You join a 60m as Second Stewardess and the Chief hands you a cloth and a bottle. The saloon is panelled in book-matched Macassar ebony under high-gloss polyester, the dining table is oiled walnut, and the sky lounge is matt-lacquered oak. Three timbers, three finishes, three completely different routines. Get it wrong on the gloss and you will leave swirl marks the owner sees from the doorway.
Read the finish, not the wood
On a superyacht you are almost never cleaning wood. You are cleaning a finish sitting on a paper-thin veneer — often 0.6mm or less — laid over a substrate. The species (ebony, walnut, sycamore, olive ash, eucalyptus) tells you what it looks like; the finish tells you how to treat it.
| Finish | How to identify | Routine care | Never use |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-gloss polyester / PU lacquer | Mirror depth, reflects like glass | Dry high-quality microfibre, single direction; light mist of water or approved gloss cleaner on marks | Ammonia, solvents, abrasives, silicone polish, dry dusting with grit on the cloth |
| Satin / matt lacquer | Low sheen, feels smooth but not glassy | Damp-wipe with wrung-out cloth, dry immediately | Any polish that adds sheen — it patches the finish |
| Oiled timber | Warm, open grain, water darkens then dries out | Dry dust; occasional pH-neutral cleaner; periodic re-oiling per the yard schedule | Silicone or wax polish, detergent, standing water |
| Wax-finished | Soft lustre, fingernail marks it | Buff with a soft cloth; re-wax only on instruction | Water, alkaline cleaners |
Handling high gloss
- Use fresh, laundered microfibre only — a cloth carrying a grain of grit becomes sandpaper on polyester.
- Wipe in long straight passes, not circles. Circles show as swirl in raking light.
- Fingerprints on gloss are oil. A very light mist of water or the approved cleaner, then buff dry with a second clean cloth.
- Never spray onto the surface near a joint or edge; spray the cloth. Liquid wicking into a veneer edge lifts it.
Oiled surfaces
Oiled finishes are in the timber, not on it. They are repairable but thirsty. Water rings and alcohol spots go straight in, so coaster discipline in the dining and lounge areas is a housekeeping duty, not a guest preference. Blot spills immediately; do not rub oil-finished walnut with a wet cloth and hope.
Why silicone is banned
Silicone polishes give an instant shine and then contaminate the substrate. Silicone migrates into the timber, and when the panel later goes to a refinisher the new lacquer will not key — it forms fish-eye craters. A yard will bill the boat, and the trail leads back to whoever put the aerosol in the locker. If a product is not on the approved list, it does not go on the interior.
Onboard Notes
- Raking sunlight through a saloon window is your inspection light. Check gloss panels from a low angle after every wipe-down.
- UV fades exotic veneers unevenly. Rotate objets and close blinds on unoccupied sides; a bleached rectangle where a picture frame stood is a refinishing job.
- Heat and humidity swings crack lacquer and lift veneer edges. Do not park a hot lamp or a steamer near panelling.
- If in doubt, dry-dust and report. No stewardess was ever disciplined for cleaning too gently.