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Best way to keep my BENNY clean???

Adam2012

Adam2012

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Bethel, CT
Purchased a new 2275 RCW at the end of the summer last year. Once I purchased it I immediately had it removed from the water and stored for the winter. My question is (being the cleanliness crazed person I am) what is the best chemical or chemicals to use for regular cleaning of the interior parts of the boat? THANKS and looking forward to many more posts to come!!!
 
303 vinyl cleaner and 303 protectant.
 
And use your playpen cover. You WILL get stains on your vinyl - some of them won't come off - so your best bet is to use the playpen cover. I realize it may be impractical to put it on every day, but that's the best way.
 
+1 on the 303. Great stuff.

Note that you don't need much. A small amount goes a LONG way. I bought a gallon to get the best price (I think I paid $75, but not 100% sure), and it will take years to use it all.

I think I used it 4 times last season, and I covered EVERYTHING liberally, and I only used about 12 ounces total, maybe a little more. At that rate, a gallon will last me 10 years! It may go bad before I use it all...

Buy the 32 ounce bottle and see how it goes for you. Oh, and make sure you get the "303 Aerospace Protectant". They have several products with similar names, so heads up on that.
 
A small tube of "goop" cleaner is good to keep on board too. Not sure how good it is for vinyl with repeated use, but it's just for emergencies.
 
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My dealer swears by Mean Green and 303 protectant on the seats.

I like plain old "car wash" detergent and elbow grease to remove dirt. If there are still any stains on my Ivory seats, I'll get after them with Zep Orange Degreaser and a wash rag--the best cleaner on the market. Awesome is another great cleaner, available at Dollar General @ $1.00 per spray bottle.

I plan on making a set of canvas seat covers to keep the spider poop off my seats. They live in the boathouse ceiling.
 
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kaydano said:
+1 on the 303. Great stuff.

Note that you don't need much. A small amount goes a LONG way. I bought a gallon to get the best price (I think I paid $75, but not 100% sure), and it will take years to use it all.

I think I used it 4 times last season, and I covered EVERYTHING liberally, and I only used about 12 ounces total, maybe a little more. At that rate, a gallon will last me 10 years! It may go bad before I use it all...

Buy the 32 ounce bottle and see how it goes for you. Oh, and make sure you get the "303 Aerospace Protectant". They have several products with similar names, so heads up on that.
Click to expand...
Haha- that's funny- sounds like something I would do- I already checked and my marina sells it as well as a couple local stores- definitely will get the cleaner AND protectant- thanks for the advice
 
Bamaman said:
My dealer swears by Mean Green and 303 protectant on the seats.

I like plain old "car wash" detergent and elbow grease to remove dirt. If there are still any stains on my Ivory seats, I'll get after them with Zep Orange Degreaser and a wash rag--the best cleaner on the market. Awesome is another great cleaner, available at Dollar General @ $1.00 per spray bottle.

I plan on making a set of canvas seat covers to keep the spider poop off my seats. They live in the boathouse ceiling.
Click to expand...
Spider poop? ROFL!!!!!!! :lol:
 
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I called Bennington and they recommended only using soap and water on the upholstery because of the way they say they treat it at the factory. But everyone seems to really like this 303 product.
 
I wasn't on the phone with you and Bennington, but I assume they meant to use soap and water for cleaning it. 303 is for protecting it, as in keeping future stains from staining. And keeping the sun from... sunning it (sun damage). And keeping spider poop from... sticking... ???

Seriously though, I'm pretty sure Bennington has said right here on this site to use 303 for PROTECTING the vinyl. Quite certain they also recommend 303 fabric protector for the cover too. I don't think you want to use one on the other though.

If I find where Bennington mentions this on this site, I will post a link.
 
Here's the link:

I copied the text here for convenience:

Here are a few tips to keep your Bennington interior nice for years to come. Bennington boats bring higher resale value than any other pontoon brand...help retain your boat value and remember, no pain no gain!

UPHOLSTERY TIPS:

Use a mild dish soap to make a bucket of warm sudsy water. Wipe down your upholstery with sudsy water at the end of an active weekend. You'll remove sunscreens and lotions, body sweat, potato chip crumbs, spills, etc. After wiping with a sudsy cloth, wipe dry with a clean towel. For stubborn stains, try spray Fantastic, followed by sudsy water and a dry cloth. 1-2 times per month during the summer, spray the upholstery with 303 Aerospace Protectant after cleaning with sudsy water. This helps keep the upholstery soft and protects it from the sun's harmful rays.

