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What do you clean the bottom of your RV with?

DeltaRomeo

DeltaRomeo

doug reeves: unfluencer
Staff member
I'm curious as to what those with flying RVs clean the bottom of the plane with. You know that exhausty, oily gunk that builds up over time? I use a rag with a little solvent on it, but I was curious as to what others use.

If you could post some options I'd like to (later) set up a poll with all the choices being represented.

Scrubbing bubbles?
Simply Green?
Etc...

Thanks in advance,
d
 
I use a clean rag and mineral spirits. I used to use Simple Green on the Mooney--until I learned that some of its solution was corrosive to the aluminum.

Cheers,

db
 
Blue shop (paper) towels and Coleman fuel - works great! I used to use Jet A on the belly of my Grumman, but it didn't clean as well as the white gas.
 
AV8-R. I think a gallon of concentrate was about $28. It is then diluted quite a bit with water. Cuts the scum nicely.

I'll have to try Coleman fuel (naptha).
 
simple green with shop rags ... then we go over it with spray and wash with paper towels to get the simple green off.
 
Simple Green has an aviation version that does not harm aluminum. Great stuff! I had old stains on my Interstate that would not come clean with anything else, including mineral spirits. Sprayed on the SG, waited about 30 seconds & wiped off. Actually, the stains started to flow off with the SG before the 30 seconds were up.

ACS sells it at fly-ins & SG gave away samples at Oshkosh last summer. A little spendy to buy, but it works so well you won't use very much.
 
Wash Wax All

I've used this on my new paint job and it works great. It's even an aviation product....

http://www.washwax.com/qa.php

Use the Heavy Duty stuff for the belly every oil change, and the regular stuff to wash the wing leading edges every time it goes into the hangar. Leaves the wings slick so the next lot of bugs slide off...:)

They have several FBOs that are dealers, in AZ it's at Payson... which makes it a really good excuse for a $100 breakfast.

ww_regular.jpg
ww_hduty.jpg


...and it meets Boeing specs. - no Simple Green worries....

gil A - usual disclaimer - just a satisfied user
 
I am so glad this topic came up.
As for cleaning oil off the belly I'm not much help and I don't want to start the dreaded "thread drift", but I found a great way to dry off the underside of your fuse and wings after a bath. Now I don't mind getting under my plane with a creeper to inspect things periodically, in fact, a really enjoy laying on my back under the plane. It is a great perspective. But I never enjoyed stooping and bending to dry it off after washing or taxiing through a puddle.
So...I bought one of those swivel type dusters with the soft terrycloth cover on the end of a broomstick handle from Lowes. No more bending over to dry and the surface of the duster follows the contours of an RV really nicely. The terry is removable for washing.
I'm sure others are doing this but don't ever recall it being posted.
 
409 works good, but you have to use some elbow grease.

Simple Green For Aircraft works great.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/09-00809.php

If it is a real heavy build up two things.
1. Your exhaust is too close to the bottom of the plane, extend it. Get a layer of clean air between the exhaust & bottom skin. I tried this with the extentions you can buy at any automotive store, you know the chrome ones. I literally do not have to clean the bottom no more. But everyone at my airport calls me "low ryder". :cool:
2. Gas on a rag to get the worst off first, ( No smoking) quick drains make great dispensors, then 409 or Simple Green Aircraft Cleaner.
 
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A cleaner called "WAR HORSE" it comes in a spray bottle and works great.

I am going to try WD40 though just as a comparison.
 
I still have some wax and grease remover left from paint prep. It works well. When that runs out, I'll go to odorless (yeah, right) mineral spirits.
 
gary Bricker

I talked to a Super Clean ( the old Castrol product) (like Simple Green) Sales Rep. this past weekend and he told me both regular Simple Green and Super Clean are corossive to alum. When it dry's. As long as you wash it off when wet you would be ok. He doesn't recommend using it on aircraft.
 
I dont know why this stuff works, but it does. Been using it for years. Lemon scented version smells nice. Spray aerosol sprays out foam that sticks (no drips) and cuts the scum off the bottom. Leaves a clean bottom that smells good too:) I use the scott shop towels in a box to wipe it clean. Easy to find, cheap. No draw backs and no elbow grease required. Let it sit for a minute before wiping off.

"Foaming action thoroughly cleans, shines, disinfects and deodorizes —without scrubbing! Attacks soap scum, hard water stains, mildew and dirt. Kills common germs such as staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus pyogenes. Won’t scratch surfaces; leaves a brilliant shine. Not for use on acrylic, brass or marble surfaces.
Chemicals/Cleaners Type: Bathroom
Application: Bathrooms (And My Airplane)
Applicable Material: Ceramic, Chrome, Fiberglass, Porcelain, Stainless Steel, Tile
Chemical Compound: Bleach
Dirt Type: Germs, Mildew, Mold
Scent: Unscented
Physical Form: Liquid
Packing Type: Aerosol"

DRK94308.JPG
 
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I second Kahuna's choice

I used to work hard to clean the underside but this stuff is so effortless.

