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Canopy / Windscreen cleaner polish

dan carley

Well Known Member
what have most people used to clean and polish the canopies of the plane? i've tried one or two, but they seem to be just ok.

dan carley
RV-4
N2275S
 
I used Plexus (that I bought on my own) on the windscreens of the -53 when I was crewing them. Other than a JP8-soaked rag, or a dewy morning, nothing else worked as well for getting the dead-bug collection off the windscreens.
 
Plexus and the other can't recall the name can that ACS sells that's one dollar less and a bigger can.

both work the same, IMO and the detailer at OSH said to make fore aft wipes not circles or side to side.

doesn't really polish any scratches though. just bugs and dust.

jarhead--- what's a -53?

mark
CAF '47 Douglas C-53D crew member
 
Canopy cleaners

Danny: My wife's family is in the aerial application business, (talk about bugs on your windscreen!!) and they have always used some stuff called glass wax. I myself use Plexicoat, available through Aeroshell.
P.S. Thanks for the intercomm. It's working great in the Pitts.
Tom Navar
RV-8QB
 
Canopy Cleaner

Hi guys,
Here is a link to a website that has specific aircraft cleaning products - as in approved/certified for aircraft use. Used by the military/airlines etc and on the Shuttle. The canopy cleaner is "Clean Screen", and comes in a pump pack, so no likelihood of it exploding at altitude. I use the products and find them excellent value for money, as well as environmentally friendly...

www.eco2000.com.au

Cheers

Martin in Oz
 
Plastic cleaner

I have been using Meguiar's #10 clear plastic polish for over 40 year. Works great, has a very mild polishing action. They also have a straight cleaner (#17)

John Clark
RV8 N18U
KSBA
 
Rejex

For a canopy in good condition, Rejex will make it both very transparent and excellent at repelling dirt and bugs. It's not a restorative nor a polish, though.
 
Whatever cleaner/polish you decide on, don't use a paper towel as the applicator. Plexi and wood fiber don't like each other. Purchase a few microfiber cloths and they can be washed for re-use...just don't add fabric softener while washing as it will smear on the plexi later.
 
I like Novus. I used the # 2 to clean up some small scratches and clean using the # 1 with a microfiber cloth. I have the #3 but haven't used it yet.

Roberta
 
Rejex has been mentioned, and I want to give that product a big plug (no affiliation, just a really happy customer). I put this stuff on the paint and the plexi, and it is the best surface energy reducing type product I know of (like waxes). It is simple to apply, and bugs come off very easily, and dust won't stick either.

The cleaner an earlier poster couldn't recall is Plexall, http://www.wellworthproducts.com/tech/1010t.pdf . This stuff is great for cleaning bugs on the leading edges as well as the canopy. Much, much less expensive that Plexus. Seems like a few years ago, a case of 12 each 20 oz spray cans was about $40 to my door. I think you have to call them to order, no on-line ordering direct that I could find on the website in a cursory look.
 
Rejex

Amen to the comments about Rejex. Bought my first bottle approx 3 years ago. Now I use it on all three of my cars AND our Club 172's. Goes on easy, polishes easy, and let syou spray bugs off with a hose. Absolutely great stuff. Started using it on the cars on just the front bumper and grille where the bugs make a mess. Worked so good, now I use on all of the car. Lasts an easy 5 to 6 months between applications.

Terry Ruprecht
Mahomet, IL
N319TE; RV-9A QB fuse
 
What do you use to clean your canopy?

I have been using Plexus from the beginning and really like the product for cleaning the windshield and canopy. However, at about $18 for 13 oz I am beginning to wonder if there are other products that do a good job. On my last flight I ran into an Army helo pilot. He says the Army uses Pledge and it seems to work well. Anybody else tried Pledge? Of course, there is always water.
 
Airplane plastics says.....

The canopy manufacturer suggests water and cheesecloth. They also say that 70% iso propyl alcohol is fine for bugs and occasional cleaning etc but always with soft cloth. Plexus also fills minor scratching and protects the canopy.

