How to clean vinyl boat seats: Even severe mold. 

Hello, yes your right 6 months and it still looks great. BUT in the long run after a year or two any chemical, and or bleach will eat the thread, along with the mold that had already gotten on the other side of the vinyl (inside seat) is still growing, that mold will come back out. Also if your a person that is allergenic it can make very sick, not including the person that is not. Some people will notice when there on the boat allergy, cold like systems, even when they try to remove the seat pad to replace that panel piece, which by the way is not easy if your not an upholster, which most will tell you that they will not replace that piece only because of the mold that will be inside, and that most of the time is starting to dry rot depends on the age of the boat or if it ever gets covered. So with that my personal opinion as an owne of an upholstery company, your video is not recommended. The best way to get your mold clean is to replace it. If not in the budget, use dawn dish soap and water. Put drops of the dawn soap all over the molded area with gloves take a white lint free rag and or a soft bruch with water in a circulation motion until comes clean. BUT you will need to replace after the summer boating season for sure. (AGAIN MY OPINION AND EXPERIENCE)

@@deecaudill5145 Thanks for your comments. More opinions are helpful to everyone. However coming from a person who makes their money from "replacing" upholstery, readers must consider the source. I make nothing for passing along my 3 decades of experience. Just offering cost effective solutions for people who can't take the expensive way out. I'll keep showing people how to save boats and put them back into service without a high cost. I have boat seats reupholstered only when it makes financial sense.

That is certainly a very inexpensive fix. I'm curious how the vinyl holds up being that the bleach sat for over a day on the material and threads, so it would be great if you could please post back here at the end of the boating season and again in the middle of the next season as to how things are holding up. This will be a great test being that you applied straight bleach at full strength and let it sit for an extended period of time. Your results will be very informative to our viewers. Thank you for your contribution.

Can you upload a video or pictures if you do? Mine sat for the winter in water and there’s tiny black spots I can’t get out. I can get some out, but the rest just turn grey. And I’m using a lot of elbow grease and magic erasers. Just fades but doesn’t really come out. So you saying the laundry bleach works? Mines not bad, but just last year the seats were amazing. But over the winter these spots came up.

I read that using bleach loosens the stitching!

Probably destroyed it since no update

​@@iosgaminggeek5395I had the boat until 2 years ago and sold it ;) But I used the bleach method at least 3 years. I also wiped down the seats with lemon/olive oil spray to keep them soft.

Thank you David. You are correct. The whole point of this video is to show people how to bring back vinyl that can't be cleaned any other way. As far as bleach products getting on the treads/stitching, the key is to RINSE very well. This fully dilutes the Sodium Hypochlorite to where it has no lasting effects. It is the people who get there results and then don't rinse, that have future problems. "Dilution is the solution"

Is that why my socks go missing in the wash?

This is exactly what this video is for. It is for bringing back upholstery that otherwise would have to be replaced. You get to bring new life back to your upholstery. Thank you for watching.

Same me new to me pontoon I’ve had for a year the seats are F’d bad. Was waiting on a “tomorrow” guy to winterize it and it was under a tree now my white seats are black. Trying this today

Glad the information helped. I made the video because this way of cleaning has saved me a ton of money and work, and so far it seems to have helped a lot of people. Thanks for your comment!

Be sure you are using a vinyl protectant each season. Cleanup will be simple and your vinyl will last a very long time.

Not too often do you find ramps without docks, but in this case bring a dog leash anchor and screw it into the ground. Tie a bow line from the boat to the ground anchor and be sure it is long enough so that when you back into the water, the boat will float off and you can pull the trailer out. Jump out and tie the boat closer to shore, then park your vehicle. When you come back to the boat, unscrew the ground anchor and jump in your boat as you push off. If you are worried about the boat starting, you could always leave it tied and jump in and get the boat running in neutral first. Then pull the ground anchor and jump in. Good question and have fun on the water 😀

@@beginboating thanks for your quick reply thats very useful

Thanks for watching. I appreciate it.

Not exactly, lol. The concentration in my suggested cleaners is low, but enough to do the job. Just be sure to rinse thoroughly as I said. This is the answer to sever mold/mildew.

I appreciate your comments Eric, but you should read all the comments and replies as well as watch the follow-up video in the pinned comment. This will shed more light on the longevity of the vinyl and the circumstances for doing this particular process. Thank you for taking the time to watch my content and provide your comments.

These seats recline forward and backward to create a bed. As you do this, you will be able to lift them off the base. Lift up on the front of the bottom, rear facing cushion and pull it toward the back of the boat. As you do this, you can see underneath that their is a cross-bar that is riding in a slot. You will also see that this rod will reach a position of two notches that allow you to lift it up and out of the base. Repeat this process with the front section of the seat and you can remove the entire cushion. The bases are screwed down to the floor. Remove those screws and take off the bases and your carpet job will look much nicer in the end. Thank your for your question.