Everytime I start my last can of Scrubbing Bubbles I ask my wife to put it on her grocery list.
 
Many water-based household kitchen and bathroom cleansers contain either phosphoric acid or sodium hydroxide (or potassium hydroxide) and are corrosive to aluminum.
 
Turtle Wax

Turtle Wax Bug and Tar remover, lemon scented. I originally tried using it for cleaning up the bugs and it was dismal. But it does work great on the belly. Spray on, wipe off.
 
Dittos on Scrubbing Bubbles!

I use large quantities of this stuff on the T-28 to get the exhaust streaks off of the sides of the plane. I get the multi-packs from Costco's aviation dept.
 
Mineral Spirits

Mineral spirits. Sold at Wal-mart as "Paint Thinner", it's $3/gallon and a rag soaked in it will just wipe the gunk off. It's harmless to paint (even Rustoleum), has low toxicity, and comparitively low flamability. Household dishwashing detergent (Palmolive) washes it off instantly.

So the active ingredient in Scrubbing Bubbles is bleach? Yikes! Do you realize that the way bleach works is oxidation? Isn't that basically instant corrosion?

And Coleman fuel (natural gasoline) as a degreaser? Double yikes! Paul, I hope you're wearing Nomex when you wash your plane! Low octane doesn't mean low flamability.
 
Doesn't your paint type come into play here? I have PPG basecoat/clearcoat on my plane and I've been told that mineral spirits should not be used on a clearcoat. Is this truth or just a rumor?
 
Kirkland brand handywipe

Costco sell a three pack of handywipes. The Orange flavored ones work fabulously. Cheap and disposable...and not likely to catch fire or cause me to grow a third eyeball. And one more thing...I hate the smell of jet fuel...disgusting stuff...if I didn't fly jets for a living, I'd never touch the stuff
 
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What is bleach?

jonbakerok said:
......
So the active ingredient in Scrubbing Bubbles is bleach? Yikes! Do you realize that the way bleach works is oxidation? Isn't that basically instant corrosion?
......
Click to expand...

Scrubbing bubbles active ingredients seem to be.....

Tetrasodium salt of EDTA (1% to 5%)

and two types of Ammonium Chloride (0.22% total)

and Diethylene Gycol Butyl Ether (3% to 7%)

It's been many years since I did chemistry, but are any of these bleach?

Data from here.... the MSDS....

http://www.scjohnson.com/msds_us_ca/PDFs/126607006_Scrubbing_Bubbles_XXI_Bathroom_Cleaner_Lemon.PDF

gil A
 
I use that hand soap that you buy in auto parts stores, the kind that's a gel (not the version with abrasives). It's cheap and I can wipe the gunk off with just my hand.

I use swim goggles when I'm under there to keep it out of the eyes. I made the mistake of not doing that once and ended up with a trip to urgent care.

J Allen
 
Scrubbing Bubbles Chemistry

No - none of these are bleach, which is NaOCl or sodium hypochlorite. Bleach is a strong oxidizer. Keep it away from your plane.

EDTA is an organic acid complex, and the sodium salt means that it has been neutralized to the point that it is slightly alkaline. EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is often used to bind with heavy metals. It is sometimes administered to treat poisoning. It is probably there to bind with the calcium and magnesium in the shower scum (hard water precipitate).

The chloride in the ammonium chloride could be an issue, but the concentration is low and if you use it on a painted surface and rinse it off, I wouldn't worry about it.

The glycol ether helps pull oily compounds into a water solution. Think of it like antifreeze.

None of this stuff scares me from a corrosion standpoint. Also realize that most of the concerns about these cleaners causing corrosion only applies the bare aluminum. We typically have primed or painted surfaces, so the precautions may be over conservative. It is a good idea to check your paint label for precautions.
 
First, I do not use anything not specifically stated to be safe for aircraft. Auto or household cleaners might well corrode Al over a long time. Rinsing well isn't enough...you can never get all the cleaner from under rivet or screw heads. Then the cleaner sits there for months and years. If it's even slightly corrosive you'll end up with a big problem.

Second, for a long time I've used something called--I think--TR-1000. I'll look up the correct name when I get home and edit this post, 'cause I can't find it in Google now. It may have disappeared from the market. It's by far the best stuff I've ever tried for degreasing and cleaning machinery.

EDIT: The product is "TR-1000" and is produced by Tomar Industries of Raleigh, North Carolina. Or maybe was produced. Can't find any recent mention of them. The cleaner was reviewed by Aviation Consumer a few years ago and got their highest ranking at that time.
 
