Do you know how to clean bimini top?
Your bimini top makes your boating enjoyable and relaxing, protecting you from rain and sun. Bimini tops are not cheap and are an essential accessory for your pontoon boat. Though it is not a lifetime investment, you will require to change it after a certain period. But proper maintenance and clean-up surely keep it in good shape for a more extended period. You will require the replacement of your bimini canvas or frame or the whole system, so always save up for an alternative to upgrade it and make your boat more attractive.
Here in this article, I’m going to discuss the best way to clean your boat canvas. You get a lot of options to choose your bimini top from. So before purchasing, don’t forget to check the easy cleaning feature that will save your time and effort.
Regular cleaning not only keeps the canvas clean but also maintains the quality. No wonder your canvas will get dirtier on daily usage with spilling, stains, bird poops, mold and mildew, etc. Don’t just rely on professional cleanups after two or three years, it is costly, and most of them use cup of bleach and other chemicals that might not be good for your canvas. You should schedule regular cleanups too. It is not difficult at all. Every boat owner should know how to clean a bimini top.
Most people think bleach solution is the quickest element to clean a bimini top, which is wrong. Bleach tends to wear out the color of the canvas, damage the quality of the fabric and stitching. Most consumers tend to look for ways of how to clean a bimini top without the bleach.
How to clean Bimini Top
For regular cleanups, you can follow these simple techniques.
After a few times of boating, you will notice that the canvas top is getting dirty. If you put it up for later, it will attract mildew and mold and degrade the quality of the canvas. So, before its too late, in case of spills, stains, bird poops, you better clean it up.
In case of loose dirt and debris, you can clean the bimini top by dusting it with a soft bristle brush and hosing it down with mild soap water to clean up instantly. In this way, you can clean up the bimini top without detaching it from the frame.
You can also use a homemade solution to get rid of the stains or spills. You must use mild soap or liquid and combine it thoroughly with water. All you must do is soak the fabric in the solution. Then brush it a little using soft bristle brush and then hosing down to remove all the dirt. Make sure no soap residue is left. Keeping it under the sun or breezy weather will dry it up soon.
If you notice mildew or tough stains, spills, bird poops on the bimini top, it will require a bit of extra effort. In that case, it is better that you separate the canopy from the frame. Do it with care; otherwise, you might damage the stitching, or it might tear apart. Put it down on a flat surface putting weights on edge to prevent it from getting dirtier. You can use a homemade solution or buy quality ones for cleaning it. The different solution works well on different fabrics. So before buying or preparing these solutions, keep them in mind.
Another useful technique for removing the stains is using a pressure washer. If you don’t have one, you should get one. It removes mildew from the canvas within very little time. But don’t set it to high pressure from the beginning. It may damage the quality of the fabric, and it might tear away the fabric and seam ends too. Take enough time to work on low or medium pressure and blow away the mildew and molds. Be careful about the weak spots of the canvas. Try to avoid using cup of bleach or harmful chemical in the cleaning solution.
After removing all the dirt, dry it out thoroughly in the sun. For better maintenance, you can apply canvas protectants to protect the fabric and stitching of the canvas from the sun. It also holds the color for long, so you won’t feel sad about fading away from the color and prints of the top or cracking, tearing, etc. Putting some extra on the seam ends is always a good idea. The quality protectant not only works as a sun blocker but also prevents aging, cracking, fading, etc.
Video Credit – Boatcoversboats
Along with regular cleaning process, you can also seek help from professional cleaners every two or three years. Some of them also repair any cracking or tearing of the canvas top.
Whereas in most of the places, you will see using bleach as a quick cleaner, you should always prefer alternative options. Cleaning is not the only thing you should be careful about your bimini top, but storing it properly is also an important task. Most of the bimini top comes with storage boots. If yours doesn’t, you can buy them separately. Covering it in the storage will protect it from dust, stains, spills, and sunlight, and, you won’t have to pull it up down again and again. These are easy care and maintenance you can follow to keep your marine canvas clean.
