Shampoo for washing planes?

[IO540]

Having had ludicrous quotes from various plane cleaners, I am getting a car cleaning man friend to do the plane.

First time it's been cleaned in several years. It's amazing how effective rain is at 150kt :)

I am concerned about corrosion. He won't use a power washer, of course. What do people use that is safe for de-greasing?

[Say again s l o w l y]

We use a traffic film remover of which I can't remember the name of right now. It gets everything off in one hit including bugs, dirt and oil. Fantastic stuff to use first to get the real nasty stuff off.

When I'm in tomorrow I'll get the brand name.

[shortstripper]

I know it's boring, I know it's been said before, but ... please please, it's AEROPLANE not "plane" :(

I just use a decent car shampoo / wax.

SS

[SkyHawk-N]

I once read that WD-40 mixed with water and then used through a pressure washer works well. Who wants to give it a try and let me know?

[GullWing]

I know it's boring, I know it's been said before, but ... please please, it's AEROPLANE not "plane" :(

SS

YES its boring and incorrect to boot.

plane1 –noun
1.a flat or level surface.
2.Geometry. a surface ...
3.Fine Arts. an area of a two-dimensional surface...
4.a level of dignity...
5.Aeronautics.
a.an airplane or a hydroplane: to take a plane to Dallas.
b.a thin, flat or curved, extended section of an airplane

Theres nothing wrong with the use of plane or 'plane in this context. Whats your problem?
GW
PS apologies for the off-topic reply, hope your plane cleans up nicely!

[IO540]

Come on boys and girls, let's not turn this into a forum closely resembling a certain "other one" :) which is full of meaningless replies carrying zero information.

[Rod1]

Try;

Kleen Jet is a biodegradable aircraft industry cleaner and degreaser. It is a water-soluble, non-flammable, non-toxic concentrate that leaves no oily film or residual gumminess.

Rod1

[stiknruda]

I keep my AEROplanes very clean and wash/polish them frequently. My favourite AEROplane cleaner depends on exactly which AEROplane I am cleaning:

Mr Muscle
Plexus
warm water and gentle soap
Avgas
WD40
diesel

It is of course an aeroplane, Gullwing! Was in the late 70's when I joined Her Majesty's flying club, still is today.

I applaud you SS for upholding standards. You certainly won't find me even looking at other forum.

[jonkil]

B&Q have a road traffic film remover they sell alongside their pressure washer range. Seems pretty good...... Any good autofactor will also have degreaser that will remove most dirt.... use it neat on a rag & wash off really well with warm water and washing up liquid.... A good coat of polish then...
I use a product called "gunk"... this is used in the auto industry to clean engines... put on with a rag and washed off with water... it is water soluble.
A coat of polish helps stop the build up of dirt again.......... then again my AEROplane is composite.

Jon

[scooter boy]

On the subject of degreasers I use "Simple Green".
small quantities are enough to remove oil/exhaust stains from around the exhaust pipe of my R44.
The thick and clingy mixture of engine oil/ exhgaust and TKS fluid on the underbelly of my Mooney is very reluctant to shift with anything but Simple Green and even this requires copious quantities of elbow grease applied lying under the aircraft on a mechanic's roller. What fun! Important to wear eye protection for this job as lots of splashback into eyes is not uncommon.

For general cleaning I use Autoglym car shampoo, a clean sponge and a chamois leather.
Once or twice a year I do every painted surface (except transparencies) with autoglym resin polish - it works beautifully and keeps your bird shining like a new pin.

Anyone have any experience wuth the anti-corrosion products out there?

SB

[100LL]

Just be carefull if you are using commercial TFR (Traffic Film Remover). Some brands have a high Alkali or Acid content which don't do Aluminium Aircraft any favors. Try and find one thats neutral. They are a little more expensive but work just as well.

Aluminium has a good durability against many chemicals. Low or high pH-values (less than 4 and more than 9) lead to a dissolution of the coating of the oxide and to a rapid corrosion of the Aluminium.

[IO540]

Does anybody know where one can get "Kleen Jet" in the UK? A google reveals only Aircraft Spruce in the USA. I use them but they are a pain and it would be silly importing a bottle of liquid from them - would probably have to go by sea freight... I also wrote to Simple Green asking for their advice.

[rjakw]

It's amazing how effective rain is at 150kt :)
I am concerned about corrosion. He won't use a power washer, of course.
The group I belong to has just has an aircraft washing event. One of the things that occurred to us was to make judicious use of a power washer next time.
Why shouldn't we? If there are good reasons not to then I'd appreciate knowing about them before we do any damage!
FWIW the a/c is a PA38 and lives outside most of the time.

