Boat Floor Maintenance: 4 Ways to Clean Boat Carpet

If you've ever been on or owned a boat with carpet then you've probably noticed that a boat floor can get dirty easily. This could be due to anything from the weather on docks all the way to simple foot traffic. The point is that boat carpets succumb to dirt and grime far more quickly than carpets on land. In this article we're going to cover a number of different ways to clean the carpet on a boat.

1 - Steaming the Carpet

The first way to clean boat carpet is possibly the most simple. Steam cleaners are typically used to remove dirt and ground-in grime from various objects of furniture, and on occasion this includes carpet. Typically the carpet on a boat is nowhere near as thick as the carpet on land; this means that a steam cleaner is a viable option for sea side carpet cleaning. Use your steamer on the various spots that you can see on your boat's carpet and you'll see a visible reduction in the dirt and grime in minutes.

2 - Shop Vac

If you're not looking to do a deep clean, but just want to get some of the larger pieces of dirt off of your carpet then you can always use an industrial shop vac. These vacuums are specifically designed to pick up pieces of debris that normal vacuums can't handle. They're typically used at construction sites when the building is near completion and the area needs to be cleaned. This means that they're perfect to pick up the debris on your boat, as getting a little bit of water in them won't do too much damage.

3 - By Rag

This is perhaps the most difficult scenario, but it will give you the deepest clean and the most lasting one. Take your bucket of water and pour your liquid soap in it. Mix it to the point that the water begins to sud. Take your rag and dip it in the soapy water. Once you've soaked it wring it out, that way you're not dripping unwanted excess water all over the boat. Take the rag and scrub your carpet all the way down in the pattern of horizontal lines. This would be nearly impossible to do with the carpet in a house due to sheer size, but the carpets on boats typically aren't that large. After you've scrubbed the entire carpet wait for it to dry and you'll see a carpet that looks as good as new.

4 - By Bristle Brush

Using a bristle brush is a good way to get rid of specific stains or patches of grime if you're not interested in scrubbing the whole carpet. Take your soapy water and soak the bristle brush in it. Let the brush drip over the bucket for a few seconds so it's not dripping unwanted excess water all over your boat. After you've let it drip take the brush and scrub down the areas where you have grime that you want to remove.