Cleanup Time! Your favorite products/ways to give 'er a bath?

FlyGirlKHWO

FlyGirlKHWO

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jun 22, 2013
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Delray Beach, FL
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FlyGirl
Before I head out on my Christmas x-c, I want to give the girl a good cleanup and wax. I'm Florida-based, so it's still nice and warm here, and I have a nice outdoor bath area available.

Any suggestions for general cleaners?
 
I like to use a good marine cleaner wax ,after giving it a full wash with a mild car soap.
 
Just use your favorite automotive products, minus on the glass.

For the glass, use lemon pledge

Use a nice mellow meguires wash, zymol wax, I also use Lucas speed wax between full wax jobs. Hyde food on the leather, DONT use armor-all.
 
Palmolive dish washing liquid and warm water for the soap, rinse and flush thoroughly. Use Collenite Insulator Wax #845 and apply with a damp applicator to a thin film, remove with a microfiber towel. Use this on everything including the glass and non cloth interior components. You can buy the wax at Boat Owners Warehouse on State Road 84 a few blocks west of Federal Highway on the north side of the street.
 
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Automotive soap and wax seem to do the job just fine, I'm pretty sure we used Nu Finish on the club's planes when we had the wash and wax last month. Can't wait to get down to Ft Lauderdale tomorrow and get some warm weather flying in...this cold weather stuff up north gets old!!!
 
Wash with old fashioned Turtle Wax, the green stuff in a bottle. Spray water on a wing, sponge TW on the wing and wipe it all around right through the dirt and oil and soot. Keep it wet.

Don't let it dry. Hose it off while still wet. Lightly buff with a towel. I can do a Cherokee in 30 minutes, and it looks great.

We did the King Air this way for 20 years. No sense in wasting time. Cheap...fast....good.

TurtleWax_Origin_4db980234a0cc.jpg
 
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Automotive "wash and wax" for the overall wash job. GoJo on the belly (smear it on before washing the airplane, wash it off at the end with a brush, you'll be amazed). Simple green aviation extreme for the stains. NuFinish to polish the plexiglas.

A good carnauba wax if you still have the energy to wax it after all that other work
 
Henning said:
Palmolive dish washing liquid and warm water for the soap, rinse and flush thoroughly. Use Collenite Insulator Wax #845 and apply with a damp applicator to a thin film, remove with a microfiber towel. Use this on everything including the glass and non cloth interior components. You can buy the wax at Boat Owners Warehouse on State Road 84 a few blocks west of Federal Highway on the north side of the street.
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:yes: Nothing beats Collenite.
 
timwinters said:
Automotive "wash and wax" for the overall wash job. GoJo on the belly (smear it on before washing the airplane, wash it off at the end with a brush, you'll be amazed). Simple green aviation extreme for the stains. NuFinish to polish the plexiglas.

A good carnauba wax if you still have the energy to wax it after all that other work
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Automotive 'wash and wax' products are a scam and waste of money.
 
Henning said:
Automotive 'wash and wax' products are a scam and waste of money.
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Whatever.

I use Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax on the entire plane and the rinse water always beads up nicely. A truer testament to the effectiveness is that the "pre-soak water" typically beads up nicely the next time I wash the plane too.

After washing I'll wax the leading edges only since they take the most abuse; major abuse from bugs in the summer since I like flying the rivers low and slow.

It works great for me.
 
timwinters said:
Whatever.

I use Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax on the entire plane and the rinse water always beads up nicely. A truer testament to the effectiveness is that the "pre-soak water" typically beads up nicely the next time I wash the plane too.

After washing I'll wax the leading edges only since they take the most abuse; major abuse from bugs in the summer since I like flying the rivers low and slow.

It works great for me.
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If you have a linear polyurethane type paint, it will bead regardless of wax for 5 years if the plane is kept outside, near indefinitely if hangared. Go ahead and hit a spot with some Collenite and tell me you don't see a difference....
 
Like I said, Henning, it works fine for me. My paint holds a mirror finish even though it's 12 years-old. I do completely wax the plane about once a year. Then the leading edges every time I wash.

It couldn't look any better than it does.
 
Speed is what's important. I don't care how long a sealant will last. Wax, sealant, whatever you use, will still look like hell in a month. Gotta do it over anyway. Make it simple and fast.

Case in point. Have you ever seen what the soot trail from a PT6 does to the nacelles, wing and fuselage of a King Air? They need a wash after every flight!

As long as it looks good after you dry it off, is good enough. More work is just more work.
 
Tim

C182A, N5057D
Ms. DueBeUs
H88 & 0T3


I just noticed your 182A. Mine was 5151D before I got the vanity number. s/n 182-51251. His name is Snarly Charlie since the exhaust system had nothing but the shell for a muffler when I got him. DAMN but he was loud!!

Jim
 
The AeroCosmetics line of products is the best and most complete of which I am aware. See http://www.washwax.com/ for details and ordering. Also available from many pilot shops and internet aviation retailers like Aircraft Spruce.
 
