Replies

1. 
   zendo | May 29, 2005 02:45am | #1

   Clothing detergent and bleach.  Mix it up and apply with a garden sprayer, or with a scrub brush.  I have also used a medium to soft bristle street broom.

   Wear your safety glasses and gloves. Wet wall and apply top down.

   Let it sit for 15 minutes then scrub and wash.

   Same routine for decks.

   -zen

1. 
   JasonPharez | Jun 18, 2005 07:05am | #2

   Zendo, will that work for my aluminum-bodied cargo trailer? It seems like bleach would eat the finish, or at least dull it.Jason Pharez Construction

      Framing & Exterior Remodeling

1. 
   zendo | Jun 20, 2005 03:41am | #3

   Jason,

   Id figure a high concentration of bleach wouldnt be good for raw metal.  Maybe check the bottle, but its really in there to kill any living thing like mold or mildew. 

   You could test a patch, but you probably wouldnt need more than 10%.... if you used it at all.

   If I was cleaning an auto trailer, Id use either the clothing detergent or real car wash detergent.  Dont use dish soap, the ph is bad, especially for car paint and will dull the finish.

   After cleaning, Id use Liquid Glass Pre Cleaner, Ive also done ok with the McGuires system, it might be a little cheaper, they are both car products.  Liquid Glass is a polish not a wax and will chemically remove any oxidation, tar or other mess, use this after the pre cleaner.

   If you have a brushed or raw aluminum body, Id get an aluminum polish to use after the wash, Liquid Glass may be just as good.  Dont be surprised of your rag turns colors the stuff works wonders.

   If you need a great degreaser, Pink Stuff is the answer, squirt on and let sit, scrub over and rinse... it wont kill your paint.  It might dull it a bit til its polished.  I cheaped out once and got an imitation in a spray can, I sprayed it on the painted engine of my 1969 Dodge Coronet... it took the paint off the motor.  I didnt buy it again.

   -zen

2. 
   florida | Jun 20, 2005 08:46pm | #4

   Automatic dishwasher detergent like Cascade or Electrosol. Mix it with hot water then spray, sponge or brush it on. Leave it a few minutes and give it a few swipes with a brush. For added stickness add a bit of dish soap like Ivory. It will remove almost everything, it smells great and won't eat you up like bleach will. I've used it to clean hundreds of thousands of square feet of painted aluminum. Let us know how it works for you.