Simple ways to stay clean when afloat without dirtying the water.
By Debra Carmichael
While provisioning for a recent cruise aboard my 38-foot powerboat, I instituted a ban on buying and using cleaning products with toxic ingredients. Instead I tried several alternatives to see how they would perform in the marine environment. While cruising in the Bahamas, I also had the chance to see how some of them performed when used with salt water alone.
I live ashore part of the year, and in my house I have already switched to nontoxic, biodegradable soaps and cleaning products that are phosphate-free, chlorine-free and not petroleum-based. I wanted to use these same types of products on my boat. Most boats discharge untreated gray water from sinks and showers and off the decks, carrying with it whatever pollutants have been introduced directly into the water. Boat soap, dish soap, shampoo, laundry detergent — all manner of cleaning products can be very harmful to fish and aquatic organisms. By substituting safer products, I could reduce pollution and do my part to become a green boater.
The "biodegradable" designation on labels is important; though it means components will eventually break down, they still may be toxic until that happens. The leastpolluting products are labeled "nontoxic." From using many such products in my house, I knew that these worked just as well as the more recognizable, heavily advertised brands I had replaced. So I felt certain they would work equally well on my boat.
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The first test was cleaning the exterior of the boat, which had been sitting outside in dry storage in Florida for six months. The thick, green veneer of algae on the decks appeared daunting. I tried an allpurpose cleaner called Simple Green that is nontoxic and does not contain bleach, ammonia, formaldehyde or petroleum distillates. According to the manufacturer, it can be used for scrubbing decks, topsides and most any other cleanup job and is so safe it is used to clean birds and animals caught in oil spills. Though aptly named for today's green movement, it has actually been around since 1972.
I bought a one-gallon jug of concentrate at a very reasonable price and mixed it in my own spray bottle and in a bucket. For boat cleaning, the recommended dilution is one part Simple Green to 32 parts water. The manufacturer asserts that if applied in sections and rinsed well with fresh water, it will not harm gelcoat and is also safe to use on vinyl seats. I found that it proved up to the task.
After that initial tough poststorage scrubbing, I simply washed the boat periodically with a brush and water but no soap or cleaning products. Unnecessary soapy runoff is avoided this way, and regular light cleaning keeps the need for stronger products at bay. Such products have labels that warn against eye or skin contact, such as "do not get in eyes" or "always wear gloves." These are more likely to be toxic to aquatic life when the residue gets washed overboard.
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For other boat-cleaning jobs, I replaced products containing potent ingredients such as phosphate, chlorine, ammonia and petroleum distillates with household alternatives including vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. They are far safer in the marine environment than commercial scouring powders, detergents and bleaches. Vinegar mixed with water washes windows, sinks and heads, and full-strength vinegar kills mildew. I keep a spray bottle with diluted vinegar handy for quick cleanup jobs. Baking soda mixed with a small amount of water or vinegar forms a paste with mild abrasive powers that will scrub and clean any surface without scratching. It's a great galley cleaner for sinks, countertops and refrigerators and can be used on fiberglass stains. Brass, copper and bronze can be cleaned with a paste of salt and flour moistened with vinegar. Use undiluted white vinegar on a cloth for cleaning stainless steel. Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant that replaces toxic chlorine bleach. Use it full-strength from the bottle or dilute it with water just before using for maximum effectiveness. (One should note, however, that hydrogen peroxide will cause colors to fade in the same way as bleach and should be used with care.) Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is also an excellent disinfectant. All of the above proved to work well on board. Some require a little extra scrubbing beyond what we've become accustomed to with stronger products. Others require that the product remain on the surface being cleaned for a few minutes to help it work more efficiently.
Some cleaning regimens that I once engaged in I have now eliminated entirely. I've owned various boats for 34 years, and I used to clean exterior teak with toxic teak cleaners containing oxalic acid before applying teak oil. The oil gradually wore off and the process was repeated, with the cleaner and residual oil runoff ending up in the water. Now I just scrub the bare teak vigorously with a scrub brush and rinse well. I like the brown/tan color of the wood when freshly washed. When treated this way, the teak gradually fades to gray, which I realize is not a look everyone will appreciate. But I think it looks just fine, especially when it means keeping chemicals out of the environment.
Likewise, in years past, when my dinghy bottom became covered in green algae, I'd scrub it with a mix containing chlorine bleach. Now I avoid that product almost entirely because I know it is extremely toxic for marine life. The dinghy bottom now gets scrubbed with just a stiff brush and water, and that has proved enough to keep it free of growth.
When cruising in the Bahamas in quiet, uninhabited anchorages with very clean water, I feel comfortable washing my dishes in salt water, with a freshwater rinse. In keeping with my green theme I tried Dishmate, a dish soap made from coconut oil-derived surfactants rather than petroleum distillates — even found in products free of phosphates, dyes or perfumes. Made by Earth Friendly, Dishmate produces suds in salt water just as well as that longtime boater's standby Joy dish detergent. In fresh water, Dishmate worked just as well as any other dish soap I have used, and the gray water washing down the galley drain was nonpolluting.
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Likewise, for hair washing in both salt water and fresh, I tried a shampoo called Nature's Gate that's made with plant extracts. It worked just as well as Pert or Suave or any other shampoo I have used in the past, but it doesn't contain chemical compounds that are harmful in the aquatic environment. To wash laundry aboard, I use fresh water but the gray water still gets dumped overboard. I switched to a nontoxic laundry soap called Ecos. It's also made by Earth Friendly and contains no phosphates, petroleum distillates, dyes or perfumes. It's a concentrate, which means less weight to bring aboard and store, and a little bit goes a long way.
Bar soaps all lather poorly in salt water. In fresh water, I tried a bar soap made with olive oil and honey by Kiss My Face. It is compressed with no air added so it lasts a lot longer than many commercial brands of bath soap. Soaps containing antibacterial chemicals I banished altogether because they are accused of causing bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics. They also get washed down the drain into the water where they harm the good bacteria that are needed to help toxins biodegrade. I avoid purchasing any product that is labeled "kills germs" because it likely contains the suspect ingredient triclosan. Instead, for hand-washing I now use a nontoxic liquid soap called Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap. This multipurpose soap can also be used for bathing, shampooing, laundry, shaving and cleaning.
Before I buy any new soap or cleaning product, I now read the label to find out what's in it. If there's anything harmful to humans, then it's going to be harmful to marine life as well. I will continue to use all of the named products when cruising and living aboard, while continuing to search for and try milder, nontoxic remedies for boat-maintenance tasks.
A lot of jobs simply require a little elbow grease and a scrub brush or pad and no chemical-laden cleaning products are needed at all. Through our buying choices we can encourage manufacturers to produce safer products, improve the health of our waters and give the fish a break.
Other Boatkeeper tips featured this month:
- More Electronics from past issues.
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