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Most of us have our favorite cleaning and maintenance items, but if you are like me, you are always interested in trying anything that might make the job a little faster, easier or give better results. Following are a few products we use right now and what we use them for. For general hull and deck cleaning I chose Simple Green. This is a biodegradable, inexpensive cleaner you can get almost anywhere cleaning items are sold. I use it full strength with a spray bottle and a long handle scrub brush. There are a lot of products for this cleaning job, but for the price, I am quite satisfied with the results. For more stubborn dirt, stains, etc. the next choice is Plexisis. This comes in a spray can and you put it on and wipe and shine it off. It has no wax so do not be fooled by the initial shine. Next is Lysol which most households are familiar with. The spray, when left on for a minute or two then wiped off, will really clean up stains and hull marks but it will also remove any wax you might have. Finally for deep cleaning in preparation for waxing, I use Colonite #870. This is a liquid that you rub on and rub off. Requires the most effort of any of these products, but it is a small price to pay if you want to set up for a good wax job. By design I have little exterior teak, just some inlaid in the anchor pulpit and swim platform. I prefer to keep it natural, but clean. Simple Green does just that, but recently I read about a fellow with teak decks who only scrubbed them with salt water. He said they come clean with the scrubbing and that the salt bleaches the wood as it dries. Have tried this only recently, but I think it will work for me. My apologies to all you Fresh Water boaters. Lastly, the Engine and Bilge. This is a big job for some and hardly anything for others. It all depends on the size of the engine(s) and design of the boat. In my case I have a 1986 cruiser with Detroit Diesels, the dirtiest engine that was ever built, but fine motors for dependability year after year. To clean these two and the bilge area under each is no mean trick. Mine is not exactly a walk-in engine room, more of a drop in between the two. With a hose and a variety of scrubbing tools I attack the whole area with Greased Lightning. This product is designed for cleaning grease and grim and it does that well. Keep in mind that you must use care not to discharge any oily water out of the bilge. Take care to use absorbent mats and any other similar items designed to keep the oil in the boat. Be sure you dispose of these properly in the same area where you dispose of used oil. The pads are considered oil waste and must be handled accordingly. One last thing...............How many of you have noticed that each time you scrub your boat, it gets longer? Fair Winds and Following Seas, Trader Joe

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