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  Most vinyl can be safely cleaned with McGuiar’s All Purpose Cleaner. This concentrated cleaner has a balance of chemical agents that clean well and help keep the vinyl from drying out. Dilute the product first – about one part cleaner to five parts water, and transfer to a spray bottle. Wear gloves and use a terrycloth  towel to apply.

Vinyl seats, coamings, cushions, etc. should be periodically protected with conditioner. Der Vinyl Stuff vinyl conditioner is the best we've found. It provides excellent protection from the elements and leaves the vinyl soft and supple.

For mildew, we like West Marine Mildew Remover. Its safe on most colors and effectively removes dark mildew spots.

For vinyl biminis, mesh-type vinyl window covers, and Stamoid inflatable covers use a Fine (white) Scrub Pad or a Soft Brush and soap, or diluted McGuiar’s All Purpose Cleaner. Don’t use a stiff brush on vinyl as it can scratch and damage the material.  

Clear soft plastic enclosures and other plastic windows should be conditioned every two or three months. Wash first with soap and a Wooly Bully Wash Pad, and dry with a  Water Sprite chamois and/or a diaper. Apply Plexus spray plastic polish and buff off with a Microfiber Towel. To remove fine scratches or cloudiness, u se Novus #2 Plastic Polish with soft towels.

Canvas

Inflatables that are oxidized clean up very nicely with Nautical Ease Inflatable Boat Cleaner. This cleaner is also great on sticky fenders and rub trim. If it's in good  shape already, we use Sea Power Inflatable Boat and Fender Cleaner. We like to follow with Der Vinyl stuff to protect the material and add an attractive sheen.

For general cleaning, s crub with boat-wash soap (not detergent, it will damage the fabric!) and a  Fine (white) Scrub Pad . Use a Meduim-Stiff brush if needed only sparingly, as stiff brushes can damage the canvas.

If needed, pretreat the canvas with West Marine Mildew Remover. This is our mildew remover of choice for most applications because it's safe for most fabrics and colors but is effective for removing mildew. For white canvas, you can spray directly on dry material for a more concentrated effect. For colored canvas (not black - see below), wet the material first, then spray on the cleaner and lightly scrub. In either case, after a few minutes give the material a very thorough rinse.

For white canvas with heavy mildew, we've found Sudbury mildew remover to be very effective. This is a fairly strong chemical so wet the canvas down thoroughly first with water, then spray the cleaner directly on the material. Scrub with a White Scrub Pad or lightly with a brush. It takes a few minutes for the mildew to go away, so keep the canvas wet as you work.  Give it a final very thorough rinse.

To remove any yellowing caused by the mildew remover follow with Starbright Hull Cleaner, wait a minute or two, then give it an additional rinse.

  For black canvas, as far as we know soap and water is your only option. No mildew remover we've heard of to date is safe on this color without having some bleaching effect. Luckily black canvas gets hot enough during the day to retard mildew growth and really doesn't show mildew spots the way other lighter colors do. If there are any green stains, just scrub them off with boat soap and water and a white scrub pad.

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Hi Glen,
If you're just cleaning and protecting them, I would recommend first
washing with mild soap diluted in water and a Wolly Bully wash pad.
There are many types of clear plastics used on boats and all of them
are susceptible to scratching, so it's important to use a soft
applicator when washing. The same is true with drying - a Water Sprite
is a great drying tool and/or a soft clean diaper. For protecting, I
would recommend Plexus plastic protectant. It's safe on most plastics,
repels dirt, helps prevent scratching and comes in an easy-to-use
spray. A microfiber towel works great to buff it off and won't scratch
the plastic. If the plastic is cloudy or scuffed, the best and only
product I've found that works great is Novus #2 plastic polish. Once
again, use a microfiber towel or soft diaper to apply it. The secret
is to do a small area at a time and keep rubbing until the area is
clear, then move on to the next section. Follow with Plexus.

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