Our test group included these marine-specific products. They were (from left to right): West Marine Nonskid Deck Cleaner, Star brite Nonskid Deck Cleaner, Mary Kate Cleaning Detail, Sea Bowld Deck Cleaner, Nautical Ease Non-Skid Deck Cleaner & Black Streak Remover, 3M Non-Skid Cleaner, Aurora Boat Scrub, and Meguiar's Non-Skid Deck and Hull Cleaner.

Nonskid—whether it's raised diamond, speckled, or some other form—plays a crucial role in keeping you safe while traversing the decks of your boat. And since boat manufacturers are sometimes stingy when it comes to handrails and handholds, an aggressive nonskid is all that more important.

Nonskid's bumpy surfaces, crevices, and contours are, alas, an ideal home for dirt, grime, and the like, and thus more difficult to clean than smooth surfaces. Talk about elbow grease. If you're not using the right cleaner, you'll never get the job done.…