How to Clean, Protect and Restore Non-Skid Decks

Take off cushions, mats, coolers and gear. Sweep or rinse off loose dirt, leaves and sand. Then wet the whole deck with fresh water. Starting wet keeps cleaners from drying in the texture.

Use a medium-bristle deck brush for molded non-skid. Boating Magazine suggests a stiffer brush for grit-type non-skid. Discover Boating also recommends firmer bristles on non-skid than on smooth gelcoat or paint. Avoid wire brushes and harsh scouring pads; they wear the texture down.

For everyday dirt, mild boat soap and a medium brush usually do the job. For grimier decks, use a cleaner made for non-skid. Star brite's directions, for example, are to wet the deck, spread the cleaner with a deck brush, let it sit 2–3 minutes, scrub, then rinse well. Work in sections small enough that the cleaner doesn't dry. In Practical Sailor's test of non-skid cleaners, Meguiar's and 3M did best. Cheaper Star brite, West Marine and Nautical Ease products were nearly as good. Grease and fish blood were the hardest stains in that test.

Rinse until no suds are left, working from the highest point down to the scuppers. A spray nozzle or pump sprayer pushes water into the texture better than a bucket. Leftover cleaner attracts dirt and can leave a slick or streaky film.

• Fish blood, food, sunscreen: clean them up quickly. Re-apply non-skid cleaner, let it dwell, and scrub with a nylon pad in the valleys. For blood that already dried, BoatUS editors suggest sprinkling a mild cleanser powder such as Bar Keepers Friend on the wet non-skid, scrubbing and rinsing, or trying hydrogen peroxide or an oxygen cleaner (OxiClean or a generic) on really stubborn spots. Their general rules: ask the boat or deck maker before using a new cleaner, read the label for your surface, and test on a hidden spot first. To keep runoff down, use the weakest dilution that works.
• Grime and heavy staining: Boating Magazine's writer uses a mild abrasive cleanser with bleach (Soft Scrub with Bleach) on tough non-skid stains. He warns it leaves a residue that's hard to rinse, can streak the topsides, spots canvas and clothing, and dulls smooth gelcoat. Use it only on non-skid on gelcoat, and rinse, then rinse again.
• Rust spots: use a rust-stain remover made for gelcoat, following its label, and rinse well. Find and fix the source (often a rusty fastener or a tool left on deck).
• Mildew: use a mildew stain remover labeled safe for gelcoat. Then improve drainage and air flow (see mold-mildew-prevention).

Keep bleach and acid cleaners off painted non-skid unless the paint maker approves them, because they can fade or weaken the paint. Use mild soap there instead.

Harsh abrasive powders used week after week wear through the gelcoat. Practical Sailor tells of an owner who scrubbed his non-skid with a scouring powder until pink spots appeared: he'd worn through the gelcoat into the laminate underneath. Save abrasive cleansers and nylon pads for spot work, not routine washing.

Paste wax, cleaner-wax and polish fill the valleys and smooth the peaks. That makes a deck slick, especially when wet, and the wax holds dirt in the texture too. When waxing the hull and smooth gelcoat, mask the edges of the non-skid or wipe off any wax that lands on it right away. Some makers sell protectants made specifically for non-skid that claim not to reduce grip. Practical Sailor has tested a few of them. If you use one, choose a product labeled for non-skid, apply it thinly as directed, and test the traction wet and dry before anyone walks on it.

Let the deck air dry or squeegee standing water toward the drains. Walk it carefully in wet shoes. If some areas feel slick even when clean, the texture may be worn (step 10) or there may be wax or residue left (re-wash with a non-skid cleaner).

For foam pads such as SeaDek, follow the pad maker's directions. SeaDek's own advice is:

• Use its foam pad cleaner, or a mild all-purpose cleaner or dish soap in warm water with a medium-bristle brush.
• For stubborn stains, use a diluted bleach solution with a soft brush, then rinse thoroughly.
• For rust, use a small amount of vinegar or oxalic acid, kept away from the pad edges where it can attack the glue.
• If you use a pressure washer, use only a light-duty, low-pressure unit with a wide tip, held well back.

SeaDek also lists several common boat and car cleaners it says not to use on its pads. Check the maker's list before using any product.

After years of sun, foot traffic and scrubbing, molded non-skid wears smooth. If the deck stays slippery even when clean, your options are:

• Deck paint with grip additive: Interlux, for example, makes a ready-mixed non-skid deck paint. It also sells a polymer additive that you mix into its topside paints or sprinkle onto the first wet coat, then brush off the excess and topcoat. Prep is everything: cleaning, de-waxing, sanding and masking per the paint maker's instructions.
• Glue-down traction pads or mats: foam pads cut to fit, or rubberized non-skid mats. Practical Sailor's tests found good mats very grippy. Pads are comfortable and look sharp but need gentle care (step 9).
• Textured deck paint: some deck paints get their grip from a raised pattern made with a special roller rather than from grit, so there's no grit to wear out and shed, as a surveyor explains for BoatUS.
• Re-gelcoating with a new molded pattern: expensive and specialized. Practical Sailor notes the original molded pattern can't easily be recreated, so new material is usually applied on top.

Choosing grit and color: the same BoatUS article notes that larger, sharper grit grips best but is rough on bare feet and knees, while fine grit is kinder to skin and grips less. Light colors stay cooler underfoot but glare more and show dirt. Mats and pads usually cost more than paint but come in more colors and patterns.

If you choose to paint, follow the paint maker's system exactly, including primer, thinner, recoat times and temperature limits. Mask the smooth areas and hardware first. Old failing grit coatings or pads have to come off completely before anything new goes on. BoatUS's prep outline for worn molded non-skid: wash with boat soap, let it dry, sand to scuff and level (coarse paper first, then a finer grit), vacuum, and wipe down with a fiberglass solvent wash, changing rags often; use the grits and solvent your paint maker names. Pull the masking tape while the paint is still soft (BoatUS suggests about half an hour after painting) so it doesn't tear the edge. Test the texture on a scrap panel before doing the deck. Repairing cracks or soft spots comes first (see gelcoat-repair). Paint over a wet core just traps the problem.

Rinse after every outing, clean up fish blood and spills right away, and keep the scuppers clear so water drains instead of sitting (see clean-drain-dry). A cover keeps leaves, bird droppings and UV off the deck. Log deep cleanings in BoatMend.