Cleaning Polished Aluminum

My CH 750 is mostly polished aluminum and it got caught out in a rain storm for a few hours. With the rain a bunch of ash from the wild fire also came down. I pressure washed the plane the next day with clear water and all the loose ash came off but left some nasty stains. I tried the cleaners that I have on hand but nothing seems to work on this stuff. So I thought I was going to have to polish it off that doesn't work very well either and is going to be a huge job. I was hoping someone on here has a better / easier way to get back to shiny aluminum. 

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Permalink Reply by Matt Pope on August 20, 2023 at 12:38pm

I believe ash is quite basic (opposite of acidic), so I would try gentle scrubbing with a fairly weak acid such as vinegar. Test a small area first, and regardless of whether or not it works, rinse the vinegar off after to prevent corrosion. If it does work, you may be able to dilute the vinegar with water somewhat and still get the same result.

Permalink Reply by Scott Ahrens on August 21, 2023 at 10:42am

The alkaline ash has gone through the polish and marked the aluminum.  I have had that happen on my polished RV.  I believe your only option is to re-polish that area.  You did not mention which polishing compound you use.  If its Nuvite you could probably get by with S and your cyclo.  

Sometimes I just want to keep the airplane inside.

Permalink Reply by Gary Welch on September 3, 2023 at 3:23pm

What Scott said. I can polish my entire Zenith CH601 XL in 45 minutes with a cyclopolisher and Nuvite S. 

Of course my back is a little sore afterwards, but pretty easy and quick with the right tools and a little practice.

I should add, I have a low wIng aircraft. I can see a high wing plane being a much bigger PITA due to having to climb up and down a ladder every two feet - on both sides of each wing.

Permalink Reply by Alan Lutz on August 25, 2023 at 8:10pm

The ash is caustic as Matt stated. If fact is colonial days people would filter water through wood ash to make lie for soap making. As Scott stated you will need to polish it out. Acid (vinegar) will not fix the damage that's already done.

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