looking for soap

tiny · Post by **tiny** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:00 am

The brand of soap we used to use here in the shop to wash airplanes and clean off mechanic tracks seems to have gone off the market. What kind of soap do you find works well? Especially on exhaust tracks and taking grease of off old paint?

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:14 am

I use mineral spirits for de-greasing, but I'm really old-fashioned. I doubt many people here even know what it is ...

one8tee · Post by **one8tee** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:52 am

try a product called B-Gone or EconoClean.. same product

Jim N · Post by **Jim N** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:31 pm

Hedley wrote:I use mineral spirits for de-greasing, but I'm really old-fashioned. I doubt many people here even know what it is ...

Ahhh, the smell of varsol....I know it well. You are right, it is the only way to go to degrease.

Use mineral spirits (aka varsol) and a rag to wipe the worst of the exhaust tracks and grime off the gear legs then wash. If done right with the varsol first, any brand of soap should work.

I've always found without the varsol first and using any kind of soap that the grime just migrates to the scrub brush and ends up all over the plane. Use the rag and varsol first, and save your wash gear...

Rudy · Post by **Rudy** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 4:08 pm

Aerowash seems to work wonders, unless that's the one that went off the market.

Stinky · Post by **Stinky** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 5:04 pm

Try the abrasive gel hand cleaner. Not the clear alcohol stuff but the stuff in your shop.

comanchepilot · Post by **comanchepilot** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 5:16 pm

Avgas.... I put my fuel samples in a spray bottle and use it to wipe off oil or exhaust streaks. Yes yes, I know there is lead in it (not as much as in Chinese toys tho), but it dries without the oily residue of varsol.

co-joe · Post by **co-joe** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 5:36 pm

Zep works okay, just don't mix it too strong or it leaves a residue that eats paint.

. ._ · Post by **. ._** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 5:40 pm

Varsol worked great for taking packing tape off the inside of my Cadillac's tinted windows. Didn't hurt the plastic tint at all.

Mmmmm. Varsol...

-istp

North Shore · Post by **North Shore** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:31 pm

Why not just use Avgas? At $1.50/litre it's still cheaper than just about any soap out there.

Adiabatic · Post by **Adiabatic** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:46 pm

I agree blue soap works the best for the grimey

Airtids · Post by **Airtids** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:55 pm

Power SprayClean. Works great, dilute to 50% and put in a spray bottle. Full strength into a pressure washer to make your life really easy.

Masta-Fred · Post by **Masta-Fred** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 9:51 pm

comanchepilot wrote:Avgas.... I put my fuel samples in a spray bottle and use it to wipe off oil or exhaust streaks. Yes yes, I know there is lead in it (not as much as in Chinese toys tho), but it dries without the oily residue of varsol.

haha i know too many people who do that..those guys are crazy! they use it for everything.. jet-a as well works nicely,.... wether to clean oil off ur plane or ur shirt or ur boot...

planett · Post by **planett** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:02 am

I usually use Propwash.

co-joe · Post by **co-joe** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:54 am

Hmmm yes propwash works great! I tend to use a little bit of elbow grease as well.

twotter · Post by **twotter** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:20 am

istp wrote:Varsol worked great for taking packing tape off the inside of my Cadillac's tinted windows. Didn't hurt the plastic tint at all.

Mmmmm. Varsol...

-istp

Hey, leave my picture out of this!!

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:39 am

I put my fuel samples in a spray bottle and use it to wipe off oil or exhaust streaks

Holy crap! I hope you stay away from open flames with that setup!

Yes, avgas works as a wonderful solvent, but due to it's flammability (who cares about the lead) it is NOT a good choice for de-greasing.

I will admit that when you're cleaning, it's awful tempting to reach down to the quick drain for some handy solvent for the rag.

But mineral spirits doesn't stink and is nowhere near as volatile. I really don't like the odour of paint thinner or varsol.

A little soap after the mineral spirits does a nice job. A bit of wax, and it's shiny as new again.

P.S. Speaking of playing with volatile substances, did I mention that I built a pretty awesome vegetable relocator?

http://www.pittspecials.com/etc/veg1.jpg

Ron Graham · Post by **Ron Graham** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 7:54 am

Fast Orange hand cleaner without the grit. Put some on a brush and rinse off with a wash wand. Takes off exhaust, fuel dye and grease stains.

piperflyer · Post by **piperflyer** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:44 pm

I second co-joe on the zep. Always worked well for me.

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:56 pm

Avgas has always worked fine for me.

Not only will it clean the airplane you can wash oil out of your coveralls and it is a great hand cleaner.

A big bonus is it kills crabs, just dont take a piss with a cigarette in your hand until it evaporates completely.

Cat.

oldtimer · Post by **oldtimer** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:13 pm

I will have to ask my butler to ask my chauffeur what she uses on the Rolls. I think my pilots must use the same thing on the Gulfstream because it always looks pretty when the pick me up from the French Riviera