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Time to wash the plane...

MacCool

MacCool

Well Known Member
Complicated by that lack of any available water source. So I scored a plastic 55 gallon drum, drilled in a spigot, and when placed in the bed of my truck supplies enough pressure head to feed my little pressure washer (I'm aware of the dangers of using a pressure washer).

Question is...detergent. My biggest concern is the belly, so I'm guessing some kind of de-greasing solution is appropriate and I'm leaning toward Extreme Simple Green Aircraft. Supposedly non-corrosive...any thoughts on airplane cleaning solutions?

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I have found it simple to keep up with cleaning the belly by using “Belly Soap” and paper towels while updating the avionics databases every 28 days. The updates take ~20 minutes or so, and cleaning the belly takes half that. Great product. :cool:
 
I use a can of "Scrubbing Bubbles" bathroom cleaner and a roll of paper towels.

Don't forget SAFETY GLASSES.

It almost seems to "melt" the greasy "scum". One pass to remove the main grease and second pass to clean it up. You may choose to wash it with soapy water thereafter but I typically don't.
 
The SG Extreme diluted to 30:1 is what I use to clean bugs off my vinyl. It' seems very mild and takes the bugs and grime right off, even when dried on.

I also like it for the belly (before the exhaust pipe crankcase breather mod, now no more dirty belly). A slightly higher concentration might work better there. Check the instructions for details.

This stuff is used all over my shop for cleaning to de greasing. Highly recommended.
 
For the belly, I have used Coleman fuel (white gas) and paper towels for decades with no paint damage - quick, easy, no water required - and no water to drip in your face.

Leading edges get Bug-B-Gone, then Wash-Wax-All….our planes almost never see a whole body wash…just a once a year hose-down for the Condition Inspection.

Our real secret for non-greasy surfaces are the flesh-colored Scotchbrite(ish) pads that Wash-Wax-All sells. They take bugs off but don’t scratch the paint.
 
I never wash my rv-7A. I do a quick wipe down after flying with a moist microfiber towel, and dry that with another clean towel as I go. Once or twice a month I’ll use a detailer spray. Everything looking very nice after 15 years
 
I use Carbon-X to clean the lower exterior. Works great. I dilute 10 to 1 in a garden sprayer. After every flight I spritz some on and wipe off with an old t-shirt
 
One gallon of distilled water in a two gallon bucket using a terry cloth and no soap cleans all surfaces except belly and canopy. Scrub down area with saturated rag. Rinse rag and wipe dry with same. Replace water if it gets too dirty.

The belly is washed last using the same water but very wet rag is sprayed with GUNK and wiped over belly and the rinsed with same rag. You can clean the entire aircraft with only one to two gallons of water.
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I just cleaned the belly of my RV6 for the first time after a year of flying. It was pretty grimy underneath the air frame, but I got it all clean using nothing more than microfiber towels and lemon pledge.

It does attract bees, however. Most people probably wouldn’t care, but I happen to be allergic to them. :)

—Ron
 
Ironflight said:
For the belly, I have used Coleman fuel (white gas) and paper towels for decades with no paint damage - quick, easy, no water required - and no water to drip in your face.
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Naphtha and paper towels. Cheaper than Coleman. Safe on paint.

I save the Coleman fuel for final wipe down for areas I’m going to paint. It leaves no residue.
 
Even cheaper and totally safe with paint - I use denatured alcohol. Excellent solvent for bottom grime without making a mess, and smells better than white gas or naptha and leaves no film.
 
Airplane don't like water. I use a no rinse method I stole from the Corvette crowd. It uses Optimum No-Rinse Wash and Wax, 1 tablespoon in a gallon of distilled water. Soak a microfiber cloth in the solution and wring out. Fold twice into a square. With a spray bottle wet an area of the airplane like the top surface of one wing and wipe with the rag. Then dry with a microfiber towel. Each time you wipe you use a different surface of the rag, there will be eight. For the belly use a liquid car wax like Formula 1. It is viscous so it won't drip in your face. It will cut the oil and leave a slick protective finish. For the No Rinse method do a google search for some DIY videos.
 
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Before I had the ASA oil separator I used fuel to get the real oily parts then followed up by Simple Green Aviation...I don't know that it's non-corrosive, but I appears to have corrosion inhibitors and safe for aircraft. It also does great job on bugs. My airplane has been baking on the bugs in my hanger for the last couple months while my engine is being overhauled. Decided to wipe the airplane down a bit today and Simple Green made easy work of the bugs.
 
Before I had the ASA oil separator I used fuel to get the real oily parts then followed up by Simple Green Aviation...I don't know that it's non-corrosive, but I appears to have corrosion inhibitors and safe for aircraft. It also does great job on bugs. My airplane has been baking on the bugs in my hanger for the last couple months while my engine is being overhauled. Decided to wipe the airplane down a bit today and Simple Green made easy work of the bugs.

