What is Salt-Away Saltwater Remover?

Salt-Away is the leading brand of saltwater removal solutions today and has been available since 1994. Salt-Away is primarily marketed to remove saltwater from the exterior of your boat and the boat engine, but honestly, it can be used to remove saltwater residue from any surface.

As a fisherman, I use Salt-Away to wash the boat down, flush the engine, and clean my gear after every saltwater trip. What I like about this product is that it makes cleaning up after a hard day on the water so much easier.

So what is in this stuff? Well, that is a good question. According to the manufacturer, it is non-toxic, non-hazardous, biodegradable, and environmentally safe. Other than that, all I can tell is that it works wonders when trying to remove saltwater crystals from anything.

The Bottom Line

Yes, it works wonders.
It is a small investment for your expensive fishing gear, boat, and motor.
It makes quick work of cleaning your gear

Salt-Away is worth the investment; the two most popular sizes are 32 oz and Gallon.

Salt-Away Review

Salt-Away uses a proprietary blend of chemicals to clean your fishing gear, boat, or motor safely without using any harsh chemicals such as chemical solvents or those that contain petroleum.

We all know that after a long day of fishing in saltwater, there is ample buildup of salt residue on the rod and the reel. If we do not address this situation every time after fishing, we will notice that our gear begins to corrode, and if left unchecked, it will destroy your equipment.

I used just to rinse my fishing gear with fresh water after I returned from a trip, but I began noticing that I was still getting some corrosion, particularly around the guides.

I like to buy good quality gear and take care of it to last me for many years.

Applying Salt-Away to Fishing Gear

After I return from a day of fishing, I simply put my rods in an upright rod holder like the SeaSense single-piece 3-rod holder, and then I spray the rods with a 2% solution of Salt-Away mixed with water. I mix the solution in a spray bottle from the dollar store.

When I apply the solution, I am careful to make sure that I cover the entire rod, especially when I soak the guides. I also spray the reel from all sides to ensure it is evenly covered. After I had sprayed everything, I let it sit for about 5 minutes to give the solution a chance to dissolve the salt that has built up.

After the Salt-Away has had a chance to do its magic, I spray the rods and reels down with a very fine mist spray. You can use a higher pressure spray if you want on the rod itself, but you want to be careful not to spray the reel with high pressure as you do not want to force any of the Salt-Away and salt water solution into the interior of the reel where it will be hard to get out. The good news is that if it does get in there, it should not break down any of the lubricants, according to the manufacturer.

After rinsing the rods and reels, I usually just let them air dry, but if it is a higher-end reel, I sometimes wipe it down with a dry cloth.

Salt-Away Features at a Glance

According to the Salt-Away website, the following features of Salt-Away have been standard since the product was introduced to the market in 1994.

Non Hazardous. Contains no hazardous chemicals.
Non-Toxic. It is safe to use around plants, children, pets, and all living things.
Biodegradable. All ingredients biodegrade into the environment.
Environmentally Safe. Has no deleterious effects on the environment. It is safe to discharge into regular drainage outlets connected to filter systems.
Water-based.
Contains no petroleum products.
Contains no chemical solvents.
Does not react chemically or physically as an emulsifier on lubricants and coatings.
Inhibits rusting and corrosion.
Completely remove fresh salt.
Breaks down layers of salt accumulation.
It is chemically dissimilar to any competitive product.
Ingredients are of the highest quality available.
Tested to be safe to use on virtually all surfaces, including Magnesium, Aluminum, Iron, Copper, Steel, Stainless Steel, Chrome, Paint, Gel Coat, Nylon, Isinglass, Vinyl, Plastic, Glass, Wood, Leather, Rubber, Canvas, Concrete, and Brick.

Salt-Away Engine Flush

If you have invested in a boat you use in saltwater, you know how quickly things can build up residue and start corroding.

Here is what salt buildup looks like inside an engine’s cooling system. It should be noted that this engine was flushed with fresh water after each trip in saltwater, and there was still a lot of build-up.

After I return from each trip with my boat in saltwater, I ensure that I give the engine a good flush to eliminate any saltwater that has gotten into and on the engine. As you know, water is circulated through the engine to cool it when it is running, so this means that when you are in saltwater, you are running saltwater through your engine’s cooling system, and this can lead to corrosion if you do not take care of it.

Salt-Away Mixing Unit & Salt-Away Flush Kit

I have found that by flushing the engine using the Salt-Away mixing unit, I can nearly eliminate all of the saltwater build-up in my engine. The mixing unit can be purchased separately, but it is much cheaper to purchase it as part of a kit when you buy your first bottle of Salt-Away.