I find water with cheesecloth right after flying generally works very well and then ocassionally treat with Plexus.

Our commercial FBI only uses water and cheesecloth.

Bill S
7a w/the grin:)

PS excuse spelling
 
Pledge

Been using Pledge for years on my Comanche with a CLEAN cotton wash cloth. Always try to clean the bugs off immediately after flight before they dry out so much; do the same for the leading edges but use water only here.

I like the way the Pledge seems to 'wax' the canopy and provide a what appears to be an easier cleaning the next time. Could be all wrong, but that's my impression.

Pat D
RV9 empenage done, wings in progress.
 
Pledge

Lemon Pledge and a clean microfiber towel. Use after ever flight.
 
Turtle Wax Ice Synthetic Detailer. what's nice about this product is that it can literally be sprayed on everything on the plane.
Does a great job on pained surfaces, canopies, rubber seals, you name it.

I don't really care for the turtle wax waxing product that is sold along side it in most stores. leaves an oily residue.

Erich
 
I have been using Plexus from the beginning and really like the product for cleaning the windshield and canopy. However, at about $18 for 13 oz I am beginning to wonder if there are other products that do a good job. On my last flight I ran into an Army helo pilot. He says the Army uses Pledge and it seems to work well. Anybody else tried Pledge? Of course, there is always water.

I have worked at Harley Davidson for a while now and I use Purple Slice on every thing from paint to chrome and windshields, including aircraft. Harley Gloss works very well also. Of course you can find it at your local HD Dealer or http://www.purpleslice.com/.
 
Clear View

I used Plexus for years on my Cessna 140 and then on my RV-6A canopy but the rapidly increasing price on an already expensive product pushed me to try something else a few months ago. In fact, a couple of the local pilot shops around here quit carrying Plexus and one of the owners told me it was becaues of the price increases. They carried a product called "Clear View" instead, made by AvLab, at something less than half the price of Plexus. For a while I used the Clear View on back window and Plexus on front canopy and it works just fine so I've probably bought my last can of Plexus.

Interested to hear opinions of anybody else that has tried the Clear View product.

Chris
 
And you can apparently get some for free to try....

http://www.ameritech-aviation.com/protectant.htm

2ozfreebottles.jpg
 
We have to clean our windshields a dozen times a day.

In our ag business, we clean windshields with every load... 12-15 a day sometimes and used to use Pledge until I discovered Behold. Half the price of Pledge and equally as effective,

Best,
 
Interested to hear opinions of anybody else that has tried the Clear View product.

I picked up two cans of Clear View at OSH last summer for the same reasons as everyone else, Plexus is too expensive. I like Clear View, it works well, but it doesn't spray on quite as nicely as Plexus; it's a bit thinner and drips a bit at the start and end of spraying. It's a minor detail for a product that works and is half the price of Plexus.
 
Turtle wax liquid cut in 1/2 with water. Been using it on the 172 windshield since 1969, still looks new.

Marshall Alexander
 
I've used Plexus for years on my Cherokee's and now the RV, but the last can I bought had me thinking it may be time for a switch. Good suggestions! Never even thougt about lemon Pledge or Behold!:cool:
 
And you can apparently get some for free to try....
http://www.ameritech-aviation.com/protectant.htm
2ozfreebottles.jpg
"FREE sample" actually means $6 for shipping and handling.
If you buy the 2 oz bottle for $3.95 plus $2 S&H you save 5 cents.
I will not try it just for the decieving advertising.

[ed. Well, I'll kindly disagree. Since they are a forum advertiser on this site and I've been happily using their plexi cleaner for three years now, I thought I would give them a nod/plug. OK, so it isn't technically 100% "free" - my belief is that $5 is in the statistical error of 'free' since we're talking about $90,000 airplanes..... dr]
 
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Cleaner

Ok I stop by the Dollar store and buy the cheapest furniture polish cleaner they have , usually around a $1 a can. I load up and I am good for a year, I clean the bugs off the leading edge with it too does an awesome job.