Allison

Least I remember HWO does have a soap and water restriction, which is Dumb as a rock and silly as string in a can, but its still the case. Its Broward Co. Av Department rule. Its restricted unless you used a wash pit with the scavenging system - which I know of none on the field.

I use Wash Wax (see ron's link) to get the act done. Works really well at getting the bugs off the wing, and the degreaser works great for the underbelly.

Dave
 
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davidm767 said:
Flygirl - Least I remember HWO does have a soap and water restriction. Dumb as a rock and silly as string in a can, but its still the case. I use Wash Wax (see ron's link) to get the act done. Works really well at getting the bugs off the wing, and the degreaser works great for the underbelly.

Dave
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I just use water to get the bugs off. I spray the leading edges, landing gear, nose, spinner, etc. liberally with water after I land. By the time the plane is back in the hanger, the water has loosened up the little carcasses and I can just wipe it clean with a microfiber towel.

For the underbelly, it's tough to beat mineral spirits or 100LL.
 
David said:
I just use water to get the bugs off. I spray the leading edges, landing gear, nose, spinner, etc. liberally with water after I land. By the time the plane is back in the hanger, the water has loosened up the little carcasses and I can just wipe it clean with a microfiber towel.

For the underbelly, it's tough to beat mineral spirits or 100LL.
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Agree, water is our after flight leading edge cleaner. More stubborn areas get Wash Wax All (blue), greasy areas get the degreaser version (red).

We rarely do a wet wash.
 
Hi, Dave,

Nice to see you (in print, at least!)

Yes, I know KHWO is stupid about that, but at the moment I'm at KPMP, where the hubby is finishing his PPL training in our Tiger. SheltAir has a nice pad that's free to use, since we're buying our gas from them at the moment.

Thanks for the info!

Allison


davidm767 said:
Allison

Least I remember HWO does have a soap and water restriction, which is Dumb as a rock and silly as string in a can, but its still the case. Its Broward Co. Av Department rule. Its restricted unless you used a wash pit with the scavenging system - which I know of none on the field.

I use Wash Wax (see ron's link) to get the act done. Works really well at getting the bugs off the wing, and the degreaser works great for the underbelly.

Dave
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I used a Maguires wash and follow it up (from Henning's suggestion) with Collinite 845.
Gets done once a year right before the Smithsonian fly in.
 
Henning said:
......Boat Owners Warehouse on State Road 84 a few blocks west of Federal Highway on the north side of the street.
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Buy "RollOff" for all your cleaning needs and use a liquid wax for protection... The RollOff product is sold at better marine supply stores.. The stuff works GREAT....
 
weirdjim said:
Tim

C182A, N5057D
Ms. DueBeUs
H88 & 0T3

I just noticed your 182A. Mine was 5151D before I got the vanity number. s/n 182-51251. His name is Snarly Charlie since the exhaust system had nothing but the shell for a muffler when I got him. DAMN but he was loud!!

Jim
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Yup...SN 51157 here. She's a great ol' bird.
 
N801BH said:
Buy "RollOff" for all your cleaning needs and use a liquid wax for protection... The RollOff product is sold at better marine supply stores.. The stuff works GREAT....
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I use RollOff all the time on boats, not so sure it's safe for aluminum though.
 
Ron Levy said:
The AeroCosmetics line of products is the best and most complete of which I am aware. See http://www.washwax.com/ for details and ordering. Also available from many pilot shops and internet aviation retailers like Aircraft Spruce.
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I buy this stuff by the gallon. I used to drag the plane out to the wash rack and bake in the sun while I was washing it. Now I wipe it down after every flight so the plane is pretty much always clean. I hit the belly with their degreaser when needed. Works just as well as the Simple Green aviation formula that I used to buy for alot more money.
 
Two things:

1) My main concern when I'm washing is bugs. Bug guts on all the leading edges, and they're often dried to a crisp rock-hard form by the time I land. I've been using Turtle Wax "Bug and Tar Remover" but spraying that on the leading edges, letting it sit for a few minutes (I'll spray the whole wing and then come back to where I started to wipe, not long enough to let it dry out at all). This only gets about half of 'em, and that's with a fair amount of elbow grease thrown in. What'll eat the little buggers up without messing up the paint?

2) This, copied from the Mooney list:

As someone with 45 years in the automotive paint industry and having formerly been a Sherwin Williams jobber I can tell you unequivocally to not use wax on your plane. It's a big waste of time and energy and worse yet is not healthy for your paint. All of the major paint manufacturers advise against waxing. Not only is wax not as durable as the painted surface, as the wax deteriorates and breaks down it starts to also break down the paint. When you see a shiny waxed surface you aren't looking at shiny paint but shiny wax. As the wax breaks down you will be forced to apply wax at shorter and shorter intervals. People who wax their planes (and cars) are just killing the finish with kindness.

