Best soap for washing fabric covered aircraft

Fearless Tower

Fearless Tower

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Fearless Tower
Any recommendations? I've read you want to use a mild soap (not detergent), but wondering what folks recommend/have had good experience with.
 
I use a liquid pressure washer soap call Carbon-Ate w/Wax (I don't use a pressure washer). It cleans and shines and doesn't leave water spots. I've been happy with it on metal and fabric planes. If I didn't have that I'd use whatever dish soap was under the kitchen sink.
 
Whatever dish detergent it is that is on my car washing stuff shelf.

You are washing paint, not fabric.
 
Dish soap contains detergents that are designed to cut through grease and wax, so if you use it you'll be removing your wax at the same time.

Using something like our EcoClean your sealant (or wax) will survive longer and we've created our formula with suitability for fabric planes in mind as I own one. :)
 
I do the whole airplane by hand using Wash Wax and paper towels. I don't use any water directly.

If the belly has a lot of oil build up I use the Gojo without the pumice.

My fabric is Ceconite and was covered and painted before I was born. As a result the paint isn't so great about staying adhered in certain areas and I need to be really gentle to keep it from coming off.
 
jesse said:
I do the whole airplane by hand using Wash Wax and paper towels. I don't use any water directly.

If the belly has a lot of oil build up I use the Gojo without the pumice.

My fabric is Ceconite and was covered and painted before I was born. As a result the paint isn't so great about staying adhered in certain areas and I need to be really gentle to keep it from coming off.
Click to expand...

Ive seen a lot of recommendations for Wash Wax on other threads....is it sufficient to polish the finish or can you use a high quality carnuba car wax on top of it?
 
Fearless Tower said:
Ive seen a lot of recommendations for Wash Wax on other threads....is it sufficient to polish the finish or can you use a high quality carnuba car wax on top of it?
Click to expand...

I think it looks pretty damn good afterwords, at least as good as it can look. I have used high quality carnuba car wax before and it might look a little better afterwords but at least on my plane it's not worth it.

One of the reasons it's not worth it, is the more I polish/rub it, the more the paint wants to come off. So I really only wash it about once a year and try to be as gentle as I can.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Ive seen a lot of recommendations for Wash Wax on other threads....is it sufficient to polish the finish or can you use a high quality carnuba car wax on top of it?
Click to expand...

Wash Wax and our product EcoClean both have carnuba in them as the "wax" part. That said, saying "high quality" and carnuba in the same sentence is quite dated. Carnuba was popular in the 70's and has been surpassed for quite a long time by better quality sealants that repel filth longer and UV block longer. It is reasonable to expect a carnuba based formula to last 6-8 weeks and a modern sealant to last 6-12 months.

Sealant: http://is.gd/LlyQ7B
EcoClean: http://is.gd/wWrfwM
 
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