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Clean the Canopy

KALEWIS

KALEWIS

Well Known Member
I have read thru posts and forums here, but was curious if any -12 flyers had any good working product to share on cleaning the front canopy? Soap and water?
 
Pledge.

Pledge furniture polish works well and I routinely use it on my RV-10 windows and my Air Tractor since it doesn't have any ammonia in it.

It'll also leave a thin wax film that makes getting bugs off pretty easy.

Behold works as well as Pledge and half the price if the store carries it.

Best,
 
Pledge used to be my favorite (especially for flying in low weather and rain) but I'm a Plexus convert now.
 
Plexus is the name of the best product, (IMHO), but don't ever close your canopy and try to clean it while you are inside.
Used to use Pledge on my 172, but found over time it leaves a haze. (sorry, Pierre).
Dick Seiders
 
Plexus has been good to my airplane windscreen, glider canopy and motorcycle faceshields/windscreens. Works well, but you need a no-scratch wipe (Kimwipe, Dupont Sonatra, etc) and a windscreen with as much dirt and scratchy stuff as possible removed.

Phil Greenspun has a great write up on cleaning canopies. He favors cotton, but the disposable wipes work well too.

TODR
 
I prefer Novus over Plexus. Much less expensive on a per use basis, and (IMO) doesn't leave a film behind.

I'm pretty cheap, but I have cans of Plexus which are gathering dust on the shelf since I discovered Novus.
 
W/Screen Cleaner

Yep Pledge Furniture Polish was used by Ag Pilots years ago in NZ works wonders..!
 
Pledge?

Although I have not used Pledge for plexiglass canopies I am skeptical that it is a good product for that purpose. I have used it for other purposes, like on plastics, and found that under some conditions of humidity and temperature the wax left behind will turn milky and be very difficult to remove.
A canopy is expensive, I use only Novus or Plexus. One seems as good as the other and they both work well. For cleaning and polishing the plexi I use dedicated microfiber towels that are kept seperate from my other towels and not used for any other purpose.

Tony
 
Many Military units use only Plexus.

Procedure:
1) Wipe canopy, vertical motions only, (with no pressure at all) with only a clean microfiber towel. This removes settled dust that will scratch when cleaning.

2) Spray Plexus on front. Let sit one minute to soften bugs.

3) Wipe canopy in vertical motions only, (with light to medium pressure) removing the Plexus and bugs. Every time, use Clean Lint free towel or microfiber rag.

Note:
Vertical motions only, with canopy cleaning, will ensure you don't acquire the common circular micro scratches that can blind you when looking through it near the sun. This process will preserve your finish on your canopy. Canopy is expensive and a pain to replace.
 
pledge

I've used Pledge exclusively since 1983 on three different airplanes and have always enjoyed a clean, trouble free windscreen on each one. I've never had a problem with haze or buildup.
 
DEWATSON said:
I've used Pledge exclusively since 1983 on three different airplanes and have always enjoyed a clean, trouble free windscreen on each one. I've never had a problem with haze or buildup.
Click to expand...

Twenty years of experience probably outweighs my guesswork reservations :eek:.

(But I won't be using it on a canopy ;).)

Tony
 
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We used to use Pledge years ago on the helicopter bubbles. Then only Lemon Pledge was available here in Canada. It is terrible. Leaves streaks and does not clean. We switched to 210. We are all convinced that 210 is the old Pledge with a new label. With 210 you have to occasionally wash the windows with detergent and water to remove the wax buildup and start over with 210
 
Carl J. Niedermeyer said:
Not a -12 flyer but ... I use Brillianize mostly and Plexus every so often. Brillianize does not leave any residue, like some others do. Started using it on my sailplane's canopy years ago and carried it over to the RV-8.

http://www.brillianize.com/index.html

Use clear running water and your hand to first clean off the dust and dirt from the canopy and windscreen.

A search of the forum will bring up several threads on the subject.
Click to expand...

Perfect technique and great product! Threw away my plexus....
 
I have used pledge since 1986 on my cherokee windscreen as well as leading edges and cowling front to make bugs come off easy. I switched to plexus for the canopy when I got into RVs. Always worked great on the leading edges.
 
NickAir said:
Many Military units use only Plexus.

Procedure:
1) Wipe canopy, vertical motions only, (with no pressure at all) with only a clean microfiber towel. This removes settled dust that will scratch when cleaning.

2) Spray Plexus on front. Let sit one minute to soften bugs.

3) Wipe canopy in vertical motions only, (with light to medium pressure) removing the Plexus and bugs. Every time, use Clean Lint free towel or microfiber rag.

Note:
Vertical motions only, with canopy cleaning, will ensure you don't acquire the common circular micro scratches that can blind you when looking through it near the sun. This process will preserve your finish on your canopy. Canopy is expensive and a pain to replace.
Click to expand...

I agree except I use a terry cloth damp to clean the plexi of dust and bugs. The water on the rag will float the dirt and the terry cloth will trap it. Wipe vertical and flip the cloth to a clean side often. Then apply Plexus with a cotton t-shirt rag, and then polish with another cotton t-shirt. The Plexus will fill in any fine scratches (all Plexiglas has em) and make the canopy disappear.
 
Pledge vs Plexus

So I've always considered Pledge (or Mister Sheen in Australia) to be the same as Plexus, only at $3 per pack instead of $25 per pack.

Are there any chemists reading who can pass some comments about the relative merits of the two?

(if you are using furniture polish on your canopy, make sure it's a pump pack rather than an aerosol pack. The propellants in aerosols are pretty aggressive vs acrylic)

- mark
 
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