The original paint on your plane is a very durable polyurethane high gloss finish which was designed to last for 15 to 20 years, especially if it is normally hangared (it's UV sunlight that eventually causes the paint to "dull out" or oxidize). The best way to restore the gloss when it eventually begins to oxidize is to have it polished, which uses a very fine abrasive containing rubbing compound which removes the very microscopic surface layer of oxidation from the paint. Of course if money as well as time and effort are not an issue with you then knock yourself out. In that case, on behalf of the paint industry, I thank you.
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So, what's the right product?
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Two things:

1) My main concern when I'm washing is bugs. Bug guts on all the leading edges, and they're often dried to a crisp rock-hard form by the time I land.
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I was a real skeptic at first, but seriously, water works very well. We keep a spray bottle of water and just spray the leading edges, wait a few minutes, and hit it with a fresh terry cloth towel (old bath towles). Once in a while I might need to hit an area with water a second time, but it's amazing how well water removes bugs.
 
Water.........and patience........for bugs. And I love that Sherwin Williams Mooney guy, he doesn't have a clue. Sealant for any paint will make it look better and last longer. Wax is good. Sealant is better.
 
Bill Jennings said:
I was a real skeptic at first, but seriously, water works very well. We keep a spray bottle of water and just spray the leading edges, wait a few minutes, and hit it with a fresh terry cloth towel (old bath towles). Once in a while I might need to hit an area with water a second time, but it's amazing how well water removes bugs.
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Same here, After landing and nestling the plane back in its hangar I make a 1 minute walk to the FBO with a 1 gallon pail.. Fill it with hot water and use a rag to wet the leading edges... 5 minutes later the bugs are softened and wipe right off.....

Water is a wonderful thing
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Two things:

1) My main concern when I'm washing is bugs. Bug guts on all the leading edges, and they're often dried to a crisp rock-hard form by the time I land. I've been using Turtle Wax "Bug and Tar Remover" but spraying that on the leading edges, letting it sit for a few minutes (I'll spray the whole wing and then come back to where I started to wipe, not long enough to let it dry out at all). This only gets about half of 'em, and that's with a fair amount of elbow grease thrown in. What'll eat the little buggers up without messing up the paint?

2) This, copied from the Mooney list:



So, what's the right product?
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Hmm, I'm going to take the advice of a paint salesman who needs to sell paint on how to preserve paint? No lol. Yes the shiny is wax, it is sacrificial to oxidation while providing a barrier from oxidation from the paint.
 
Alison, I bought a Nomad portable pressure cleaner that plugs into the 12 v outlet in my car. Does a good jog, and I finish off by spraying auto wash n wax solution and wipe dry.

Hollywood aviation at HWO used to have a wash ramp before the powers that be issued their edict. I was told DEA was responsible for the wash ban
 
creweite said:
Alison, I bought a Nomad portable pressure cleaner that plugs into the 12 v outlet in my car. Does a good jog, and I finish off by spraying auto wash n wax solution and wipe dry.

Hollywood aviation at HWO used to have a wash ramp before the powers that be issued their edict. I was told DEA was responsible for the wash ban
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DEA :dunno:.. Or the EPA :dunno:
 
creweite said:
Alison, I bought a Nomad portable pressure cleaner
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It's my understanding that you need to be careful using power washers on your typical spam cans. The pressure can drive water into the joints of your skin where it can get trapped and set up corrosion.

When rinsing with normal hose pressure, especially when using a "wide spray" nozzle setting, water typically has enough surface tension to stay out of the joints if they are reasonably tight.

Don't recall exactly where I picked up this tidbit but I've read/heard it more than once and it makes sense.
 
timwinters said:
It's my understanding that you need to be careful using power washers on your typical spam cans. The pressure can drive water into the joints of your skin where it can get trapped and set up corrosion.

When rinsing with normal hose pressure, especially when using a "wide spray" nozzle setting, water typically has enough surface tension to stay out of the joints if they are reasonably tight.

Don't recall exactly where I picked up this tidbit but I've read/heard it more than once and it makes sense.
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I've heard this more with dirty aircraft that all the drain holes are plugged.

If high pressure water can get in there, fast moving air certainly can. Go fly it when you've finished washing it to dry it out. :)
 
timwinters said:
Ummm...which way is your plane's skin lapped?
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Heh. Don't pressure wash backward. :)

(Not speaking from experience here I'll admit. It's hard to even find water on our field. I go over to FTG to their wash rack when it needs a wash that bad.)
 
denverpilot said:
Heh. Don't pressure wash backward. :)

(
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:yeahthat:

I use a pressure washer with a detergent uptake. The machine can be dialled back to where it is little stronger than a normal hose. I hose it down. wipe with a fuzzy mitt and then rinse. What would be really neat would be if some enterprising individual would create a "bird bath" like we had for our machines in the military. I'd gladly pay for something that convenient. :yesnod:
 

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