CARPET TIPS:

Vacuum your carpet like you would your living room. Power washing is not recommended, since a strong blast can eat away the carpet tufts and weaken the carpet texture. For stubborn stains, pour warm soapy water directly onto the stain (be generous) and scrub with a brush to lift the stain. Let it air dry.

THE BIG SECRET TO SUCCESS:

Use your playpen cover! We know it's not a lot of fun, but it protects the interior from the sun, the rain, the spider poopy, bird droppings, pollen and mold spores...AH, mold spores. Let's talk mold. Once the spores enter your carpet and your carpet gets soaking wet from a big rain, and then the sun bakes it...guess what you've got...a garden that rivals the best soil in Iowa! (Same principle holds true for upholstery fabric) Once the mold begins, you can hide it, but you can't stop it from coming back. Don't give mold an open invitation. The best prevention is your playpen cover!

GOT MOLD?

2 parts chlorox to 10 parts water. TEST AN AREA please!

Bleach is not recommended for new boats...gues what is? Your playpen cover!
 
kaydano said:
Here's the link: http://club.benningt...-interior-nice/

I copied the text here for convenience:

Here are a few tips to keep your Bennington interior nice for years to come. Bennington boats bring higher resale value than any other pontoon brand...help retain your boat value and remember, no pain no gain!

UPHOLSTERY TIPS:

Use a mild dish soap to make a bucket of warm sudsy water. Wipe down your upholstery with sudsy water at the end of an active weekend. You'll remove sunscreens and lotions, body sweat, potato chip crumbs, spills, etc. After wiping with a sudsy cloth, wipe dry with a clean towel. For stubborn stains, try spray Fantastic, followed by sudsy water and a dry cloth. 1-2 times per month during the summer, spray the upholstery with 303 Aerospace Protectant after cleaning with sudsy water. This helps keep the upholstery soft and protects it from the sun's harmful rays.

CARPET TIPS:

Vacuum your carpet like you would your living room. Power washing is not recommended, since a strong blast can eat away the carpet tufts and weaken the carpet texture. For stubborn stains, pour warm soapy water directly onto the stain (be generous) and scrub with a brush to lift the stain. Let it air dry.

THE BIG SECRET TO SUCCESS:

Use your playpen cover! We know it's not a lot of fun, but it protects the interior from the sun, the rain, the spider poopy, bird droppings, pollen and mold spores...AH, mold spores. Let's talk mold. Once the spores enter your carpet and your carpet gets soaking wet from a big rain, and then the sun bakes it...guess what you've got...a garden that rivals the best soil in Iowa! (Same principle holds true for upholstery fabric) Once the mold begins, you can hide it, but you can't stop it from coming back. Don't give mold an open invitation. The best prevention is your playpen cover!

GOT MOLD?

2 parts chlorox to 10 parts water. TEST AN AREA please!

Bleach is not recommended for new boats...gues what is? Your playpen cover!
Click to expand...
Awesome info- thanks!!!
 
What's with all the spider poop? :blink: I don't think I've EVER seen spider poop. Really. :p
 
Not heard or seen spider poop before, but I would guess it's similar to fly poop...

:D
 
We get spider poop on our cover and motor etc. They llove the roof over the boat and spray as much as I can they stil come back. Must be a warm weather (southern) thing :D
 
Okay guys. Spiders are everywhere in a marine environment.

I can clean their webs off my boathouse, and the little devils just come back. And spiders, like all insects, poop.

While most spiders are very small, so is their poop. It looks like little pin heads on my light Ivory vinyl seats. I can clean the black off with Mean Green, but little purple pin head stains are left on on the vinyl.

When in doubt about getting rid of any critter in the world, I check into BugSpray.com. They say the only thing to get rid of spiders (other than constant insecticide spraying) is Suspend SC--a micro-emulsion insecticide. It keeps'em from coming back. I did order the product, and will be spraying the boathouse and my screened porch to minimize spiders--and their poop.

Spiders are crafty little insects. Since I got my new boat, I'm declaring war on them. I'm just glad they disappear for the winter.
 
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What's winter? :D
 
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