Gastronom-RCU

My Feedback: (5)

I use whatever just happens to be laying around when I get to the repair jobs. BTW that is the only time that I clean my airplanes. I travel to and from the field in my pickup with my prop tied to one corner for stability. After I finish flying I just store the plane in the garage. I always have to clean them before repairs and such but never before. It's kinda like baseball, ya know, don't change socks until you win the pennate.hehehe

tucson

My Feedback: (1)

The best I have found Is a product from Napa auto stores called
Marcs GLASS CLEANER. #8100

Not only does it clean the oil off but it also polishs the Monokote.
I have used it for years, and anyone that uses it is sold for life.

Stan

Dave Barrow-RCU

1 ounce Dawn, 16 ounces alcohol, 1 gallon water.
Haven't found anything better.

R.Runyan

I Keep a can of Scrubbing Bubbles around when I run out of my secret potion of...1-cup of Lemon juice, 1-cup of vinegar, about 1-oz. of auto soap and water to make up a gallon, the auto soap cuts the oils a lil better than dish soap because it works better with cold water. The acid in the lemon juice helps the cleaning and cuts the smell of the vinegar. I have been using this method for several years with no signs of brake down of the covering or any damage to electrical devices...servos, receivers, batt. etc..
Never spray your plane...soak your rag good, and clean with it.
On another note...I use a mixture of baking soda and water to clean all my electrical devices such as connectors and anything else they may come in contact with a DC charge. Works great on auto battery connectors as well.

Hope this helps,
Robin

iwannafly

My Feedback: (1)

Several years ago I was having some tint film on a couple of vehicles. 3M stuff best I recall. Anywho, whilst yaking wit da install man I inquired about cleaning the plastic film tint and he allowed as how the only thing to use that would not destroy the film and do a good job was half vinegar and water. So I tried it and found that it cleaned really gooooood. left no streaks and was gentle on my fair skin. Promptly discared all that streaking windex crap and been using it ever since. Found that it works good on the birds too. Will not harm anything and if the crud was really thick I could beef it up with a cap of dishwash soap. The vinegar is cheap by the gallon and it sure beat the commercial window cleaning products. If you don't use it on the planes, try it on the glasses. Trust me, you'll never go back.

maverick

My Feedback: (12)

Well I used to use Windex which I wasn't very happy with, until I stumbled upon a recipe posted on another board. I tried it and it is excellent. I will never use anything else again. This is a quote from the other poster, but I have no idea who it is:

"I've tried a few different things and came up with this one myself. It works waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than windex or 409. Take your 16 oz. empty 409 spray bottle and put in one 12 oz. bottle of gas line antifreeze(denatured alcohol), about 3 tablespoons of a real good grease cutting dishwashing detergent (don't skimp here),then fill it the rest of the way with vinegar. I went from using a whole pile of paper towls to about 5 or 6 on a 40 size plane. And that's getting it real clean not just so so. Just my .02 worth. Works real good for me. Even my buddies want to use my cleaner!"

I actually doubled the recipe as I was refilling a 32 oz. Windex bottle. Thanks for the recipe whoever you are. It is great.

seafury_fb11

I've tried different window cleaners, 409, baby wipes - I haven't found anything yet cuts that fuel oil as well as rubbing alcohol.

Maverick,
Sounds kinda' smelly but I'll give it a try.

Russ.

Sawyer692-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

I use Bio-Degreaser. It's a bicycle degreaser/cleaner in a green bottle. I compared it to simple green and it works much better.

Mendes

My Feedback: (1)

I use Windex at the field(which doesn't really work all that well, but gets off most of the oil residue) and then at home I use the Top-Flite Cleaner/Polish which works great, it is expensive though.

bvmjethead

My Feedback: (10)

I use foaming glass cleaners in a spray can. Kind the auto detailers use. Cuts the crud and shines the paint/covering with no streaks. Expensive though, like $5 a can last time I bought some. Cant remember the name of it. Get it a t auto parts stores.