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Water

I wash the plane on the top with clear water sponge and chamois it of section by section in a clockwise pass then every third or fourth time I do the bottom. I do the the bottom of the wings and tail the same way as the top. Then I do the bottom of the fuselage with clear water (as clear as it is after washing the rest of the plane and adding some to refill the bucket) using a wash rag and a drying rag. It is common to have oil from the crankcase breather (yes I direct it onto the exhaust pipe) on the bottom of the fuselage and dirt but that's all. Then I'm done with that every 4th time perhaps I wax the bottom of the fuselage with NuFinish (orange bottle or can). It always looks like it is freshly painted afterward. I had the same experience with the Archer I owned for 22 years powered by an O-360. It makes me wonder if you are etching the bottom finish in your effort to clean it.

Bob Axsom
 
Citrus Clean

I have found that a product called "Citrus Clean" works wonders. It's Biodegradable, Nontoxic and Nonflammable.
And it as well states that it can be used on aircraft

www.citruscleanit.com
1-800-898-6229 <<--- Number to order

Regards,
Brett
 
Lighter Fluid

Charcoal lighter fluid works great. And we always have some handy in the hangar. Not quite as combustable as other spirits such as paint thinner etc.

After a wipe down with the charcoal lighter, I use a cleaner called Jungle Jake (looks like simple green but is different). Jungle Jake is used on all our boats at the marine dealership - fiberglass & Aluminum. It has great grease cutting properties.

Try it, you'll like it.

Tony
 
Same thing...

STINGRAY said:
Charcoal lighter fluid works great. And we always have some handy in the hangar. Not quite as combustable as other spirits such as paint thinner etc. Tony
Click to expand...

A pal of mine was a chemist for Chevron. He told me that Mineral Spirits (paint thinner) Stoddard Solvent and Charcoal lighter all come out of the same tank at the refinery. Only difference was the packaging. Having said that, it is one of the best ways to clean an oily mess.

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
Hey, I'm no chemist

az_gila said:
Scrubbing bubbles active ingredients seem to be.....

Tetrasodium salt of EDTA (1% to 5%)

and two types of Ammonium Chloride (0.22% total)

and Diethylene Gycol Butyl Ether (3% to 7%)

It's been many years since I did chemistry, but are any of these bleach?

Data from here.... the MSDS....

http://www.scjohnson.com/msds_us_ca/PDFs/126607006_Scrubbing_Bubbles_XXI_Bathroom_Cleaner_Lemon.PDF

gil A
Click to expand...


I never said "Scubbing Bubbles" contained bleach. Kahuna's post said the active ingrediant was bleach.

But looking at your list (and keeping in mind that I flunked high school chemistry), my completely uneducated guess would be that the Ammonium Chloride functions as a bleach (to kill germs), the Diethylene Gycol Butyl Ether functions as a solvent (to remove greasy sweat residue), and the Tetrasodium salt of EDTA functions as an acid (to remove hard water stains).

In any case, none of those things seem like a good idea for your $6000 paint job.
 
GOOP! Goop, the hand cleaner works beautyfully. It has a creamy consistency, takes the crud off with just gentle wiping and is very easy on the hands, the paint and the nose. Residue wipes off with a damp towel. Available at Walmart.

Martin Sutter
Building and flying RV's since 1988
 
If you want to stay away from solvents....GoJo hand cleaner works great. Wipe it on and wipe it off. We Continental Engine guy's know how to clean the belly:eek:
Dave (swift driver)
 
Not the original stuff...

Dave62 said:
If you want to stay away from solvents....GoJo hand cleaner works great. Wipe it on and wipe it off. We Continental Engine guy's know how to clean the belly:eek:
Dave (swift driver)
Click to expand...

Not the original GoJo Hand cleaner... it's active ingredient is Mineral Spirits....:)

http://media.gojo.com/msds/english/GOJOORIGINALFORMULAHandCleaner.pdf

The Orange Stuff seems OK...

http://media.gojo.com/msds/english/GOJONATURALORANGESmoothHandCleaner.pdf

Lots of options on GoJo....:D

http://www.gojo.com/product/product_msds_domestic.asp#GOJO

gil A

gil A
 
Cleaning Aircraft belly

I use hand cleaning gel. Can be purchased at Pep Boys or at 99cents Store. Easily cleans the tough old oil off quickly and with less elbow grease.
 
Jamie said:
Doesn't your paint type come into play here? I have PPG basecoat/clearcoat on my plane and I've been told that mineral spirits should not be used on a clearcoat. Is this truth or just a rumor?
Click to expand...

Does anyone have an answer for this question?
 
