ability to resist corrosion. Additionally, Gelcoat and marine vinyl are porous surfaces, thus have characteristics that allow them to absorb water, dirt, and grime from their surroundings. Unprotected vinyl seats are more likely to develop mold and more likely to fade and crack with frequent sun exposure. Lastly, fiberglass that is uncared for will stain and discolor more easily over time, notwithstanding simply degrade through oxidation and literally chalk away.

However, you may need to clean more often due to a number of factors:

• Geographical location
• Water temperature
• Water salinity
• Usage (frequency and duration)
• Boat speed

Boats that are used heavily at high speeds will experience less fouling of the hull, whereas boats that sit in the dock will accumulate more than a boat that is used frequently.

The hull of your boat is under constant exposure to the elements. Given enough time, water and sunlight can degrade the gel coat of your hull and other exposed material, leading to corrosion and browning.

Luckily, regular cleaning can protect and restore your hull. While many boating enthusiasts recommend a mixture of dish soap with warm water for regular boat cleaning, there are a number of drawbacks to this method (see tip #9 below). Also, avoid using any abrasive cleaners, such as bleach or ammonia, which can weaken the hull or cause dangerous chemical reactions.

For the best results, use boat products specific to your hull material and coat – including cleaners, protectants, and degreasers. By following the directions of each product to clean according to mixture recommendations, you can make sure your hull gleams out on the water.

What are the best boat wax products?

Star Brite Premium Cleaner Wax – One Step Heavy Duty Cleaner Wax is formulated specifically to remove oxidation and hazing from fiberglass or painted surfaces. The special polymers seal the restored finish to keep it looking its best while providing unmatched protection against UV rays and a deep, long-lasting gloss. Application is simple, whether by hand or with a buffer; apply, let dry to a haze, and wipe off. For best results, protect the restored finish with a coat of Premium Marine Polish.

Star Brite Pre-softened Boat Wax – This easy-to-use pre-softened formula can even be applied in sunlight. It provides a deep shine and long-lasting protection against fading, chalking, oxidation, and UV rays.

3M Marine Liquid Wax – This wax is designed for the marine environment and is safe for use on gel coats, topside paints, as well as marine metals.

3M Perfect-It Gelcoat Light Cutting Polish + Wax Light Cutting Polish + Wax – This all-in-one formula combines a rubbing compound with a blend of waxes, so you can accomplish two tasks in just one step. If the gel coat is highly oxidized (faded) we recommend using a stronger compound first then wax.

3M Perfect-It Gelcoat Medium Cutting Compound + Wax – This product uses the same concept as the previous one, except it’s designed for heavier oxidation and blemishes.

Meguiar’s Premium Marine Wax- This wax works best to enrich the color and shine when used with Premium Paint Polish.

Meguiar’s Spray Quik Wax – This easy-to-use spray bottle product enables you to maintain gloss between waxings. This is PartsVu’s recommended quick touch-up after a weekend of boating.

Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax – This one-step liquid cleans your paint while you wax, removing light oxidation and haze.