I stopped doing total airplane washes and do it by hand now
 
Carbon X is what I use and it works great for engines and oil slicks of any size. Used in the airlines doesn’t hurt aluminum. Just expensive.
 
swjohnsey said:
Airplane don't like water. I use a no rinse method I stole from the Corvette crowd. It uses Optimum No-Rinse Wash and Wax, 1 tablespoon in a gallon of distilled water. Soak a microfiber cloth in the solution and wring out. Fold twice into a square. With a spray bottle wet an area of the airplane like the top surface of one wing and wipe with the rag. Then dry with a microfiber towel. Each time you wipe you use a different surface of the rag, there will be eight. For the belly use a liquid car wax like Formula 1. It is viscous so it won't drip in your face. It will cut the oil and leave a slick protective finish. For the No Rinse method do a google search for some DIY videos.
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Right - most tap water has dissolved solids - causing ions, causing corrosion. It gets into all the cracks in sheet metal joints and deposits the particles when it dries, then reactivates in rain and humidity.
 
Question: Where do you buy Bug-B-Gone? It's not the Sea Foam spray, is it? I'd like to give it a try.

Ironflight said:
For the belly, I have used Coleman fuel (white gas) and paper towels for decades with no paint damage - quick, easy, no water required - and no water to drip in your face.

Leading edges get Bug-B-Gone, then Wash-Wax-All….our planes almost never see a whole body wash…just a once a year hose-down for the Condition Inspection.

Our real secret for non-greasy surfaces are the flesh-colored Scotchbrite(ish) pads that Wash-Wax-All sells. They take bugs off but don’t scratch the paint.
Click to expand...
 
I have been using Optima no rinse for a year.
My hanger doesn’t have running water access.
Great stuff.

A high quality ceramic coat helps a lot. It keeps the bug guts from sink into the paint
 
On our flying club airplanes, we use Simple Green Aviation cleaner. After drying, we use Wizards Mystic Spray Wax on the leading edges to make it easier to clean bugs off, and after each flight in bug season, we clean the leading edges with Wizards Bug Release and a microfiber cloth.
It works great on my cars too after long flights at 0 AGL :)- 1200 miles of bugs from Colorado to Indiana is a mess!

Wizards was recommended several years ago by the shop that maintains our aircraft.
 
Huh, I had no idea that water is not recommended. I just scrub mine with a carsoapy sponge, hose it down, dry it, and use whatever bug-b-gone I have on hand for the insect splatters. Might want to look into these fancy cleaners, especially after it’s painted.
 
I have been using the bathroom cleaner “scrubbing bubbles “ for the belly of mine. At times it can get pretty bad, depends how much smoke oil I go thru. But scrubbing bubbles removes it all. Cheap and easy to find.
 
MacCool said:
Complicated by that lack of any available water source. So I scored a plastic 55 gallon drum, drilled in a spigot, and when placed in the bed of my truck supplies enough pressure head to feed my little pressure washer (I'm aware of the dangers of using a pressure washer).


..
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Pressure washer setup. My little Greenworks 1600psi/1.2GPH pressure washer works well from a 55 gallon drum in my truck bed. I also found that it doesn't trip the single 15amp breaker in my hangar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geoN_TUgYVI

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swjohnsey said:
I use a no rinse method I stole from the Corvette crowd. It uses Optimum No-Rinse Wash and Wax.
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+1. Stolen from my buddy and his Cobra pals.

I'll add one thing...I see lots of "X and paper towels". I was taught many, many years ago (and by aforementioned Cobra guys) NEVER EVER EVER use paper towels. They're made of, wait for it, paper, which is...wood, and will scratch paint. Perhaps imperceptibly at first, but over time...

Microfiber only here.
 
RV7A Flyer said:
+1. Stolen from my buddy and his Cobra pals.

I'll add one thing...I see lots of "X and paper towels". I was taught many, many years ago (and by aforementioned Cobra guys) NEVER EVER EVER use paper towels. They're made of, wait for it, paper, which is...wood, and will scratch paint. Perhaps imperceptibly at first, but over time...

Microfiber only here.
Click to expand...

Yes, paint swirls. Not only microfiber, but borderless microfiber, and only from Korea :D.
 
Miss Fusion has been my magic carpet for 34 years and only requires a bucket of H2O and a well worn Soft-Scrub kitchen sponge along with a towel to dry her off in sections. She prefers to have her belly wiped down especially after I use smoke and that's done with a soft shop towel that has been moisten with a bit of avgas from the sump drain. She would not abide by a stream of water but loves the action of the hand that flew her. It's also a great time for the post flight check and and a short communion with the lady that gives me much pleasure.
 
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