Mike
 
I picked up two cans of Clear View at OSH last summer for the same reasons as everyone else, Plexus is too expensive. I like Clear View, it works well, but it doesn't spray on quite as nicely as Plexus; it's a bit thinner and drips a bit at the start and end of spraying. It's a minor detail for a product that works and is half the price of Plexus.

Interesting. I found quite the opposite to be true. I really, really like the Clear View product over Plexus. It's a bit foamier and by my (completely unscientific) observation cleans the canopy a little better. Not that this matters much, but I like the smell as well. Their polish works well too.

I like the Clear View so much I bought case from Skygeek.com.
 
Here is the MSDS for Pledge:
http://www.kandelandson.com/msds/Pledge Furniture Polish.pdf

Pledge contains 5 to 10% of silicones. I prefer to keep my paint surface silicone free since you never know when you will have to paint or repaint (don't ask .... I'll provide some info regarding that comment later).

lol, I dont even know what mdms stands for let alone the rest of that analysis Alfio.
I trust ya though, how bout you just tell me what you use.
 
All Kleer

I picked up some samples at Oshkosh last year. It's apparently water based rather than Plexus which I was told was petroleum based. Wipe it on, let it dry to a haze and wipe it off with a microfiber cloth. Works great for me but certainly not as inexpensively as Pledge or Behold
 
Its' interesting reading all of the different products that folks use. Just drove past my neighbor who was using windex on his RV6 windscreen (and he rubs it with his hand to get the lovebugs off). As you might know Windex has ammonia and really isn't appropriate for plexi. Some of the products mentioned also are not just polishes but cleaner/polishes which have mild abrasives.
Considering that the RV windscreens are worse than welded on when it comes to replacing I would go with the BEST product only and not worry too much about the extra dime per application that it costs.
 
1. Liquid 2. cloth?

So you've spent the extra dime on 'real' cleaner for plexi........how many use a rag ( cotton) that might just have some contaminate, metal filing, piece of grit etc? You might not see it this time, but over repeated use, I'm sure it can contribute to that 'hazy' look. I launder my rags, which some say has it's own issues, what with teflon dryer sheets and such!.......
...then there's the guy I saw grab a rag ( old cowboy shirt with metal snaps still attached!) and give the windscreen on his Champ a good, firm wipe to get the dew off!!! ( yeah, he may still be crying! :( )
I like the idea of flushing with clean water....just have to find some within 500' of my tie-down!...maybe one of those little pump & spray bottles?
 
lol, I dont even know what mdms stands for let alone the rest of that analysis Alfio.
I trust ya though, how bout you just tell me what you use.

Materials Safety Data Sheet. It discloses some of the ingredients of the product for safety reasons.

I prefer not to use any silicones (or limit their use) around our plane. Our plane was a victim of the SNF Storm/tornado and will need a repaint. Had I used Pledge to clean my windshield, then maybe the overspray would have contaminated the paintable surfaces. Ask any painter what difficulties lie ahead when a surface is contaminated with silicone.

I use water and my hand to clean. You don't need gallons of water, a water bottle will do it for us.

Once in a while I use Plexus but am willing to try other products on our windshield that will not harm it and not contain silicone. I just figured that others should be informed of the down side of using cheaper products like Pledge.
 
Clearview

I use Clearview like many others. I think I got a couple of cans free with some Oil Analysis kits from AVLAB. At Sun N Fun you can usually get a deal. They sell a cleaner also, but the combo cleaner/polish works just fine alone.

To avoid scratching with any product, I spray it on fairly heavy, use aircraft wipes to gently pull off all the grit, with each successive fold of the wipe to a clean side I press a little harder, then finish up with a dry clean wipe to polish it.

The secret is to get all the grit off (a water flush would be best but typically not convenient) so the grit doesn't act like sandpaper under your cloth. I only polish up and down and not in a circular motion. This helps reduce "spider webbing" which you only notice at night.