Thank you and I appreciate the sub

OMG! Sorry for the delay. It is Miracle Mist. Here is an Amazon link for quick reference: amzn.to/3NlctMC

Simple Green is more of a degreaser. Have you used it on mold and got results like mine? Thanks for your comments.

I will have to give that a try at some point and maybe add it to the video. This is a boat that I was planning on donating, but depending on how the engine acts, I just may fix it for someone. Thanks for your suggestion.

I tried the Tilex and it worked surprisingly well. Miracle mist does still do the best job, but Tilex is another option for people if they already have some. Everyone needs to remember to rinse the cleaned area really good and then dry it off. Then apply some good vinyl conditioner. Thanks again for the suggestion.

For mold like that you can mix white vinger and alcohol with warm water and it will work to

I will have to give this a shot sometime and if it works, I'll add a video for it. Thanks for your comment.

I would have to see pictures of what the hard spots look like. It sounds like it could be organic growth, so Just allow more time with the chemical sitting on it and use a brush the same as I did in the video. You don't want to scrub too hard.

Thanks for the comments. I haven't used your product suggestions. Sounds like quite a process, but awesome that you have another option for restoring boat vinyl. One thing about using the Magic Eraser, is that no matter what strong cleaner being used, you absolutely need to use a protectant as a final process. I use 303 Aerospace Protectant. Thanks again for your comments.

@@beginboating Once the eraser takes off the coating from the vinyl, its easier to get the mold and mildew back. Plus with the UV coating gone, it gets hard and cracks faster. The key with the upholstery is to start using the concrobium regularly so you never have to use the bleach again. Its really not complicated after the initial clean up. Then every year after your upholstery always looks like new.

@@csinalabama If you watch this entire video and the follow up video, you will see my interiors last. A boat I've had for 6 years is still perfect. The 303 protectant takes care of UV protection, just like people should be doing at the beginning and end of every boating season. However, if you like your products, that's awesome. My "very inexpensive" products work and last when used as I direct. This helps lots of people, so again, thank you for your opinions.

Also, for anybody reading these comments, just know that marine vinyl will slowly lose its UV protection over 5 to 7 years. This is why the manufacturers tell you to use vinyl protectant to preserve the life of the vinyl and make them easier to clean. Clearly a boat as old and mistreated as the one in the video has NO UV PROTECTION to the vinyl at all. Also any product that can cut through this level of mold and mildew is stripping even newer vinyl, of its UV protection and would absolutely require a vinyl protectant to be applied. The reality is, if you have a boat, you should be using a vinyl protectant no matter how old the boat is. The extra bonus is the anything that gets on the vinyl will clean off easily.

Check out my pinned comment at the top of the comments section. Thorough rinsing is very important and also adding 301 protectant afterwards. Thanks for your question.

Check out the video in my pinned comment. You won't have to worry about drying out your material with thorough rinsing afterward and then using 301 vinyl protectant. I have not had any issues with the vinyl color being affected. Also the Magic Eraser is an abrasive so you want to be careful how aggressive you are.

I have cleaned up a lot of boats, and so far none of the colors have been affected at all, other than becoming clean 🙂. You can try a test spot in a less viewable spot, so that you can feel comfortable moving forward. Remember to rinse very good after you are done with each area. This just assures that you have diluted any Sodium Hyperchlorite (bleach), to the point of ineffectiveness.

That's a good question. I would estimate that it took about 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours to do all the vinyl.

Absolutely. Just remember to rinse well after cleaning.

Yes it does. If you have any remaining stains, be sure to follow up using the magic eraser sponges linked in the description. Thanks for your question.

This is ALL mold. This boat had sat outside for many years with a ripped cover. This is the worst, because the rain gets in and can't get out (the drain plug was still in). With moisture stuck inside the boat and the years of hot sun cooking it, it was the perfect environment for mold growth. The mold was very bad. Thanks you for your question.

3M Marine Vinyl Cleaner/Conditioner/Protector Here is an Amazon link for it amzn.to/2JY0GHd

Could the bleach weaken the thread and cause splitting?

@@samihays Yes, and that is why you need to do a very thorough rinse with clean water and then after it's dry, apply a protectant. On seats that will not come clean in any other way, this is the way you get more use out of them for a long time. As soon as it is clean, immediately rinse and protect. Really work in the clean water and the protectant. These seats will last a long time. It's much faster and cheaper than having the reupholstered or replaced. Again I would suggest using the Miracle Mist and then lightly rub it with a Magic Eraser Sponge. Then rinse and protect. This will give you the best result.

