Keeping your engine room in top shape is usually dismissed by most people because it’s hot, cramped, and hard to reach, but your engine room still needs a good scrub now and then.

A dirty engine room is like dirty fingernails; it says a lot about your boat’s overall cleanliness. The accumulation of dust, sea spray, oil, and other fluids in the engine room can affect a boat’s value as well as the boat’s seaworthiness. The boat may look great outside, but it is sick inside and may be dying. “A boat that’s a mess down below can be difficult to repair when there is a real problem.”