How to Polish an Aluminum Boat | Easy and Quick

For anyone that boat travel can truly be a thrilling and exciting experience, no doubt. There are some essential things you must do from time to time to gain this experience. Boat polish is undoubtedly one of them.

This will greatly increase the brightness of your boat as well as increase the longevity of the boat lifespan. If you have an good quality aluminum boat, be it a pontoon boat or a fishing boat, you can greatly increase its brightness and longevity in just a few hours by polishing it.

If you don’t have any previous experience like many others, this task may seem quite difficult or incomprehensible. But believe me, that is not a difficult task. If you follow a few steps well, I’m sure you can do it yourself very well.

So let’s see how to do one very easily and quickly without delay.

What Materials and Tools Do You Require

You will need some essential tools and materials at the beginning of the work. You may have some tools and materials and you will have to buy some from the market.

In addition, to protect yourself, you must use various safety materials such as gloves, eye protectors, masks, etc.

You can also use a trailer if you want to do it. Many people do it in flat and hard places though it’s not recommended. It’s completely up to you. However for best results it is recommended to do this work on the trailer.

Process of Polishing an Aluminum Boat

Now let’s take a good look at these step by step polishing processes. Hope you read each step very well and attentively.

Step-1: The boat must first be placed on top of the fiberglass or aluminum trailer and rinsed very well by running the water very quickly with a pressure washer. Care should be taken not to get any kind of dirt, mud, seaweed or any such substance.

Wash the whole boat very well in this way along with its wheel.

Step-2: Now spray around the boat very well with good quality aluminum cleaner. When spraying, make sure that it is completely and evenly sprayed all around. If you want, you can use a little more cleaner in the places where the dirt seems to accumulate a little more.

This type of cleaner you can find at your nearest boat department store. You can also order it online from eBay, Walmart or Amazon stores.



Step-3. Now keep rubbing around the boat quite well and evenly with a plastic scrubbing pad. Keep rubbing very well in places where there is a possibility of a little scratch and dirt. In this way, rub the scrubbing pad from front to back so that there is no dirt at all.

Many people mistakenly use fine steel instead of plastic pads in the hope of seeking more brightness, which is certainly not desirable. Refrain from making such mistakes.

Step-4. Now wash the aluminum boat thoroughly with a normal hose pipe and plain water. Do this for a long time so that no marks of aluminum cleaner can be seen on the boat.

Step-5. Now wipe your boat well with a soft and thin cloth. Do this in such a way that not a single drop of water gets on the hull of the boat. You can also leave the boat in the open air for a few hours to dry and then wipe it off.

Step-6. Now take a very small amount of aluminum polish on a dry and soft cloth. It should be rubbed around the boat very well. When doing this try to use it equally everywhere as much as possible.

If you want, you can use electric buffer instead of cloth. In this case, your work will be quite easy and you will be able to finish very quickly.


Step-7. Wait 10 to 15 minutes after applying it. Then polish it once again with a dry cloth or electric buffer. Now keep doing this by turning the English letter ‘O’ instead of back and forth up and down until the brightness is greatly increased.

It should be done at least once a year for good results and long durability and brightness of your boat. You can do more if you want, it’s all up to you.

Note: You must make good use of safety materials to protect yourself at every stage of the work. You must try to use them when polishing. Various chemicals in aluminum polish can get into your eyes and body which can cause problems. So I hope you will take proper precautions in this regard.

Some Tips and Tricks of Polishing

• Many people use ordinary soaps and detergents when polishing aluminum boats. Which can build up the oxidation on aluminum. And for that reason and for maximum protection do not use such soaps or detergents under any circumstances.
• Always try to use good quality aluminum cleaner. This will undoubtedly ensure the brightness and long durability of your boat.
• Many do this by keeping the boat in a rough and uneven place. In that case there is a possibility of some scratches falling on the boat. And so it would be most prudent to do the work on top of the boat trailer to avoid such unwanted minor accidents.
• You can also paint your boat especially the bottom part of it for making it last longer.

Bottom Line

Each step described above is quite simple and does not require much time. You can finish it in just a few hours from start to finish.

So hopefully you can do it yourself at home very easily by following the above steps well.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an aluminum boat last?

It usually depends on how you use it and how much you care for it, as well as how it is made of quality aluminum. With good quality aluminum carefully maintained, you can use it effortlessly for 30 to 35 years without any major problems.

Can I use baking soda on an aluminum boat?

Yes, you can. However, it should be washed well with water as soon as it is used as it can cause oxidation in aluminum. However, it is advisable not to use such chemicals or substances for extreme caution.

Can I use toothpaste on aluminum?

The answer is, yes you can. With a dry and light cloth you can increase the shine of your aluminum by rubbing it with a little toothpaste. If you have a small amount of scratches on the boat, you can use toothpaste if you want.

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