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Boat Maintenance

Washing a boat with Mirka products.

How to Clean a Boat and Restore a Marine Gelcoat Surface

Get ready for the boating season with Mirka’s Polarshine® Marine Cleaning products. The Polarshine Marine Cleaning range offers a complete package for washing, cleaning, finishing and preserving a boat’s gelcoat surface. Combined with other Mirka Polarshine products it is a great solution for keeping your boat looking its best from season to season.

Restore shine on an older gelcoat surface

Protect Your Boat Easily With Polarshine® Marine

Mirka's Polarshine Marine product range is designed for effortless and effective cleaning of surface stains in boats.

Read more about Mirka Polarshine

Questions and Answers: Restoring Old Gelcoat Surface on Boats

Why do I need to maintain the gelcoat surface of my boat?

Composite materials, like fibre glass, having an exterior layer of gelcoat are used to make boats. The gelcoat surfaces are made to be long-lasting, with resistance to UV damage and hydrolysis. And it's not just about how the surface looks when it's restored. Fixing cracked surfaces will also protect the boat from salt, filth, mould, and excessive moisture.

Can you restore gelcoat surface on a boat?

Yes, you can, by regularly waxing the gelcoat surface you can prolong the lifetime of the gelcoat on your boat for 15 years or more. Keep your boat looking great for a longer time by using quality products.

What is oxidation on a gelcoat surface on a boat?

If the surface on a boat is not maintained properly, it gets a chalky, porous appearance. The main cause of oxidation are UV rays which slowly break down the surface and damage unprotected gelcoat.

A better choice for you and the environment

Water-Based Polishes

Mirka' polishes are all water-based and produced in Finland. There are many benefits of choosing a water-based polishing compound.

  • Effective permanent removal of scratches - Water-based compounds remove scratches permanently. Solvent-based compounds can lose gloss after cleaning the surface with a degreaser and in some cases, may only temporarily hide scratches.
  • Safer for the operator - No hazardous chemicals  
  • Sustainable  - Water-based polishes are better for the environment and do not contain benzene or similar hazardous chemicals.

 

 

Check out our line of polishing products

Abrasives made for dust-free sanding

Dust-Free Pioneers

Mirka, the Dust-Free Pioneers, started the transformation to better sanding over 20 years ago with Abranet abrasives, still the leading NET abrasive on the market.

Benefits from dust-free sanding

Healthier working environment - Stop dust from getting into your lungs
Time-saving – No cleaning after sanding and clean abrasives cut better
Money-saving – No clogging lets you sand longer with the same abrasive
High-quality finish - Thanks to a finer scratch pattern

Learn more about our dust-free sanding