How to soft wash boats

How to soft wash boats

Soft washing boats is a specialist market. Boat owners already know they must spend considerable money maintaining their boats every year, and they are willing to pay for work that protects that investment.

Using Benz Oxy Cleanze gel to clean boats

Oxy Cleanze works on most marine surfaces, including stainless steel. It also works on GRP (glass reinforced plastic) without affecting the gelcoat.

The photos below show an extreme example of contamination on a GRP boat.

We simply brushed Oxy Cleanze onto the surface.

After only 30 minutes, we wiped the surface clean.

Quick tips

• On heavy “rescue cleans” like this, start with Benz Lightning Cleanze to remove the worst of the grime. Then use Oxy Cleanze to deal with what remains.
• Use Oxy Cleanze to remove stubborn marks at the waterline and rust marks from fittings.
• Oxy Cleanze may remove some old polish. After cleaning a GRP boat hull with Oxy Cleanze, apply a high-quality wax or PTFE polish to protect the gelcoat.

Soft washing boat hulls

Boats are usually lifted out of the water every year or so for hull cleaning and repainting. Position your soft washing service around that schedule. This gives boat owners a service they already need and keeps chemicals out of the water.

Winterising boats

Treat boats with Benz Bio Cleanze at 50:1 to dramatically reduce green algae growth over winter. It is safe to use on all known boat materials, including wood.

Treating boat hulls with Benz Oxy Cleanze also quickly removes water stains and rust marks, so it fits easily into a winterising care schedule.

Application methods

Apply Oxy Cleanze by brush or roller. We find that brushing works best. Use a wide 4–6 inch brush for fast coverage and good control, then wipe the product off with a cloth after dwell time.

If you use a roller, take care. It can throw spatters onto your skin or clothing without you noticing at first.

For PPE, wear chemical-resistant gloves and wrap-around eye protection at a minimum, and cover all exposed skin. We also recommend full face protection that covers your hair.

Soft washing boat jetties

Boat jetties are often timber planked, so algae quickly infests them. That makes them extremely slippery and, because they sit beside water, potentially dangerous if you do not clean them regularly.

Treat jetties with light pressure washing followed by a spray of Benz Bio Cleanze. This helps protect the people using them and adds real value for boat owners.

Boatyard and marina owners will also appreciate the service because it helps them meet strict health and safety requirements.

Click here to learn more about soft washing boat jetties and slipways

Approaching boatyards and marinas

To break into the boat cleaning market, go where the boats are. Talk to boat owners, spend time in the clubhouse, and ask if you can place posters on noticeboards.

Build relationships with boat chandlers and other marine businesses. This is a huge market. Thousands of amateur and commercial boat owners spend significant money every year maintaining their boats.

Quick tips

• Do not allow rinse water from Lightning Cleanze to enter any fresh watercourse. It should, however, be fine to release into salt water, as the active ingredient breaks down on contact with organic matter into little more than water and salt, and the surfactant is biodegradable.
• Bio Cleanze is fully biodegradable, contains no additional surfactant, and can therefore be the more environmentally sound choice for cleaning boats moored in fresh water.
• Always check local water authority regulations before discharging any chemical into fresh or salt water.

Click here to return to the Oxy Cleanze product page

We hope this information helps and sincerely wish you great success in your soft washing business.

Team Benz

Click here to get more practical soft washing how-to tips

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Click here to download our Product Documentation Pack (includes Application & Dilution guides, SDS, PDS, RAMS, PPE & Mask info, COSHH, sample contract and more)

Order Benz Softwash chemicals and equipment online or by phone

GB (England, Scotland, Wales)

Phone: 0800 70 74 222

Online: www.benzsoftwash.co.uk

Ireland and other countries

Phone: 00353 214 622 978

Online: www.benzsoftwash.com

Lines open Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm

Please note: The above numbers are for orders only (click here for tech support)

Clean & Maintain

Click here to set up your Clean & Maintain programme.

After you complete an initial soft wash treatment, put your customer onto an ongoing Clean & Maintain programme. Your customers get a permanently clean property, and you build a steady stream of repeat business.

This is a clear win-win for you and your customers.

Click here to explore the extensive range of Benz softwash cleaning chemicals & equipment