Dockmaster Multipurpose Cleaner and Degreaser Review

As the owner of a boat detailing company in the Pacific Northwest, I often see boats that haven't had a wash all winter only to be covered with green or black mildew in their non-skid and general dust and dirt covering the gel coat by spring. I arrived at a boat in that condition recently and instead of trying a different product to clean each type of dirt or grime as I usually do, I decided to try the Dockmaster's Multipurpose Cleaner and Degreaser.

The boat I was working on was a 30ft motoryacht that hadn't been washed all winter and had a solid growth of black mold in the non-skid. Black mold shows up as small black specs in the non-skid and it's not something that can typically be scrubbed out with just soap and water. I usually use a chemical cleaner that has bleach in it to kill mold and mildew. Although a bleach-based cleaner kills the mold and turns the non-skid white again, it is definitely not biodegradable and can be irritable to skin and lungs if you get it on your skin or breath the fine mist when spraying it. I wanted to find a better multipurpose cleaner that was still strong enough to eat away at the black mold in the non-skid as well as general dirt and grease, yet was also safer to use, and less caustic.

The nice thing about a quart size bottle of Dockmaster's multipurpose cleaner is that its concentrated, so a little goes a long way while taking up less space in your storage locker or dock box and saving you a lot of money not having to buy several different cleaners. I mixed a small amount in a gallon of water, took a soft deck brush and dipped it in the bucket and then ran it all over the non-skid of the 30ft cruiser I was working on. I let the cleaner sit on the non-skid for about a minute and then took a scrub brush to the non-skid and the black mold came right out. It also cleaned up the edges of the non-skid where general dust and dirt had collected over winter. What was also impressive is that the multipurpose cleaner didn't smell like a strong chemical (in fact, it's completely odorless), it didn't irritate my skin when some of the cleaner and water mixture splashed on my hand and it didn't cause the gel coat to yellow as will happen when you spray a strong chemical cleaner on gel coat that doesn't have a good coat of wax on it.

I also had the chance to use this multipurpose cleaner in the open cockpit area of this boat where there were a few greasy footprints from the mechanic who had been on board a few days prior. With my same gallon of cleaner and water mixture, I dipped my deck brush in it and ran it over the non-skid and sides of the cockpit. The grease marks came out without having to use any other product or a course scrub brush.

I try many products that I find at the marine supply stores to see which ones really work and which ones will actually make our job a bit easier. I am very pleased with the results I achieved using the multipurpose cleaner on a boat that hadn't been washed in a long time. And now that marinas in our area are cracking down on what types of cleaning products we use and actually checking our dock cart to see if we are washing or cleaning boats with strong chemicals or non-biodegradable products, this product will definitely pass their test and allow us to still clean even the dirtiest of boats without violating the new rules that are being put into place.

I would definitely recommend this product to boaters. It's a great way to replace several strong and non-green cleaners with one multipurpose biodegradable cleaner that works well on several different types of stains.

This review was written by Natalie Sears of Deckhand Detailing of Seattle WA. For more information about Deckhand Detailing, visit www.deckhanddetailing.com

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