Cleaning a boat fuel tank requires using special marine fuel tank cleaners to help avoid damaging the engine.
These products remove dirt, sludge and other harmful substances from your fuel tank.
The best boat fuel tank cleaning products are:
- Best Overall: Star Tron Gas Tank & Fuel System Cleaner
- Best For Corrosion Prevention: STA-BIL 360 Marine Ethanol Treatment & Fuel Stabilizer
- Best For Fuel Treatment: Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment Concentrate
- Best For Price: Sea Foam SF-16 Motor Treatment
- Best For Increasing MPG: Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment Cleaner
- Best Cleaning Kit: Por 15 Fuel Cleaning & Repair Kit
These cleaning products are some of the best for cleaning a dirty boat fuel tank.
We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission.
1. Best Overall Boat Fuel Tank Cleaner
The top overall marine fuel tank cleaning product is 64 oz. Star Tron Gas Tank & Fuel System Cleaner by the Star Brite brand.
This cleaner is the best all-round marine fuel tank cleaning product and it makes our list of top overall boat cleaning products.
Star Tron Fuel Tank Cleaner
This is a great cleaning product for many outboard and inboard marine motors.
The benefits of the Star Tron Fuel Tank Cleaner are:
- Removes sludge from the fuel tank: The cleaning agent helps remove dirt and sludge build up on the fuel tank walls
- Prevents fuel contamination: This cleaner helps remove and prevent further fuel contaminants from the boat tank
- Works in both gasoline and diesel engines: This cleaning formula can be used in both gasoline and diesel boat fuel tanks
- Clears clogged up fuel lines: The concentrated formula helps to unclog fuel lines and fuel injectors
- Great value for money: One 64 oz. container treats up to 250-gallon tank
To use Star Tron Fuel Tank Cleaner:
- Add 1 fl oz. for every 4 gallons of gasoline
- Let it sit in the fuel tank for a minimum of 24 hours
- Start motor and use the engine as normal
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Summary
The Star Tron Fuel Tank Cleaner is a great concentrated cleaning product for removing sludge and dirt from the fuel tank. We rate this as the best overall cleaner.
2. Best Cleaner For Corrosion Prevention
The best fuel tank cleaner for helping prevent corrosion is the 8 oz. STA-BIL 360 Marine Ethanol Treatment and Fuel Stabilizer.
STA-BIL 360 Marine
This cleaning agent is specifically formulated for marine engines and fuel tanks. It can be used in most boat motors from inboard to outboard engines.
The 8 oz. STA-BIL 360 Marine treats up to 80 gallons and 1 oz. treats up to 10 gallons.
The benefits of STA-BIL 360 Marine are:
- Stabilizes Fuel For 1 Year: This cleaning product will help stabilize the fuel and keep it fresh for up to 1 year
- Cleans Out Fuel System: This cleaner will erode dirt, varnish, gum and sludge build-up. This will help free up the fuel lines and fuel systems
- Increases Fuel Efficiency: Removing dirt and sludge means the overall fuel efficiency for the boat is much better
- Helps prevent corrosion of fuel lines and walls: The saltwater removal properties in the cleaning formula help prevent corrosion
To use STA-BIL 360 Marine Ethanol:
- Before filling the fuel tank with fuel, pour the product directly into the fuel tank
- Fill up fuel and let it sit for a few hours
- Start the motor and operate as normal
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Summary
The STA-BIL 360 Marine Ethanol Treatment is a great product for preventing corrosion in the fuel tank and fuel systems.
3. Best Cleaner For Treating Fuel
The 8 oz. Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment Concentrate by Star Brite is the best fuel treatment for the boat fuel tank.
Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment
This cleaning agent is great value for money. 1 container can treat 128 gallons of fuel.
The benefits of Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment are:
- Removes gum, carbon and varnish: This cleaning product will remove old dirt and sludge from the fuel tank
- Helps with the fuel efficiency and performance: Clearing clogged and dirty fuel tanks improves the overall engine health and performance
- Stabilizes fuel for 2 years: This cleaner will provide protection to the fuel and fuel tank for up to 2 years
- Prevents ethanol problems: The special concentrated treatment helps prevent common ethanol problems with old fuels and dirty fuel tanks
To use Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment:
- Add the product to the fuel tank just before filling it up with fuel
- Let it sit for a few hours
- Start up the engine and use it as normal
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Summary
The Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment will treat and clean most marine fuel tanks and fuel systems.
