STAINLESS STEEL DECK FITTINGS

Good quality deck hardware of stainless steel fabrications or chrome is highly resistant to corrosion and the marine environment, but it still needs some maintenance if you want to keep it looking good. If you notice small streaks of surface corrosion due to oxidation of the fasteners, it needs to be out right. This type of corrosion can be easily removed with a good metal polish Some STAINLESS STEEL DECK FITTINGS need very little maintenance. After you are done, protect it with a light coating of marine wax or a light coating of moisture displacing corrosion resistant lubricant. The yacht wax will last longer. On aluminum fittings, polish until the applied polish turns black. Sprinkle Arm & Hammer baking soda on a rag and wipe the black away or use mineral spirits.. squirt on and wipe off.

A clever solution is to use lemon peel... it will cut down on grime that other cleaners miss. If you think that is too strong, you could use lemon oil, the sort you use on cabin furniture, as a substitute for stainless steel cleaner. Rubbing alcohol also works on stainless steel. When cleaning aluminum, look for a grain direction. If you look closely, you can see it. Rub with the grain. Really bad stains can be rubbed with the shiny side of aluminum foil. Do not polish aluminum when it is 50º F or less outside... this can scratch. Do not use cleaners containing ammonia such as window cleaner... this can cause pitting.

Silver polish works well on aluminum. For brass, use a cheap solution. One tablespoon of flour, one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of vinegar. Apply the powder mixture with a clean damp rag and wipe off the tarnish. Wash with soapy water later. If it’s a tough stain, cut a lemon in half, dust the cut end with baking soda and rub on small sections at a time. The baking soda adds a mild abrasive to scrub your brass back to life. You may also use presoaked wadding to polish the aluminum and metal.

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