Washing your plane

[rupertjl]

Since I'm a relatively new aircraft owner (3 whole months now!), I was wondering what everybody uses to wash their babies. I got my tailwheel endorsement on a grass strip and she's pretty dirty right now. I remember when I was a kid working with my dad, I used lemon pledge to get those nasty bugs off, but as for a soap and water type cleaner, any sugestions? I would think normal car wash soap would work but I don't want to ruin any paint!

Thanks in advance.
v/r,
Jud

[Harold Holiman]

I use regular car wash soap with good results.

Harold
N92CP

[bentley]

Myself being somewhat anal about dirty planes have used many expensive and cheapo cleaning products. I now use an orange flavored cleaner found in Safeway (and I am sure any other grocery store) that doesn't affect paint/wax/coatings and cost very little. I avoid simple green though it works well due to corrosion issues. One product I recently tried (and no I do not own their stock) is "Rejex" by Corrosion X. It is a wax you apply to wing leading edges and in my case cowling areas where exhaust stains build. If you follow the directions this stuff greatly reduces cleaning effort.....exhust wipes away with no cleaner and bugs seem to adhere less too. I use it on the work plane too and ice doesn't seem to stick as bad either.

RB

[djbaker]

Lemmon Pledge is great for any part of the airplane. It will renew paint and keep bugs off the windshield. I've talked to the S.C.Johnson engineers and they say there is nothing harmful. I buy it in the spray bottle (cheaper), not the aerosol.

[170C]

I use a commercial aircraft detergent (unfortunately I don't have the brand here at the house) and it works quite well, but it is in a 5 gallon container (only use about a cup per 5 gallons of water), but as I recall it is pretty expensive. I will switch to something else when its gone.

I have seen a new ad on tv recently about a car wash detergent that they claim drys without leaving any water spots. I am going to get its name and try it one of these days. If anyone else trys it, let the forum know how successful it may/maynot be.

[N1478D]

From the September 2004 issue of Light Plane Maintenance! The article is titled Favorite Chemtools
One of the headings is:
"General Purpose Wash"
"Stay with recommended aviation products that are safe for aluminum. General alkaline cleaners and other harsh cleaners are not good for aluminum-especially high strength aluminum castings. Don't use car washes or dishwashing liquids. Sporty's Pilot Shop carries a line of aviation cleaners that we like. We avoid Simple Green(alkaline) as well as Fantastic, unless it's in a controlled fashion where it cannot enter seams or splash on forgings. If you do use these alkaline cleaners, be sure to flush any areas affected very thoroughly with water."

[C170BDan]

Being that my 170 is polished I dont wash it like you can with painted airplanes. Just too many water spots to polish out! So I just use water and a sponge to do the tops of the wings. "Glass Plus" to clean things like exhaust streaks and leading edges. It says right on the "Glass Plus" bottle safe for aluminium. I have been told not to use Windex. A nice cleaner/sealer for the polished airplanes is Nuimage from Nuvite. Those are the products I use for my application.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

I go the natural route when it comes to washing my plane. Nothing but rain water.

[N1277D]

A mixture of Bon-Ami, rubbing alcohol and water works quite well to remove most dust and bugs. Then wipe it down with a clean rag and some flour to bring out the shine. Both Bon-Ami and flour are non abrasive/corrosive to aluminum. Bon-Ami is at most grocery stores with the flour just a few aisles away or you can purchase a very similar product from your local pilots supply house.

[N1478D]

I go the natural route when it comes to washing my plane. Nothing but rain water.

That is cool Bruce! Do you harvest rain water for your house too?

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Well Joe I don't exactly harvest it. Come to think of it I use the same technique to wash my car and truck. I just make sure the vehicles are sitting outside when it rains.

Works great.

[N1478D]

OH! So my mental picture of you having solar panels, wind generator, water cisterns, etc. are evaporating!

[GAHorn]

Buy WD-40 in gallon containers. Put 2 cups in a 5 gal. container, add water forcefully from a garden hose. (Makes a milky emulsion. Do NOT use ANY soap!)
Rinse dust off aircraft with hose (wet the aircraft forcefully.) Using a dedicated cotton mop and the emulsion, mop the aircraft thoroughly, and use old cotton towels for undersurfaces.
Rinse with a water hose again, and dry with old towels. Takes 45 mins to one hour. Plane looks great, and polish doesn't tarnish. Hinges and control surface bearings get lubricated naturally and seams are corrosion-inhibited naturally. Doesn't harm plexiglas. Clean it (the windshield) as you normally would with your favorite cleaner after the wash job.
Water beads up just like it was waxed.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

WD-40! Really George no wonder your plane is so fast. Just slips right through the air

Any idea whats in WD-40? I think it might be MMO with out the color and perfume.

[GAHorn]

I've been told that WD stands for "Water Displacement"...which is one claim the product makes. It would explain why it makes an emulsion and also why it leaves it's lubricity carrier behind after the water is gone. Makes for anti-corrosion control as an added benefit.
(I have to admit that this idea isn't my own. It came from the mid-'50's book "Hints from Heloise"...a housekeepers manual which recommended washing your car with kerosene and water in the same fashion. My Dad used to wash the '57 Chrysler that way and it always looked like it'd just been waxed. (And the doors and windows quit squeaking, the hood and trunk hinges worked smoother, and all the rubber door gaskets and winshield gaskets got lubricated.)
Since plexiglas mfr's approve kerosene/jet fuel to remove tar and bugs from the windshields...I had the idea to use WD-40 (because it smells better and is sold in gallon cans at WalMart) and because it has better lubricity. Works fantastic! (Now if I can just find that clear/rose-colored 45-RPM record and my now-grown-up sister's Barbie record player I could re-learn the hokey-pokey and sign it off!)