4. Best Fuel Tank Cleaner For Price
The best fuel tank cleaner for the price is the 16 oz. Sea Foam SF-16. This product is great value for money.
Sea Foam SF-16 Motor Treatment
The Sea Foam SF-16 is the best boat fuel tank cleaning product for the price.
The benefits include:
- Stabilizes the fuel for 2 years: It will keep the fuel stabilized for up to 2 years
- Cleans Fuel Tank & Injectors: This cleaning agent will clear out dirt from the fuel tank and injectors
- Easy to use: Simply add it to a vessel's gas or diesel fuel and let it work.
- Prevents gum and varnish formation: The cleaning agent will help prevent dirt from forming with its formula designed to stop dirt buildup
- It's cheap: Many retailers stock the Sea Foam SF-16 for under $20
To use the Sea Foam SF-16 Cleaner:
- Pour the product into the boat fuel tank adding 1 ounce per gallon of fuel
- Start the motor and use as normal
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Summary
The Sea Foam SF-16 Treatment is the best value for money boat fuel tank cleaner. It will remove dirt, mold and clean out entire fuel system.
5. Best Cleaner For Increasing MPG
The top fuel tank cleaner that can be used in marine engines for increasing miles per gallon (mpg) is the 1 gallon Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment.
Boaters looking to increase the fuel efficiency of their boat engines should try this product.
Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment
The Lucas complete fuel tank cleaner is a great product for all-round injector and tank cleaning.
The benefits of Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment are:
- Increase MPG in the engine: This cleaner cleans and removes sludge and dirt buildup. This means a smoother and more efficient running of the engine which helps increase mpg
- Fixes low-quality fuels: This will help fix dirt and sludge in the fuel itself making everything run better.
- Cleans and lubricates the entire fuel system: This cleaner will tackle dirt build-up in the tank, injectors and the fuel lines
- Increases fuel tank & pump life: The special formula helps protect the fuel tank and the fuel pump's life
- Helps fix low sulfur diesel problems: The cleaning agent acts to minimize the harmful effects of low-sulfur diesel fuel
- Great value for money: The 1-gallon container can treat up to 400 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel
To use the Lucas Oil Fuel Treatment:
- Pour the product into your fuel tank using 2-3 ounces of fuel treatment for every 10 gallons of fuel
- Start the motor and use it as normal
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Summary
The Lucas Oil Fuel Tank Cleaner will help remove dirt build up and improve overall engine health. It will also help improve fuel consumption and efficiency.
6. Best Boat Fuel Tank Cleaning Kit
The best boat fuel tank cleaning kit is the POR 15 kit. This kit comes with a metal prep, fuel tank sealer and cleaner degreaser.
POR 15 Fuel Tank Cleaning & Repair Kit
This kit is great for cleaning and repairing damaged fuel tanks.
The benefits of using the POR 15 Cleaning Kit are:
- Rust prevention: The coating in the product helps protect from future rusting of the fuel tank walls and lines.
- Removes dirt, grease and sludge: This cleaning kit will flush out dirt build-up in the marine fuel tank.
- Industrial strength degreaser: The formula used is extra strong and helps tackle the toughest dirt.
- Resistant to all fuels: This means it can be used in most boat engines.
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Summary
POR 15 cleaning and repair kit will help give the boat fuel tank a complete overhaul. It will remove dirt, repair rusty fuel walls and clean the fuel system.
What To Look For In Boat Fuel Tank Cleaning Products
There are a number of things to look for when buying a boat fuel tank cleaning product.
Compatibility
A very important thing to consider when looking for a fuel tank cleaning product is whether the cleaner can be used in your specific fuel tank. Some cleaners are only compatible with gasoline fuel while others may only be compatible with diesel fuel.
Price
The price is another important thing to consider when looking for a boat fuel tank cleaner. Depending on your budget, the price of marine fuel tank cleaners can range from as little as $10 to over $100 for higher-end cleaners.
Use Case
The use case of the boat fuel tank cleaner is another important thing to consider when looking for a marine fuel tank cleaner. Some cleaners are used for preventing rust or removing dirt while others are great for increasing the MPG.