How To Clean Inside Of Kayak

Cleaning and maintaining your kayak is the best way to ensure that your kayak lives up to its full potential. Cleaning away debris and saltwater from the kayak after use, along with inspection and repair maintenance before the sean and when the season is over will go a long way toward keeping a kayak in tip-top shape. If you're not sure how to properly clean and maintain a kayak, this guide will show all the steps to take when caring for a kayak.

What is the Best Way to Clean a Kayak?

Unless you kayak exclusively in saltwater or very dirty water, it can be optional to wash your own kayak after every use. This can be especially important when you don't kayak in the same body of water all the time. The hull of your kayak could be carrying any type of microorganism or other invasive species.

The best way to clean a kayak will be to use a hose and water, mild soap, and a bucket of water. Below we'll cover in detail the 10 steps to properly cleaning and drying a kayak.

Don't forget, that it doesn't stop with simply cleaning your kayak occasionally. It's important to main train a kayak through inspections and necessary repairs at the beginning and end of the season. Storing a kayak during the off-season can also affect the longevity of a kayak. Below we'll cover cleaning, maintaining, and storing a kayak.

Kayak Cleaning Supplies

Bucket for soapy water
Water and hose with sprayer
Sponge and cloth, or gentle scrubbing pad
Mild soap or Marine cleaning solution
Kayak wax (if necessary)
Microfiber drying cloth

How to Clean a Kayak

1. Spray Down the Outside of the Kayak With Clean Water

Start with rinsing the kayak down on a concrete or other hard surface. This is best done soon after use to get all grime and debris off the kayak.

Once the mud, sand, salt, or dirt is washed away, it will be easier to look over the entire kayak and give it a visual inspection.

2. Inspect the Kayak Hull for Scratches

Now that any mud, dirt, or other obstructions have been removed by rinsing the kayak, it will be much easier to see if there are any new scratches, gouges, cracks, or damage to the kayak. You'll want to fix or fill deep cracks or gouges.

Take this time to inspect the hatches, bungee lines, rudder, skeg, and paddles too.

3. Scrub the Hull of the Kayak With Soapy Water

Take the bucket, and fill it with water and two caps-full of mild dish soap. Use the sponge or scrubbing cloth to wash and scrub the entire hull and deck of the kayak.

For very dirty water, it might be necessary to know how to remove stains from a kayak hull or deck. If pesky stains are also present, it might be necessary to use a stain remover to scrub away persistent stains. Resist the temptation to use a solvent or other harmful chemical on the kayak. Most of the time, hot soapy water and scrubbing will remove stains and grime.

4. Clean and Scrub Debris From the Foot Rests or Inside of Cockpit

When using a sit-in kayak, can make it more difficult to clean the inside of the kayak. But, some sit-ins will have footrests that can become dirty over time.

Use a wet cloth with soap to clean the footrests and the inside of the kayak cockpit. If needed, use the hose to spray the inside of the cockpit to knock loose and dried dirt from the footrests.

5. Wipe Down Cables, Skeg or Rudder (if equipped)

Moving parts on a kayak are prime targets for salt, sand, and other debris to infiltrate and corrode without proper cleaning. Occasionally, take the time to clean and wipe down the cables for a skeg or rudder. Make sure the skeg and rudder are retracting properly and free of obstructions.

Those with a skeg or rudder have all been guilty of forgetting they are deployed when landing or paddling into shallow water. Keeping these items clean and free of foreign objects will ensure they work properly when needed.

6. Treat Areas Containing Mildew or Mold

When a kayak gets wet and is not cleaned or allowed to dry properly, mold and mildew can form–and smell. Even fiberglass and plastic can form mildew. Mildew only needs some organic material, like dirt and moisture in order to start forming. Combine this with poor storage and your kayak will have some issues.

Treat any areas with mold and mildew with either a water-vinegar solution or one-part bleach and three parts water. If mold is present, vinegar might actually be the better choice. The mild acid in the vinegar will kill 82% of known molds.

7. Rinse Off Entire Kayak

After all the cleaning and scrubbing is done, take the hose and gently rinse away all of the left-over soap and residue from the kayak. This step is important so there is not a film or haze left from scrubbing down an excessively dirty kayak.

8. Hand Dry the Kayak

If needed, the outside of the kayak can be left to dry outside, but make sure for a sit-in kayak, that any water is hand dried from the inside of the cockpit.

Use a microfiber cloth to speed up the drying process, drying around hatches and inside the cockpit of the kayak.

9. Apply a Kayak Wax (Fiberglass or Composite Only)

If you own a fiberglass or composite kayak, applying a kayak wax at this point can help to protect and boost the look of the kayak. A good kayak wax could even help to protect the kayak against small scratches and abrasions.

