If you’ve made the investment to install vinyl flooring on your boat, you’ll want to make sure that you’re taking the right steps to maintain your vinyl flooring.

Vinyl boat flooring is an awesome option, because it’s durable and is going to last a long time if you’re taking care of it. Maintaining your vinyl and taking care of it is crucial to make sure you’re making the most of it and getting all of the benefits.

In this post, we’re not going to go into as much detail on how to fix issues with the vinyl or clean it. We’re going to go over the best ways to specifically maintain your flooring, and what you can do on a regular basis to keep it in good shape.

Benefits of Vinyl Flooring

There are a ton of great benefits of vinyl flooring, and most of them go hand-in-hand with the type of maintenance that is required. Here are some of the benefits you’ll receive when using vinyl flooring for your boat:

• It’s low maintenance. There aren’t too many steps you need to take to keep it in good shape.
• It’s easy to keep clean. Whenever you have spills or stains, it’s easy to wipe down and clean up the area to avoid damage.
• There are some great styles. Vinyl flooring has an awesome visual style, and there are a lot of different color options to choose from.
• It’s slip resistant. With vinyl flooring, you should be able to get some good traction and avoid slips and falls on the boat.
• It’s mold/mildew resistant. If you’re taking care of your flooring, you should be able to avoid mold and mildew growing.

Maintaining your vinyl flooring is the best way to make sure your vinyl stays in good shape so that you can continue to receive all these benefits.

Importance of Maintenance

There are two main reasons it’s important to maintain your vinyl flooring:

1. Your vinyl will last longer
2. Your vinyl will look nice and new for longer

As I mentioned earlier, vinyl flooring typically lasts a long time and has a great visual style, which is why it’s crucial that you’re maintaining your flooring.

We’re going to go over the five biggest steps you need to take to maintain your vinyl flooring. Get in the habit of following these steps and your vinyl will last a long time, and stay in top shape.

#1 Wipe Down After Using

It’s a good idea to get into the habit of wiping down your floors after you’re done using them. This is a great way to ensure that you’re keeping them clean and in good shape.

Even if the flooring doesn’t look dirty, there’s a good chance that there is some water or substances that you can’t see very well on the surface. Even things like sweat and sunscreen can easily find its way on the floor and cause some damage over time.

You don’t necessarily need to wipe your flooring down after every single use, but doing it as much as possible is a big step in maintaining your vinyl flooring. If you can’t do it every time, once a week is a good benchmark to shoot for.

#2 Clean Up Spills and Stains

This goes hand-in-hand with wiping down your flooring after using it. The way you clean up spills and stains on your flooring can have a big impact on how long your vinyl stays in good shape.

If you spill something on your flooring, you should clean it up ASAP. The quicker you address spills and stains, the easier it will be to clean up and get back to looking like brand new vinyl.

I’m not going to go too deep into how to actually clean your boat flooring in this post, but I did want to mention the importance of avoiding harmful household cleaners when cleaning your vinyl flooring. Using warm water and dish soap is the best way to clean up spills and stains.

#3 Keep it Dry

This is one of the easiest mistakes to make when it comes to maintaining your vinyl flooring. It’s probably the least obvious tip, which is why it’s easy to miss.

Keeping your vinyl flooring dry is an important step to avoid damage and keep everything in good shape.

The biggest problem that can come up if you don’t keep your flooring dry is that mold and mildew can grow on the flooring, causing all sorts of damage and issues. You’ll want to make sure you’re keeping the flooring as dry as possible when you’re not using it.

When you’re using your boat, you’re almost always going to get the floors wet to some extent. A good way to handle this is to simply wipe the flooring with a towel to keep it dry when you’re done using it.

#4 Cover Your Boat

This is another step that helps prevent mold and mildew. It also helps protect your boat and your flooring in general, so this is another habit you’ll want to get into.

When you’re not using your boat, make sure that you cover it up. This helps protect your flooring from sun damage, and also helps protect your boat from any weather that might occur while you’re not using your boat.

When you get a cover for your boat, make sure that it has good airflow. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when covering your boat is using a cover that has no ventilation.

That will essentially trap any moisture on your boat, which is a big cause of mold and mildew forming on the boat. Having proper airflow on your cover allows the moisture to escape and avoid these issues.

#5 Don’t Leave Items on the Floor

The last step I wanted to touch on is another easy one to miss. It’s making sure that you don’t leave items on your boat flooring for too long. Basically the best way to handle this is to clear your floor and pick up any items left on your floor when you’re not using it.

Leaving items in one place on the floor for too long can cause damage and can cause your vinyl to become discolored in that area. By making sure your floors are clear when you’re not using them, you’ll avoid running into the problem altogether.

This generally doesn’t cause functional damage to your flooring, but it’s more of a visual thing. You’ll want to make sure you’re keeping items off the floor to keep your vinyl looking as nice as possible.

Quick Recap

While it may seem like a series of steps, maintaining your vinyl flooring boils down to establishing the right habits. Follow these key steps consistently:

• Wipe it down regularly.
• Clean up spills promptly.
• Keep it dry by using a towel.
• Cover your boat, ensuring proper airflow.
• Avoid leaving items on the floor.

If you’re able to follow these steps on a consistent basis, you’ll keep your vinyl boat flooring looking nice for a long time.

If you want personalized support or to discuss your specific needs, don't hesitate to contact MarineVinylFabric.com directly. Our dedicated expert team is ready to assist you. Dial  (312) 300-6737 or leave us a message at Contact Us.