I was told by a two time Oshgosh Grand Champion winner that good ole avgas works just fine. When I find myself on my back under the airplane I reach over to either fuel drain valve drain a little onto a rag and wipe away. Been working great for almost 10 years. No interaction with paint.
YMMV
Tom
RV3 2000+ hrs
 
MacNab said:
Does anyone have an answer for this question?
Click to expand...

Logically speaking, if Mineral Spirits removes your paint, so would a fuel or oil spill. It's certainly less damaging than hot oily exhaust residue. But if your painter told you not to use it on the paint he used on your plane, what else do you need to know?
 
Ask the painter

MacNab said:
Does anyone have an answer for this question?
Click to expand...

jonbakerok said:
Logically speaking, if Mineral Spirits removes your paint, so would a fuel or oil spill. It's certainly less damaging than hot oily exhaust residue. But if your painter told you not to use it on the paint he used on your plane, what else do you need to know?
Click to expand...

... and go the next step and ask your painter what he would recommend for cleaning greasy bellies...:)

gil A
 
jonbakerok said:
Logically speaking, if Mineral Spirits removes your paint, so would a fuel or oil spill. It's certainly less damaging than hot oily exhaust residue. But if your painter told you not to use it on the paint he used on your plane, what else do you need to know?
Click to expand...

The question isn't whether mineral spirits will remove the finish, it's whether it will damage it over the long haul.

I talked to my paint supplier about this today. He sells Dupont and PPG products to the automotive industry. His opinion was that mineral spirits was a little too harsh to be using on most finishes including urethane clear coats. He didn't even recommend it for Imron. He thought that it would over a period of time slowly dull the gloss of the finish, and therefore should be avoided if possible and at the very least not used on a regular basis.

He also said to avoid using WD-40 because it is almost impossible to remove it completely and that the contamination would cause fisheyeing on any subsequent paint or touchup work.

One paint professional's opinion, but food for thought.

az_gila said:
... and go the next step and ask your painter what he would recommend for cleaning greasy bellies...:)

gil A
Click to expand...

I asked my paint guy about this...he said I should ask a dermatologist - rim shot.

Actually, his recommendation was good old liquid dish soap and water or Aviation Simple Green.

There's a whole lot of us out here who don't utilize a professional painter, guys.
 
Most popular by non-scientific research:

I quickly went through the posts and here are the results I came up with as to the most frequently used products (where there is a tie I have listed them alphabetically):

1. Mineral spirits (5) (I added one for me)
2. With four mentions are:
GoJo or Goop (non-abrasive type hand cleaners) & WD-40
4. Scrubbing Bubbles (3)
5. Simple Green Aviation (2)
6. (the following had 1 mention each)
Aero One
AV8-R
Charcoal Lighter fluid
Citrus Clean
Coleman fuel (white gas)
Handywipes Orange
Jet A
Simple Green (I presumed non-aviation type)
War Horse
Wash Wax All
TR-1000
Turtle Wax Bug and Tar remover
100LL

I am sorry if I missed anyone. I do want to mention a story told to me by a former 100LL user. It seems that he let some drip into his ear. "just a drop" he said. He is a West Point career military type with a couple of tours in Viet Nam and a Purple Heart. He stated that he "had never had anything hurt as much" and "for a long as that did." So if you use it or any other solvent it might be a good idea to wear ear plugs and swim goggles or the like. (one of the posts mentioned an unpleasant experience with no eye protection). I personally like mineral spirits but have use Go-Jo with good results on heavily built up oil on an old 172 I owned. The mineral spirits seem to work better for me on the thin "dried" layer of oil on my RV.:D
 
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I love thread like this where everyone gets their fair say, lol. There's nothing like a big bunch of opinions! A friend of mine in the industrial cleaning business recommended a product made by Hotsy (the steam cleaner people) called Aero One. It's a concentrate that is mixed 50:1 with water. I bought a five gallon bucket ten years ago for 80.00 that's still mostly full. This stuff has every approval for aircraft(DOD, Boeing, Lockheed, Cessna, etc) and you just mix it with water, spray it on and it takes exhaust stains/oil etc off easily. Its MSDS says its hazardous ingredients are Sodium Metasilicate, Ethylene Glycol, Monobutyl Ether and Ethoxylated Alcohol. Its non flammable and soluble in water. Label says its approved for all painted surfaces and will remove hydraulic oils, fuel stains, exhaust stains, oxidized paint...And I'll attest, it works like a champ. Oh, and I don't sell it.
 
Oily Belly

I started getting catalogs from a company called Griot's Garage that makes car care products. They have an oil and grease remover that I started using on my unpainted RV-7A. It is one of those cleaners that smells like oranges but it works like a charm. It cut through a the oil on the belly of my plane with ease but I don't know what it will do to any paint. I'd be glad to hear other's opinions.
 
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