You can keep boat docks looking great without the use of over-the-counter cleaning agents. You can create your own homemade cleaning agents to clean your boat dock. Homemade cleaning agents are powerful but often underestimated and overlooked by boat dock owners.
We’re going to tell you the type of homemade cleaning agents you can use to remove dirt, dust, grime, and other elements to clean your boat dock.
Before You Can Clean, You Need to Inspect
You need to inspect your boat dock for loose and rotten nails, screws, and boards. Address any issue causing your boat dock to become unstable before cleaning it. Replace the boards and perform all repairs as well. While you’re at it, inspect the ladder, railings, and all dock accessories. If an accessory needs repairs, repair it before you clean your boat dock.
The Cleaning Products You Should Never Use
You should never use any cleaning product with phosphorus or ammonia. Cleaning with cleaning agents containing these chemicals will result in them infiltrating the water. You can find these chemicals in laundry detergents, multi-purpose cleaners, and even dish soaps.
If excess ammonia or phosphorus enters the lake, it can affect your health and the health of marine life. These chemicals also increase nutrient pollution, which then results in algae blooming and a decrease in the water’s oxygen levels.
Other chemicals to avoid using to clean boat docks include chorine, bleach, petroleum solvents, triclosan, and phthalates. Before you use a cleaner to clean your boat dock, read the ingredients to ensure it doesn’t have one or more of the harmful ingredients in it.
What Should You Use to Clean Your Boat Dock?
We recommend using environmentally-friendly homemade cleaning agents to clean dock floats. You can use baking soda or white vinegar to remove mildew from your boat dock. Mildew can form on your boat dock after a few years.
Instead of cleaning your boat dock with a cleaner riddled with chemicals, you can either use baking soda or white vinegar to clean your boat dock. Combine both ingredients in a spray bottle, and when you spot mildew growth, spray it with the mixture and wipe it clean.
Can You Buy Non-Toxic Cleaning Agents?
Yes, you can. You’ll find non-toxic cleaning agents in the store. You can buy them to clean your floating docks if you don’t want to make a homemade cleaner. We recommend you investigate every cleaner before using it, as the law doesn’t require manufacturers to list all the ingredients on the label or make the ingredients available to the public.
Since no one regulates how the manufacturers describe their products, it’s easier to think a product is free of all harmful chemicals if it has the words “non-toxic,” “natural,” “biodegradable,” or “organic” on it. These words can often mislead the buyer into thinking the products are safe to use as cleaners when they maybe not.
EZ Dock Texas offers boat dock installation services in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Call us at 800-654-8168 for a quote.
