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Bug Blaster spray on polished aluminum ???

BruceW

Well Known Member
Has anyone tried this?
Any film or residue on the polished aluminum???

(since I have a new thread here . . . )
What do folks use as a daily post flight cleaner?
I have used Windex- no ammonia with good results (OK clean and no film).
Just wondering if there is anything better ???
 
Ceramic Coatings Detailing Spray

I've been using ceramic coatings on my car and my plane and have been very pleased. Almost all of the major car care manufacturers (i.e. Turtle Wax, Mothers, Meguires, Griots, etc) make some version of a ceramic coating. If you go with a ceramic coating to begin with, then you can use whatever detailing spray that manufacturer makes to go with their ceramic line of products.

I've been using the Turtle Wax line of ceramic products since they came out with them a couple years ago. It's very slick, easy to apply, and the detailing spray does a good job of debugging the leading edges. And the gloss really shines. But my plane is painted, so I don't know if that helps the OP much.

Most of the ceramic coating manufacturers state you can use their products on polished aluminum wheels, but I don't know if you can use it on Alclad. Simple Green makes a cleaner specifically for aircraft, as I think there may have been an issue years ago with standard Simple Green etching aluminum. I've used the aviation Simple Green as well, but it doesn't leave as slick of a surface as the other cleaners do.
 
Soapy water

I use water with a few drops of Dawn. My leading edge has a vinyl stripe, the rest is polished aluminum. After every flight I spray the leading edge generously with the solution and let it set a few minutes, then wipe it off with a microfiber towel.

The bugs come off pretty easily and the water/soap solution doesn’t affect the polished surface.
 
The secret is timing! Never let a bug spend the night on your airplane.
 
Has anyone tried this?
Any film or residue on the polished aluminum???

(since I have a new thread here . . . )
What do folks use as a daily post flight cleaner?
I have used Windex- no ammonia with good results (OK clean and no film).
Just wondering if there is anything better ???

I've been using Windex, but I dissolve a tablespoon or two of S polish (from PerfectPolish) in it. Spray on, buff with a microfiber cloth until dry. The Windex removes the bugs, and the small amount of S polish removes the oxidation.
 
The secret is timing! Never let a bug spend the night on your airplane.

Exactly.
Plain old water with a few drops of dish soap if the surface is painted.
I have tried dry wash on polished surfaces with with mixed results.
 
I have found a spray bottle filled with mineral spirits does a great job on polished aluminum, wiped with a microfiber cloth.
 
I have found a spray bottle filled with mineral spirits does a great job on polished aluminum, wiped with a microfiber cloth.

What kind of spray bottle? Every time I put anything but water in a bottle, it ends up not spraying after a week. I have tries the bottles available at the stores as well as "repurposed " home spray bottles. It seems mineral spirits, 100 just ruins the sprayer in no time.
 
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