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Thread: Cleaning an Aluminum Boat

  1. #11
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    Yep, that's what I used long ago; I recently bought more but it is not the same. (Advance Auto)
    I guess they are afraid you would get some in your eye or something.
    I put a scrub brush on my drill and have tried all kinds of stuff.
    I also remember when "Easy Off Oven Cleaner" would take skin off if you got it on you, now you can wash your hands with it, no effect. Grrr...

  2. #12
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    You can use aluminum cleaning products such as Star Brite Ultimate Aluminum. This product, in particular, is really good at polishing and shining boats. Not only does it polish your boats, but it also removes stains and dirt at the same time.

  3. #13
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    I use cleaning vinegar sold at Walmart, it has a higher acid content than food grade. Spray on with a spray bottle and brush it then rinse. I also wear rubber gloves while cleaning.

  4. #14
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    The EPA has weakened our cleaners down so much that those that have been around a while are no where near as effective as they used to be. Even 409 is a joke now.
    One I have found that does just about as good as any you will find in the stores now is also the cheapest - "Totally Awesome". Get it at the dollar store. Excellent hand cleaner too, I keep a spray bottle of it in the boat. Cleans mower engines, and can spray on to pre treat tough laundry stains. If you save your spray bottles, you can get the gallon jug of it to refill them.
    As for cleaning my old aluminum grill, I gave up on aluminum cleaners and went with an assortment of wire brush attachments for my cordless drill, and finally, finally, got it like I want it. (Outside only) That grill is special to me, It belonged to an old friend of my Dad's who had it on a pipe concreted in His back yard and used it for over 50 years. An old column shifter with the big knob on it opens the top lid to take care of business on the inside! Priceless!

  5. #15
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    I use aluminum wheel cleaner.


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  6. #16
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    Marykate is also a good cleaner. If there’s one thing that you’ll love about this cleaner is that it’s very similar to homemade cleaners in the sense that it’s pretty safe for the use of any type of material. So, you’ll really need to have something with this kind of consistency if you don’t want to get chemicals that are too strong and if you want something to clean canoes as well as aluminum boats.

  7. #17
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    skeetbum is offline Crappie.com Legend - Moderator Jig Tying Forum
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    Cleaned a few fuel tanks on big trucks in my years driving. The acid in the cleaners removes a tiny amount of the stained aluminum leaving it pitted and more susceptible to further, worse staining than before. The only way we get the look and durability is by polishing with an angle grinder and sheepskin wheel and a rouge or compound. It’s hot dirty work but worth the effort. There’s a treatment called sharkhide that is a polymer and protects the aluminum pretty well if done properly. There’s no quick easy was to achieve a clean, polished look that I ever found. Truck stops used to have guys that worked from a van, or had a polish shop that had the gear and would do this while we were laid over, charged us about $10 a wheel but that’s a few years old. They had to look at the aluminum and see how much pitting there was before they would price it. Good luck.
    Creativity is just intelligence fooling around

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