This Makes Boat Cleaning CRAZY EASY (Capt. Deeks’ Favorites)
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Boating, Weekly Newsletter: 07-20-25
Hey Salt Strong Nation —
We all know the feeling… you just wrapped up an epic day on the water, but now the boat’s a mess. Fish blood, water spots, scuffs, rust — it adds up fast.
That’s why I asked Capt. Peter Deeks to share his favorite products and strategies to keep his boat spotless. Not only does he run charters almost every day… but his boat always looks brand new.
Here’s what he uses (and why):
🧽 Must-Have Boat Cleaning Supplies:
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Cleaner Wax (like Meguiar’s): For the soft gelcoat and smooth areas. Deeks puts this on about once a month to keep water beading and surfaces slick.
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Quick Wax: Great for plastic, metals, and electronics—no chalky residue. Perfect for touch-ups on center consoles, throttles, steering wheels, and powder-coated metal.
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Bar Keepers Friend: This stuff is pure magic. Rust, oak leaf stains, scuffed decks… gone. Works on stainless steel, hinges, and even stubborn tannin stains.
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Magic Erasers: The MVP of stain removal. From fish blood to rubber scuffs to greasy footprints—these things do it all without harsh chemicals.
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Glass Wipes: Use these on your GPS screens and windshields. Keeps electronics crystal clear without streaks or residue.
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Collinite 925 Wax: Deeks’ go-to for non-skid decks and high-traffic areas. Helps repel water, blood, and grime without making surfaces dangerously slick.
💡 Pro Tips from Deeks:
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Spray wax directly onto your applicator—not all over your boat.
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Avoid waxing near plastic electronics with cleaner wax—use quick wax instead.
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Always rinse off Bar Keepers Friend thoroughly and re-wax to seal the area.
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Use clockwise and counterclockwise strokes to really work wax into gelcoat pores.
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Keep a few of these products onboard to clean up after each trip and avoid buildup.
📦 Recommended Gear:
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Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax
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Meguiar’s Quick Wax
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Bar Keepers Friend
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Magic Erasers
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Collinite No. 925
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Glass Wipes
🎣 BONUS: Want more tips like this AND 20% off your tackle?
Check out the Salt Strong Insider Club and unlock Smart Fishing Spots, weekend game plans, and tons more 👉 https://www.saltstrong.com/pricing
Tight lines,
Luke Simonds
Chief Fishing Addict
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Great tips.. I use magic erasers and the liquid barkeepers friend. It seems to be less abrasive. Also have had good luck with Lucas speed wax and ceramic coating. Purple bottle
Great video…wish I saw this years ago….What do you use for the exterior Gel coat and the hull ?
Do you just use water on the trailer ?
Hey Capt. Deeks, please explain how you clean and wax and what products you use on the non-skid surfaces of your boat. Thanks.
Well Capt while I don’t wax or polish my boat after every trip I still give my boat a real good flushing with freshwater i also remove the motor cooling and after flushing the motors water intake i also rinse the motor as well then let it dry for about 15 min afterwards i apply a speay of crc brand 656 marine corrosion inhibiting spray lubricant as well as anything else metal including the pinch points and after about 3 trips i lubricate and clean the boat and rods and reels i also should mention that one needs to be careful and not use the magic erasers on the gell coat because it can remove it and also dont forget the trailer seems like alot of anglers i have come in contact with wash there boat and keep it maintained but they lack this in taking care of there trailer which to me considering im a 61 year old baby boomer common sence thinking guy is quite foolish considering that’s what your boat is riding on to me that would be like changing the oil in your truck or car but forgetting any maintanance needed to be done to the transmission but hey thats people in the era of time when stupidity reigns and common sence is long dead but thats the present and unfortunatly the future generations now and to come im a dinosaur that always has and always will use common sence in my thinking and reasoning what others do is there problem and or buissness thanks for the info and all you do😉👍
Any recommendations for plexiglas windshields?
Rain-ex
Koenig Polish works great on all plastics. Windshields, isinglass, instrument screens, etc. Also works on glass and metal. It is a Carnauba Wax Cleaner in a spray can.
What about rust? Any easy to apply products?
Oops, in addition to Barkeepers.
Try a product called Whink which can be found in grocery stores (metal cleaning section) or on Amazon. I have used it on all my boats for years.
Bar Keepers friend is Amazing. It has oxalic acid which chemically changes the rust on the metal. Also works great on stainless steel cookware! And sinks.
I hate bleach,so much work after using to restore shine.the other products are great for car and household too.chalky areas are so dull but these products bring back shine anything meguiars makes is good
What do you use on the hull?
For stains, use toilet bowl cleaner! It works wonders and IS approved for use on it. Afterwards, use the cleaner wax. Note: don’t use anything on the hull that has an antifoul coating on it. That will only remove the protection. If you have anything starting to grow on the antifoul (barnacles, algae, etc) it’s time for a new coating.
For those of us who don’t get out as often and have to deal with storage dirt, mold and mildew, I’ve found that a 50/50 mixture of outdoor bleach (at Publix, Lowes, etc.) and water works wonders. Spray it on with a pump sprayer, let it sit for 5 minutes, lightly scrub and rinse. Make sure that you rinse well with fresh water to get the bleach off of sensitive areas and stitching on upholstery. You’ll see the mold and mildew disappear before your eyes.
Good tip.