Can I use other cleaners before using Sure Step

Skipper December 1, 2004 Ask The Skipper

Ty Samson asked:

I want to try your Sure Step on my 35’ sailboat. It’s 11 years old. My friend used it on his boat which is much older and got fantastic results. His boat looks almost new. He told me it was important to use your Boat Clean and Boat Scrub before applying the Sure Step. I have a bunch of other cleaners. Can I use one of them? I don’t want to buy more cleaners if I don’t have to. Aren’t all cleaners similar?

Answer:
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Possibly, but it’s not worth the risk. We have had too many complaints of decks becoming discolored, usually yellow, but even purple, becoming very slippery or becoming hard to clean, requiring severe scrubbing with a deck brush. We have never had a complaint when the proper procedure was followed.

The problem is compatibility. We have tested Boat Clean Plus and Boat Scrub extensively with Sure Step and we know that it works, it’s easy to do and you get proven results. It’s sort of like using one manufacturers primer and another’s paint. Sometimes it works out but in other cases you wind up with a real mess that your have to strip and then redo the job.

All cleaners are not the same. Many boat washes are detergent based and will leave a residue. Deck cleaners tend to be corrosive and will also leave a residue which can effect the adhesion of the Sure Step. Boat Clean Plus is a deep penetrating, emulsifier type of cleaner that deep cleans the surface and is effective at removing traces of suntan oil, organic grime and pollutants. Boat Scrub is a deoxidizer which will remove oxidization from the gelcoat. It also contains Hypexine to effectively remove any staining or discoloration and optical brightiners to enhance the appearance of your deck, before you seal it with Sure Step. That’s why your friends boat looks so good. Both of these products are biodegradable and environment friendly so it’s safe to flush overboard with water.

The Boat Clean Plus and Boat Scrub are not very expensive and will save you a lot of time in the long run. If you have some left over, you can use it for other cleaning or tough problems on your boat. It won’t go to waste. After trying these products, most of our customers continue to use them instead of their other cleaners because they get much better results with less effort. Even boat manufactures recommend Boat Clean Plus and Boat Scrub to their customers.

Thanks for your question.
Captain Aurora