Another added benefit, the kayak will be protected from the sun's harmful UV rays. If a fiberglass or composite kayak has a fresh paint job, adding wax to protect it from fading and discoloration is a must. Painting a kayak isn't as hard as you think either. Here is how to paint your own kayak.

Start by using a microfiber cloth or other wax cloth to apply the wax according to the manufacturer's instructions. Typically, having a cloth that's slightly damp will help when applying the wax to the kayak.

10. Let Dry Completely and Polish

different types of kayaks standing in the sun

After the wax has had time to dry, use a clean cloth to polish off the haze left behind from the wax. The fiberglass or composite material should look shiny and clear after the wax is wiped away.

Does Waxing a Kayak Make it Faster?

It's thought by some that waxing a kayak will make the hull cut faster through the water. But, don't get too excited just yet. The wax is primarily there to protect the kayak material and shield it from UV rays. Any speed gained from a smoother surface from waxing will hardly be noticeable, if at all.

If you really want to kayak faster, here are 7 ways to increase kayak speed in the water.

Inflatable Kayak Cleaning Tips

So far, we've only talked about how to clean a hard-shell kayak. But, if you own an inflatable kayak, properly cleaning, drying, and storing is just as important or even more important.

Here are the basic steps to cleaning an inflatable kayak:

Pull the floor out
Inspect and clean the innertube cover fabric
Clean the deck material
Dry the hull
Dry the deck and floor
Roll or fold, and store properly

If you want an even more detailed breakdown of how to clean, dry, and store an inflatable kayak, see this post.

Start of Season Kayak Inspection

When pulling your kayak out of storage after a long hibernation in storage, it's important to still inspect the kayak to make sure there has been no damage. Depending on where and how a kayak is stored, there is a possibility of damage to the kayak.

Check Handles, Cables, and Rigging

Check over all the kayak handles, cables, rigging, and associated hardware for fraying, rust, or damage. It's possible that hardware could have corroded due to exposure over the winter or damage could have occurred before the end of the last season.

Inspect the Hull and Deck for Scratches or Oil Canning

When a kayak has been stored for a long period of time, there is a possibility for the hull to become deformed, or what is called "oil canning".

There are many reasons for this to happen, like storing improperly or being strapped too tight. There is a way to fix oil canning on a kayak, by following some easy steps.

Check Lights, First Aid and PFD's

Before taking the kayak out on the water for the first spring paddle, make sure the first aid kit, any lights for night kayaking, air horns, or whistles are all in good working order and stored away for use during the new season.

Inspecting a PFD, like a life jacket for not only damage, but proper fit is a good idea too. It might be time to discard that old PFD and grab a new life jacket to keep you and other paddlers safe on the water.

End of Season Storage Tips

At the end of the season, after the kayak has been washed dried, and checked over for damage, it's time to store away for the winter. Don't go wrong at this step. Properly storing a kayak for an extended period of time is just as important as taking care of the kayak in-season.

Storage in a Garage

Most people will opt to store their kayak in the garage. Why not? It's the most convenient and easiest place to store the kayak if done right. Using a kayak rack for the garage will keep the kayak off the ground and out of the way.

There are several different kayak rack options for a garage. Depending on the real estate available in the garage, one of these 7 storage ideas should work for storing a kayak in a garage.

Storing a Kayak Outside

The next best option aside from storing a kayak in the garage is to store the kayak outside. However, don't just throw the kayak up against the house or a shed and call it a day. This will be a recipe for damage to the kayak.

There are plenty of free-standing storage racks that are made specifically for a kayak to be stored outside. Another consideration for storing a kayak outside is the possibility of theft. Yes, never put it past anyone to go walking off with your kayak when it's least expected.

Take the easy precaution of locking up your kayak whenever it's left outside for an extended period of time.

Ways to Protect Your Kayak In-Season

Maintaining a kayak can also extend beyond just a good washing after each use. having the right equipment for transportation of the kayak will go a long way to protecting the hull against scratches and damage that can occur when the kayak is dragged or scrapped on the ground.

A kayak cart or trolley can solve this issue of getting the kayak from the vehicle to the water, and a good kayak rack for either your car or truck will ensure your investment is secure and protected en route.

Final Thoughts | How to Clean a Kayak

Cleaning a kayak might seem like just an afterthought. Sometimes after a day of kayaking along the lake or the river, the last thing most people want to do is to come home and start working on cleaning a kayak.

But, taking time to periodically deep clean a kayak in-season can go a long way toward extending the life of the kayak.