Top tools for spring cleaning

Recently we visited Campbell River where Silom had been waiting for us for much of the winter at Fisherman’s Wharf. Her deck was very mouldy, badly in need of a scrub, and the stainless had lost its lustre. It was only February, but clear blue skies and unseasonably warm weather were stoking the urge to get started airing things out and shining surfaces.

So I dove in. Here I will share a few products that I have added to my cleaning arsenal, and hope you will find them helpful.

I wanted to get an early start on spring cleaning as the plan was to take off in April to research the north coast of British Columbia to expand our guide up to Prince Rupert, something Jim has wanted to do for years and many folks urged us to do at the Vancouver Boat Show.

But family health events in early March have complicated those plans so maybe we won’t be able to get up there this year.

Back to cleaning…and my new favourite stainless steel cleaner. I happened upon this product while googling ways to restore the old double sink on Silom. It’s deep and a good size, and I didn’t want to replace it just because it was so scratched and worn looking.

Enter Pierre d’Argent – Pure Brite (which sounds like a designer facial serum). It’s clay, a natural product, comes from France, and cleans, polishes and leaves a protective finish. It can be used on stainless steel, silver, aluminum, copper, interior oven windows, the list goes on. It doesn’t scratch and it doesn’t irritate the skin.

Our cabin sole was starting to look like it needed to be refinished sooner or later, when a friend put me on to Minwax Hardwood Floor Reviver and Hardwood Floor Cleaner. I now apply the Reviver once a year, and only clean the sole with their Cleaner. I believe we now have many years left before refinishing will be necessary. Highly recommended.

The last item is not a cleaning product, but it sure helps to keep the boat fresh and minimize condensation, and therefore mould growth.

It’s a small powerful 12-volt fan I first bought over 10 years ago, made and sold by svhotwire.net. I fasten it in place in the porthole above the galley stove with a short length of bungie, and turn it on to blow out the warm, moist air that cooking with propane generates. We turn it on every time we cook anything, especially boiling water.

It also comes with Velcro, so you can hang it elsewhere if you need to, and a stand if you wish to have a place to securely install it. The two-speed fans can be hardwired or come with a car cigarette lighter plug if you prefer.

I just ordered three more because I worry about them discontinuing such a great product. They aren’t cheap, especially if you wish to have them mailed to Canada from the US, but worth every penny to me. Contact information is on their website.

Here’s hoping we can soon have warm sunny days to shake off the damp and cold the creeps into our boats and let in the sunshine and fresh air we all love. Happy spring to all.

Note: We purchased the products on this page and were not paid or asked to promote them.