Scott

JERRY RCIA

OK, YOU WANT THE ULTIMATE CLEANER? HERE IT IS. GO TO THE LOCAL AUTO BODYSHOP SUPPLY STORE AND BUY A GALLON OF "R-M #900 PRE-KLEANO. THIS WILL BE ABOUT $25.00 BUT WILL LAST FOREVER. MIX THIS IN A SPRAY BOTTLE 50/50 WITH WINDEX. YOU MUST SHAKE WELL BEFORE EACH USE, BUT I PROMISE, IT WILL CLEAN YOUR OILY PLANE LIKE NOTHING ELSE AND MAKE IT SHINE LIKE NEW. IT'S ALSO SAFE FOR ANY SURFACE.............THE ULTIMATE TEST FOR A CLEAN SURFACE? WILL MASKING TAPE STICK TO IT? WITH MY CONCOCTION "IT WILL"

BigBird1

My Feedback: (4)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by maverick
[B]Well I used to use Windex which I wasn't very happy with, until I stumbled upon a recipe posted on another board. I tried it and it is excellent. I will never use anything else again. This is a quote from the other poster, but I have no idea who it is:

. It works waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than windex or 409. Take your 16 oz. empty 409 spray bottle and put in one 12 oz. bottle of gas line antifreeze(denatured alcohol), about 3 tablespoons of a real good grease cutting dishwashing detergent (don't skimp here),then fill it the rest of the way with vinegar.

Just a question...If amonia isn't good I'll acept that, but the only thing outside of my planes is the stub for the battery switches.
Synthetic oil comes under a different heading because of the oils makeup
Vinegar is verrrrrry acidic...and will attack gold pins etc. also...

--------------------------------------------------
Never met a Chaos I didn't like..

Jafrh

My Feedback: (1)

One ounce of Simple Green to a quart of water works great!

Shortman

My Feedback: (21)

i use windex, simple green, dilute simple green, and some wildcat stuff

seafury_fb11

I'm tellin' ya' - ain't nothin' better than plain ol' rubbin' alcohol. :boxing:

Russ.

Emissions

Pledge works great and leaves your plane smelling lemon fresh

im surprised simple green dosnt take the color off the film. That stuff gets serious stains out. Would simple green foam work too???

glowplug

My Feedback: (1)

I've been using Simple Green, and yes, it slowly DOES take the color off of those sticky-back covered ARFS. I haven't seen any ill-effects on Monokote and Ultracote though.

A friend of mine that I fly with gave me a new recipe that I'm going to try soon....He mixes the powdered "orange clean" with water and uses that. He gave me a demonstration and it worked really well.

Mike

stomper

My Feedback: (20)

Hey guys

Rubbing Alcohol has oil in it for rubbing into your skin. What you want to use is denatured Alcohol to remove the oil from your plane's.

Doug

wbrian

I agree,
denatured Alcohol is the best. I have used simple green but found it was hard on decals even when diluted. I put denatured Alcohol in a rechargeable Aerosol spray can I purchased at http://www.harborfreight.com item# 1102-3VGA photo attached

greg-RCU

I just dust 'em off with a cotton rag. Only need to do it once a year.

xp8103

My Feedback: (16)

So what I am reading here is:

Ammonia is a NO NO - vapors attack gold plating
Simple Green (and presumably other bio-orange cleaners) will attack some coverings and decals.
Vinegar is very acidic and will also attack electrical connections.
Dish detergent is designed to break down in warm water (as your dishwaher repair guy).
Rubbing alcohol has oils added.

Sounds like the best combination would be:
Denatured alcohol, car wash soap and water. I would think ver little soap to prevent too much foaming. Sure there are prebottled alternatives but for the price, the above sounds hard to beat. The only thing I think would come close is windhsield washer fluid. That stuff is mostly alcohol, water and some detergent. Doesnt foam either.

stomper

My Feedback: (20)

Hey xp8103

Thanks , never thought about trying windsield washer fluid ! I know it has alcohol in it to keep the stuff from freezing. Have you tryed it as a cleaner yet, If so how did it remove the castor oil ?

Herb-RCU

I started using "fantastic". Anyone know if it has ammonia in it? They don't print their ingredients on the bottle. Fantastic worked really well. It is much better than the windex that I was using.

Herb

jmulder

My Feedback: (6)

John Deere glass cleaner

xp8103

My Feedback: (16)

Stomper,
Have not tried it but for 99 cents a gallon, if it doesnt work, it's not like I am going to throw it away...