This post may contain affiliate links*
Cleaning Never Ends
Ok, so you know I ♥️ to clean! This is a really good thing; after all we bought a used boat, and there are more projects to do – especially cleaning projects. Well, another thing on our boat that needed cleaning were the cockpit cushions (see step-by-step guide below).
It may be difficult to see, but the picture on the right shows the cockpit cushions from our journey home BEFORE they were cleaned!
Sailboat Cockpit
The cockpit is the part of the sailboat where the controls and steering wheel is located, which is towards the stern or back of our boat. Because the cockpit is an open well on the deck of the boat outside of the cabin, it is more exposed to the elements. We are fortunate that our cockpit is completely enclosed by our bimini (top canvas) and dodger (front and side canvases), but each of the panels can open and rollup, or unzip completely to be removed for more air flow and sunlight exposure. We like to remove the front for visibility, but keep most of the side panels on for heat and sun protection.
Smelly Cushions
Unlike our interior saloon cushions, the cockpit cushion fabric is vinyl and made to get wet. Even the foam of the cushion is a closed cell polyvinyl nitrile material that resists moisture absorption. But over time the material may break down, and because they get wet frequently, the cushions will smell and mold more easily – especially if we don’t clean or dry them regularly. Since the boat was owned by someone else, I have no idea when the last time our cockpit cushions were cleaned, but they were dirty and stained, and in need of a good clean job! 🎵 Smelly cushions, smelly cushions, what is that stain? 🎶
💲💲💲- Not in Current Budget
Similar to the saloon cushions, I started researching costs to buy new ones – or possibly even make my own. But as our must-have project list started to grow (fuel filters, batteries, new bow pulpit, navigation lights, etc.), cosmetic changes to the boat were completely off the list for this year. So I needed to make do with what we have, and come up with an alternative option to make our cushions last a bit longer!
Kara to the rescue 💪
For this #simplesolution, I used 2 spray products: Mean Green Cleaner & Degreaser and a Mold & Mildew Remover. And I cleaned both the interior foam as well as the exterior fabric. It was much easier to remove the foam from the fabric for these cushions to clean them separately.
Used Made New … Again!
Once again, it may be difficult to see the difference in the before and after pictures, but the stains and smell are gone! This project did not take long at all, and once again the majority of time was to allow for the cushions to completely dry before putting them back together again.
Cleaning Cockpit Cushions Step-By-Step Guide
Here’s the quick step-by-step guide (printed version) on what I did to make our used, exterior cockpit cushions look new again.
What you Need:
- Mean Green Cleaner & Degreaser Spray
- Mold & Mildew Remover Spray
- Kitchen Dish Brush & Sponge
- Water Hose & Spray Nozzle
Steps:
- Unzip fabric and remove the foam from the cushion. Set aside foam to start cleaning the fabric first.
- Spray Mean Green Cleaner & Degreaser all over the fabric and start scrubbing. Make sure to really get any stains or black spots. Clean and scrub all sides of material – both inside and out.
- Rinse the cushion with fresh water from a hose. I found that the Flat setting on the nozzle worked best.
- Spray Mold & Mildew Remover all over the fabric and continue scrubbing. I found that this not only removed any mold spots – specifically on the zipper, but it also made the cushions smell better.
- Rinse the cushion again with fresh water until all suds are gone and only clean water drips off the cushion.
- Shake excess water from the cushion and hang overnight to completely dry.
- Repeat the steps 2 – 6 with the interior foam. And repeat all steps for all of the boat cushions.
- Once both the foam and cushion are completely dry, put the foam back in the cushion and zip up.
Estimated Time:
30 minutes per cushion. At least 24 hours of dry time.
Tell Us what you think
When we take our boat out on the water, I typically leave the cockpit cushions below deck in the guest cabin. This way they don’t get as dirty, and I won’t need to clean the cushions too often during the summer sailing season.
If you tried this solution or have any other tips for cleaning cockpit cushions, please share your feedback in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
– Kara from Zeke Life
Live like Zeke
You’re such a good boy!
