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Plane cleaning and waxing

While our Mooney waits to soar in the skies, I thought I could spend sometime cleaning its belly and perhaps waxing the body overall. I have been looking at Mooneyspace and there are plethora of suggestions. Here I am hoping to get some product suggestions that are more easily available around Europe.

For regular cleaning, we use simple soap and water to clean the metal, composite, or wooden (Jodel). Not sure what would be good for cleaning the belly, where dirt and oil stain accumulates over time.

EDMB, Germany

For mud, sheep poop, and bugs I find soaking down with just water works well. For lighter general cleaning a waterless wash wax is pretty easy and saves getting water in the aircraft. For the underbody I tend to use petrol soaked cloth. For other stubborn bits to clean, I’ve found bilt hamber’s all purpose cleaner works a treat.

Every so often I give it a deeper clean / polish and put a wax on. I usually use what I’ve got on hand at the moment. More recently it has been soft99 fusso coat, which seems to last a good amount of time and makes it easier to get bugs off.

Arun wrote:

For regular cleaning, we use simple soap and water to clean the metal, composite, or wooden (Jodel). Not sure what would be good for cleaning the belly, where dirt and oil stain accumulates over time.

I go water & hand for the fuselage and soap (20min) then brush & water for the oily belly
It does better job on a Mooney than a car, more tankful and does go faster !

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

As said, nothing will clean the oily belly of an aircraft quicker and easier than avgas, but remember it has nasty TEL in it so wear rubber gloves and avoid splashing it in yoir eyes.

Then again +1 for waterless wash products.
I use the ‘Williams’ product from Ideal-world tv channel or inline. Very cost effective.

United Kingdom

Aglaze Grime Remover works like magic on oil and exhaust stains

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

Autoglym all purpose cleaner diluted 1:8 spray everything and leave it for ten mins.

Quick rinse with elec powerhose.

Autoglym car shampoo in snow foam gun over everything and then wash it with sponges/soft brush.

Rinse, Autoglym Rinse 1:10 spray every and rinse again.

Dry it, then Sonax Quick Detail spray on microfiber for everything.

Clean belly with Avgas.

Try not to wash it in strong sunlight, I do it at hangar door and straight back inside. Our airplane actually looks better dirty than clean, a bit like a Land Rover Defender :-)

Buying, Selling, Flying
EISG, Ireland

I wouldn’t use wax products on fabric aircraft, although carnauba wax is used by some. Wax makes fabric less easy to carry out touch up/repairs.

Just sponge off with plenty of water.

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

WilliamF wrote:

Our airplane

Gone American William?

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)

I’ve become fully dependent on the grammarly app, so once I type on my phone all sorts of things come out!

:-)

Buying, Selling, Flying
EISG, Ireland

I understand that fabric shouldn’t be waxed but how about metal body like Mooney? Which products could be used and how? I guess polisher shouldn’t be used but rather just microfiber towel.

EDMB, Germany
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