Most boat owners find themselves in need of hiring services to keep their boat—and investment—in mint condition. Hiring a trusted boat cleaning service frees up your time, makes time spent aboard more enjoyable, and preserves the value of your vessel.
But finding the right qualified professionals is key.
We’ll look at the basic requirements your boat cleaning services should have, what questions to ask so you can confidently hire the best service and a few things that should be on the lookout to avoid.
Let’s dive in…
#1 Verify the Essentials: Licenses & Insurance
Of course, you’re looking for a gleaming hull, spot-free windows, and sparkling stainless that grabs attention from a dock away.
But being smart about hiring a boat cleaning service starts with something much, much duller—verifying business licenses, doing background checks, and following up on references.
At a minimum, every professional you hire to come to your boat should have a current business license and insurance. This protects you, your boat, and your neighbor’s boat. Plus, if your vessel is in a marina, your boat detailer will likely have to be on an approved vendors list.
There’s no reason to feel awkward about asking for verification of licenses and insurance, its standard policy, and you’re protecting your investment. If you are working with a company that hires several boat detailers, ask what kind of background checks they perform (and how often).
Once you’ve verified the basics, what else should you look for?
#2 Confirm Boating Knowledge and Experience
Did you know…
- That using an ammonia-based cleaning product on your clear vinyl widows can cause irreparable harm?
- That some deck cleaners can cause harm to deck hardware sealants—increasing the chances of deck leaks and damage?
- That some cleaners are safe for your canvas fabric but will deteriorate the thread used to sew it together?
A professional boat detailer with experience will know all of this and much more.
Someone who typically details vehicles probably won’t have sufficient knowledge of your specialty marine-grade surfaces. It’s not worth the risk. You don’t want someone learning on your boat—especially since some damage may be costly to repair or not be evident for another season or two.
Feel confident that the boat cleaning services company you hire knows how to properly clean all the surfaces on your boat including, Gelcoat, paint, plexiglass, Isinglass, stainless steel, aluminum, teak, vinyl, SeaDek, canvas, upholstery. AND they should know what may cause damage or shorten the lifespan of your surfaces.
Even if you don’t know all the care instructions for your boat’s surfaces, ask your detailer to tell you how they will care for them and if there are any products they know they need to avoid during the hiring process. A professional detailer should easily explain why they choose the products they do and how they clean different surfaces.
#3 Seek Out the Professionals with Solid Reputations
It’s pretty easy to find someone willing to let you pay them to hose off your boat, but finding a boat cleaning service that is reliable, competent, and professional is the challenge.
If you have dock or canal neighbors, they probably don’t want to listen to your detailer’s loud music for several hours. If your boat is in a marina, you don’t want to get notes complaining about spray that got all over another boat.
But even more importantly, you want a professional that you know will look after the details—beyond removing the water spots. Things like:
- Securely closing all doors, hatches, and cabinets
- Locking everything back up when they are done
- Double-checking that they didn’t flip a switch and turn off your bilge
- Making sure they have removed all their trash
No advertisement can outdo a hearty recommendation when you’re looking to hire a boat cleaning service.
So how do you find reliable boat cleaning services to hire?
Fortunately, boat detailing work is on display, and it is easy to see the difference in a professional job. The extra details—like scouring the rub rail, cleaning in the cubbies, and polishing the hard-to-reach hardware—stand out when the job is all done.
Boat detailers are also on display for HOW they work.
If a detailer is seen spending most of their time with a phone in one hand and just spraying the boat down with a water hose, it gets noticed.
So ask your friends, dock neighbors, and marina staff for their opinions. Yacht brokers are GREAT resources for who you can depend on for a top-quality detail job.
#4 Compare Different Boat Detailing Services
What is included in boat cleaning services varies significantly between businesses. For some, it is a wash, wax, and wipe down of the primary surfaces. For others, it includes applying vinyl protectants to your seats and buffing out the black marks on your shore-power cord.
To make it more complicated, some detailers charge by the job, by the hour, or by the foot.
To simplify choosing a boat cleaning service to hire, it’s best to start with an idea of what you want to be included in your boat cleaning services and then compare the prices of packages that meet your specific wish list. Packages may include:
- Deck and hull wash & chamois dry
- Waxing, buffing & polishing
- Gelcoat restoration
- Removing of light rust stains
- Clean & protect all vinyl, leather & plastic
- Clean canvas
- Clean & protect Isinglass/Strataglass windows
- Polish brightwork
- Teak cleaning & care
- Interior-clean surfaces, vacuum, windows, bathrooms
- Bilge or engine room cleaning
- Marine ceramic coating
Some companies have a set package of what is included and how frequently. Others are more service-oriented and will customize a detailing maintenance plan with you.
Either way, you should have a written agreement of what is (and is not) included from any professional boat cleaning company you hire.
It’s also necessary to understand the limitations of the services offered. For example, if your boat is heavily oxidized, a wash & wax will not restore a mirror finish, and you may need to add additional services for compounding and buffing.
What is included in the interior cleaning of your boat will also vary considerably between boat cleaning services and plans. So make sure you compare similar services when looking at prices—it’s all about clear communication.
#5 Choose a Convenient Boat Cleaning Service
Being able to hop on your pristine boat at any time is the end goal. But making and keeping up with the arrangements for cleaning services should feel effortless too.
So the last thing to consider when hiring a boat cleaning service is choosing one that is easy to reach, easy to schedule, and easy to communicate with.
If you plan on having regularly scheduled weekly/monthly/yearly boat cleaning services, you’ll want to deal with mobile marine boat cleaning services that will keep on top of what you need. You shouldn’t have to keep following up if you signed up for a regularly scheduled plan.
At the same time, if you have a special event or party planned on your boat, it’s good to know that you can easily schedule a touch-up cleaning service when you need it.
Finding a cleaning service that will remember your special requests, like using scent-free or environmentally-friendly products, is important. It’s these details that set some boat cleaning services apart from others.
Tip: If your boat is located in South East Florida, Sail Onyx can make hiring an ideal boat cleaning service simple. They provide pre-vetted marine professionals for anything from a one-time deep-cleaning service to their weekly Deep Sapphire Cleaning Package.