Begin Boating that was v helpful, thank you so much!!

Tape the seams up

One thing to keep in mind with vinyl upholstery is that an abrasive cleaning product such as Ajax is actually putting scratches in your vinyl's surface. So while it may get a cleaner look to it while you are cleaning it, the issue is that these new scratches will absorb dirt like crazy and there will be no hope of it coming clean again. Thanks for your comments and helping the conversation cover the topic of abrasive cleaners.

You really need to listen to everything said in my videos, along with the follow-up video. You will find that you are wrong, but better yet, you will be able to bring a better message to others that have this issue. In your vast experience, tell people your solution. No? Well Ok then. I do bring my 42 years working on boats, to help people with options to repair their boats. Let's check out your youtube channel for better info that helps people.

LOL! Thanks for your comments, but you are clearly wrong. This is a very severe case of mold. That is why I used this boat for demonstration. Be sure to watch my follow-up video (link in my pinned comment) as well.

Watch my follow-up video in the description / pinned comment. I have been doing this for decades. When your wife does your laundry with bleach ( just like hospitals, hotels, etc.), does everything fall apart? No. I have boats that I cleaned many years ago, and the vinyl gets treated with protectant each year and is in fantastic condition.

Do your cloths have cotton threads? You really should read all the comments as well as my followup video in the pinned comment. Too many people hear things about bleach and take them as fact. I and many people in the comments have actual facts and long term case results. While I appreciate people's comments, it would be nice if they had facts behind them so other people don't get worried about false statements. If you didn't watch and listen to the videos, or read the other comments, for severe cases of mold and mildew, in order to save tons of money on replacing vinyl, you "follow my process and then Thoroughly Rinse With Clean Water using a clean brush and rag". When you use bleach in your laundry (and on your cotton threads), the machine doesn't just leave the bleach on them. It "Thoroughly Rinses With Clean Water". I don't know how old you are, but you may have clothes that are decades old and they didn't disintegrate.

@@beginboating respectfully, there are specific brands of boat around me that have been sued for and were notorious for using cotton thread in upholstery and experienced extreme disintegration because of it. Nylon thread is the choice for boats however inside seams can't be seen or adequately dried and who knows where they come from with bargain boats and pontoons. Everyone I know in the industry highly discourages any sort of bleach unless absolutely necessary.

@@eabiisme No problem if you are concerned about this. Everybody has an opinion. I just come from having lots of experience, and the results of that experience guides me in the actions I take. To the point of cotton threads, I can only reiterate a simple concept of thoroughly rinsing with clean water using the same effort as you did to clean. If anyone claims to have had seats fall apart as a result of using a bleach product, it will have come from using it too strong and not RINSING. Rinsing is the key (in the same way your cotton thread cloths don't fall apart). Put some bleach on your cotton cloths and then don't rinse them. Then you'll have a problem, but rinse them and you don't have a problem. Thanks E B for commenting. It helps further the conversation and cement in the correct process for people to follow when cleaning severe mold on boat seats. I am certain this will help people to know that using the products I suggest and thoroughly rinsing is the way. Nobody should be making their own bleach solution when they can just buy what works. Rinse well, and everything will be fine..

I have a boat that I cleaned the entire interior with Clorox due to mold when I purchased it. This was six years ago. I haven't had any issues. This boat is at my cabin and gets used by other family and friends as well. Have you experienced your threads fall apart first hand. If so, you need to be better at rinsing and protecting.

I mean your white clothes don’t fall apart after doing a load with bleach. This is a less concentrated amount and is not as long or repeated exposure. Threads for a board or car are a stronger material than your typical t shirt and socks.

@@rjfloyd8792 So True! There is always some negative Nancy in the comments. They just assume things, but are wrong most of the time. Just like here, lol.

You should watch the video again the whole way through, so you better understand the purpose of cleaning this way. There is also a video pinned in the comments, showing the upholstery 6 months later. I also speak about boats that I have done this to many years ago, and still have beautiful upholstery. If you can't get your upholstery clean, then follow what I describe. Thanks for watching.

I have not experienced the same results as you claim. Mold and mildew are tough to permanently remove and require an aggressive cleaner to permanently remove. This only has to be done once to a boat that has been mistreated. With proper rinsing and application of protectant, this is the way to get more life out of mistreated vinyl boat seats. Thank you for your comment. Someone may want to give Starbrite (correct spelling) a try. It may work great on a less sever case. ( I am not saying that Starbrite is any safer. If someone uses it, they need to follow the same rinsing and protecting procedure)

This will work the same on your boat bumpers.