The mixing unit makes flushing the engine so simple. I fill the unit up with two oz. of Salt-Away, attach it to my motor flushing adapter, and turn the water on. I then let it run for about 15 minutes and am done. The mixing unit blends the Salt-Away with the water at a 1:500 ratio.

There is no need to flush with fresh water; you can leave the Salt-Away solution in the engine until you go out next time. If your engine does not have a separate flushing adapter, then you should place the mixing unit between the hose and the muffs when getting ready to flush.

By using Salt-Away, I am confident that my cooling system will perform at its optimum, and I run less of a chance of having expensive engine repairs from overheating.

Salt-Away Boat Washing

The last thing I use Salt-Away for is washing down the engine’s exterior and my boat. I have found that a quick rinse with Salt-Away does a much better job of getting any salt residue broken down and eliminated from my boat than just soap and water.

First, to rinse the boat, I use the same mixing unit I used for flushing the engine and give the entire boat a quick once-over, especially paying attention to the exterior of the outboard motor.

Then, just as with the fishing rods, I am careful to make sure that I do a very thorough job of spraying all of the stainless steel on the boat to ensure that I am doing everything possible to eliminate the saltwater from taking its toll on my investment. I let this sit for about 5–10 minutes and then gave the entire boat a final rinse with fresh water.

I have found that doing this regularly keeps the boat shining, and I do not have any issues with corrosion on any of my stainless steel. Remember, they call it Stain Less, not Stain None.

Also, remember that if you trailer your boat to saltwater, you will want to spray the trailer down with the Salt-Away mixing unit.

Where to Purchase Salt-Away

We have looked around for the best prices for you, and while typically, purchasing a liquid product from a traditional brick-and-mortar store is cheaper, this is not the case here.

A search for Salt-Away Walmart returned a result that looked promising. However, they do not stock Salt-Away or sell it online. For the record, the returned price was still not the least expensive.

When looking for Salt-Away West Marine, we got what we would expect: an expensive option.

The winner was Salt-Away Amazon.

Pros

Effectively removes salt and salt residue
Inhibits rusting and corrosion
Non-Toxic
Protects your investment

Cons

Higher price than competitors.

Alternatives

Salt-Away vs. Salt Terminator

So, is there a difference between Salt-Away and Salt Terminator? From what I have been able to determine from my personal use of both products, Salt-Away seems to do a better job of removing salt from the exterior surfaces of the boat and my fishing gear. I have never used Salt Terminator in my engine, as the minimal cost savings are not worth the risk to me when we are talking about something as expensive as a 200 HP Yamaha engine.

Salt-Terminator is about 25% less expensive than Salt-Away when you purchase it by the gallon. I boat about 2–3 times a month and fish several times a week. That said, a gallon of Salt-Away will usually last me a year. So, what does this mean? The “savings” is only about $10 per year.

For minimal “savings,” I will stick with Salt-Away, the leading brand in this space that has been around for years. The bottom line is that I want my gear to last, so I will buy good gear and take care of it with good products.

In Conclusion

Making the small investment in Salt-Away to keep your fishing rods, fishing reels, boats, and other recreational equipment free from the harshness of saltwater makes sense.

Several people will say to use vinegar or some other brand like Salt Terminator, but when I see the results I get with Salt-Away and the actual minimal cost, I ask myself, Why Mess With Success?

Salt-Away has always done an excellent job for me, and I am a lifelong customer.

I hope this helped you decide if Salt-Away is worth the investment to protect your investment in gear that gets exposed to saltwater.


SA32 Salt S-Away 32oz Concentrate	Salt-Away Products Cleanser Concentrate
Primary Rating: 4.7	Primary Rating: 4.8
$22.75	$49.95
Buy 32oz (Amazon)	Buy 1 Gallon (Amazon)

SA32 Salt S-Away 32oz Concentrate

Primary Rating:

4.7

$22.75

Buy 32oz (Amazon)

Salt-Away Products Cleanser Concentrate

Primary Rating:

4.8

$49.95

Buy 1 Gallon (Amazon)

05/12/2025 04:36 am GMT

About
Latest Posts

David Edwards

David is a freelance writer. He enjoys fishing as much as you do. He understands the challenge to pick the best fishing rod or learning the lifestyle. He provides a detailed review of the available products in the market. He wants to ensure you make the right decision for your next shopping day.

Salt Away Review: What is Salt-Away Saltwater Remover?