Don
 
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Lemon Pledge has been a long time standby. Just don't use regular pledge or you will get a build up. Another product I have had good luck with for many years is a waterless car wash called Dri Wash 'n Guard by Enviro-Tech International. I used it on my C-206 for 18 years with no problem. It sat outside in Alaska during that time. Very few there have the luxury of a hangar and the air there in built up areas, especially in Anchorage, is not very clean so this stuff got a good work out.
 
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.

I'll second that. Use this on all shiny surfaces. Also the best for eyeglasses, motorcycle helmets, and very effective for keeping the belly of your plane clean.
 
I've been using the aerosol product generically labeled "Glass Cleaner" for about the last 12 years. It's available at Wal-Mart (or Sam's if you want a case) for about $3 per 15oz can. It works great and contains NO Ammonia. It does not build up over time, either. As previous posters mentioned, use a cotton or flannel rag for an applicator.
 
Glass Cleaner

I've been using the aerosol product generically labeled "Glass Cleaner" for about the last 12 years. It's available at Wal-Mart (or Sam's if you want a case) for about $3 per 15oz can. It works great and contains NO Ammonia. It does not build up over time, either. As previous posters mentioned, use a cotton or flannel rag for an applicator.

Is this sold in the automotive or house cleaning section? Do you have any issues with taking the cans to altitude? (say 8-10k?)
 
It's in the house cleaning aisle. Tall white can w/light blue markings and a pink cancer awareness ribbon.
I've taken my can of cleaner up to 9500 on the way to OSH without probs.
 
The canopy is the most expensive single part on the airframe...... and with that in mind, I use a 7oz can of PLEXUS purchased at Cyclegear for $16.

I clean the surface with water and a terrycloth rag. With the rag folded, I change to a fresh surface with each pass. Then I rinse the rag and start over... takes about a minute.

Rinse the rag and twist it as dry as possible and wipe dry the canopy. Spray a quick pass with Plexus (will do about 1/3 at a time) and polish with a CLEAN cotton cloth.

All plexiglas will get fine scratches on the surface once placed into service. Plexus will fill in the fine scratches that you see when the sun hits it just right. Plexus will leave a static free, smudge free surface that bugs won't stick to as easily.

So at $16 for 7oz (lasts about two years) it is expensive, but so was my canopy and one thing I like is a clean clear canopy.................... so to me it is worth $8 a year.
 
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For you who like plexus try your local motorcycle shop. I buy the large
cans for 11.99 no shipping.

FWIW

Geoff
 
90% of the time i use water and cotton tshirt cut into 5x5 pieces. i wet one and wipe vertically then dry next. i clean the windscreen after every flight.

once in a while i use specific product made for the windscreen.
 
Novus

Just switched to Novus. I bought the small spray bottle and a big jug. Should be good for a while. Seams to do the job.
 
Brillianize

I'll second that. Use this on all shiny surfaces. Also the best for eyeglasses, motorcycle helmets, and very effective for keeping the belly of your plane clean.

Just got some and it is FAR SUPERIOR to Lexus and the AV products. Goes on easy, wipes off bugs etc. and polishes out with no hassles. No looking at all angles and lighting for areas where the haze remains.
Polished my canopy in about 60 seconds and went flying - crystal clear!
Thanks for the tip guys - great stuff!! And $12 for a quart, $26 for a gallon!! Will buy the big jug from now on.
Thanks again for a great tip. :D

http://www.brillianize.com/
 
Aeroshell Flight Jacket Plexicoat. I got one of the Flight Jacket kits a few years back with a purchase of some other goodie at OSH and got hooked on this stuff. It is like car wax, you apply it, let it haze for 10 min, then wipe it off with a microfiber cloth. It works very well and not expensive considering how long a bottle of it lasts (one bottle lasts me a year and costs around $12). The one con on this product is it cannot be applied in direct sun.
When I need quick touch ups, not enough time, or the bees are not out I'll use Lemon Pledge. Yes....the bees love Lemon Pledge and get attracted right to it.

By the way, also in the Flight Jacket kit is Oil & Exhaust Remover. This stuff does an incredible job of cleaning up my belly after blowing smoke. It emulsifies the oils so they come right up as opposed to other cleaners where it just loosens it and smears it around.
 
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