[Windy Militant]

Why shouldn't we? If there are good reasons not to then I'd appreciate knowing about them before we do any damage!

Water pentration into joints, seals, bearings etc. The airframe is designed to shelter bits like this from the worst effects of water carried in the slip stream whilst flying. With a pressure washer you can back flush bits that the airflow can't normally get at.

Pressure washers are fine for cleaning tractors, excavators and cows! But best avoided for aircraft.

A point to remember is that any form of detergent or cleaner will degrade the lubricants in hinges, cables etc so once you've finished washing get round with the grease gun and or WD40 to prevent corrosion setting in.

Don't use washing up liquid either it's loaded with salt. :=

[markflyer6580]

You can buy jetwash proof grease for bikes!

If you are going to use a traffic film remover try and get some thais non-corrosive(generally labeled 'matchless') the normal tfr does a fine job of wrecking rubber parts....:ok:

[Tim Inder]

I've not used this mysef - only just discovered the website today in fact!
No worries about jetwashing if it really works though...
http://www.intextsolutions.com/

[IO540]

Simple Green UK tel. 01726 891199 have just the stuff for this purpose.

http://www.simplegreen.ch/pages/page.php?lang=en&nav_id=4&nav_group=3&subsubnav_id=35

They responded very quick.

[Pianorak]

Simple Green is probably the answer, but as an alternative intextsolutions might possibly be of interest. That product contains Carnauba wax and kaolin clay.
<<Carnauba car wax repels water and, consequently, most contaminants. When applied to any surface, carnauba retains these characteristics. Therefore, an application of a carnauba-based car wax to your vehicle will protect it from UV rays, heat, moisture, oxidation, and environmental contamination. And it looks like a million bucks!
The drawback of carnauba waxes, if you can call it a drawback, is that it does not last as long as a synthetic sealant. A carnauba car wax finish will wear off in approximately 6 to 8 weeks. It depends heavily on the climate in which you live and whether or not your vehicle is garaged. Daily commutes in a hot, humid climate mean a shorter life span for your carnauba wax coat. If you enjoy regular waxing, then the life span of a carnauba wax is just one more reason to indulge in your favorite hobby!>>

[Chippik]

you could try zymol http://www.zymol.com/
as used on ferraris, maseratis, lambos etc at a price in my opinion but could be worth it (they do have an aircraft section as well)

[AC-DC]

Why to spend all this money? Use White Spirit, it is safe, cleans everything and gives you enough time to wipe it with a dry cloth.
This was my job at the airforce for the first 5 months, all the 20 of them :yuk:

[On-MarkBob]

Go on the web and find a company called Applied Chemicals. They do a product called 4-43, Four-Forty Three. It is an industrial detergent that is extreemly powerfull, yet harmless. The Guy that used to demo the product would spray it into his mouth. I did the same once and I'm still living, it just didn't taste very nice. Be prepared to do some serious polishing afterwards, it takes everything off bar the paint, provided the paint has stuck properly or it will take that off as well! I had an Aircraft maintenance company once and we used it for years, certainly takes the hard work out of washing your aircraft. It's good for cookers as well. In fact it copes with grease so well that it will remove the oil out of the hinges and bearings etc. so after you wash, polish and then go round with the oil can.

[IO540]

In fact it copes with grease so well that it will remove the oil out of the hinges and bearings etc. so after you wash, polish and then go round with the oil can

Unfortunately one needs more than just an oil can to correctly lube the various bits of a plane.

I've just seen a photo of a rudder of a Socata TB which came off at the top completely. The top bearing had probably never been lubricated in the 20 or so years since it was made and wore right through and came off. Luckily he landed safely.

[stevef]

Windy Militant is right on the mark. I've seen wheel bearings ruined by pressure washers. The nozzles also blow ASF3 oil out of flying control piano hinges that aren't the easiest things to lubricate efficiently in the first place. If your aircraft has retractable gear, the same thing applies to displaced grease & oil. Then there's the danger of getting water/detergent in the pitot and static lines. Take care.

[captain kid]

use an aircraft cleaning detergent such as Lightening which is excellent for removing grime, engine oil and fuel waste deposits from under the aircraft, id be careful of which detergent you use as it doesnt take much to attack the alluminium, before you know it corrosion will be setting in, which is also another good reason to keep the airframe clean to prevent corrosion. I would definitly stay clear of any jet washing, it will only cause problem, water seeping getting into the cabin, electrics getting wet etc. Flying controls should be re lubricated with the correct lubricant once the aircraft has been washed as you will have washed out any lubricant / grease which could lead to the moisture freezing during flight which would be scary.

[IO540]

Update: Simple Green works very well. Even gets 4 years of oil based grime off the underside.