Best products for cleaning the plane

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arksat
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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by arksat »

deeohgee wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:53 pm Question for the people that are using a Wash and Wax product, can you use a regular car one? Assuming it’s the same thing as Aero Cosmetics?
It's the same product for aircrafts, cars and boats.
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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by chili4way »

arksat wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:14 pm
deeohgee wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:53 pm Question for the people that are using a Wash and Wax product, can you use a regular car one? Assuming it’s the same thing as Aero Cosmetics?
It's the same product for aircrafts, cars and boats.
The Aero Cosmetic Wash Wax All product can be used on both automobiles and airplanes. However other "Wash and Wax" products may NOT be suitable for use on Diamond Aircraft if they contain silicones.

For a "bad" example, Turtle Wax "Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Wash & Wax" contains dimethicone, which is a silicone. Don't assume a product is the same as Aero Cosmetics.
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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by arksat »

chili4way wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:53 pm
arksat wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:14 pm
deeohgee wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:53 pm Question for the people that are using a Wash and Wax product, can you use a regular car one? Assuming it’s the same thing as Aero Cosmetics?
It's the same product for aircrafts, cars and boats.
The Aero Cosmetic Wash Wax All product can be used on both automobiles and airplanes. However other "Wash and Wax" products may NOT be suitable for use on Diamond Aircraft if they contain silicones.

For a "bad" example, Turtle Wax "Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Wash & Wax" contains dimethicone, which is a silicone. Don't assume a product is the same as Aero Cosmetics.
Good point. I was talking specifically about Aero Cosmetics Wash Wax All which I use.
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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by astaib »

Hi,

Here is what I use: https://optimumcarcare.com/product/opti ... ash-shine1.

Only spray it (dilution in water), and clean with a microfiber cloth, no need to rinse.

Easy, powerfull and works perfectly.

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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by chili4way »

The Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine and the Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax seem to have different formulations. I look at the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) to check what compounds are used in such products (Composition section). I pay close attention when terms like substantive polymers appear in the product description.

The posted SDS listings show no silicones in the Wash & Shine product but do point to Dimethyl Siloxane in the Wash & Wax product. Siloxane is a silicone.

Since the posted SDS for both products doesn't specifically reference the "new formulation", but the referenced product descriptions do advertise the similarity between the two products, I'd likely call the company to make sure before using the new formulation myself. I'm paranoid about this and YMMV.
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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by astaib »

chili4way wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 4:33 pm The Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine and the Optimum No Rinse Wash & Wax seem to have different formulations. I look at the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) to check what compounds are used in such products (Composition section). I pay close attention when terms like substantive polymers appear in the product description.

The posted SDS listings show no silicones in the Wash & Shine product but do point to Dimethyl Siloxane in the Wash & Wax product. Siloxane is a silicone.

Since the posted SDS for both products doesn't specifically reference the "new formulation", but the referenced product descriptions do advertise the similarity between the two products, I'd likely call the company to make sure before using the new formulation myself. I'm paranoid about this and YMMV.
Mine is the verson without WAX, I preferred not to have this on my plane.

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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by dmloftus »

Many articles on DAN about the danger of silicone-based wax due to future composite repair difficulties. Searching the internet, I came across an article saying that a big danger of silicone was that it impedes the plane's ability to discharge static electricity and can thus hamper avionics:

https://www.aviationsafetymagazine.com/ ... n-wax-off/

Anyone heard of such an issue with Diamonds? AFM does not specify a reason for avoiding silicone.
Last edited by dmloftus on Fri Oct 08, 2021 10:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by dmloftus »

Colin wrote: Fri Dec 16, 2016 8:48 pm The DA40 came with a bunch of cleaning products with it when it was brand new. Poking around it looks like this little kit. No silicon is the big thing to keep in mind. And the Plexus is great, but there are three adjustments I made when I got the new plane:

1. After each flight use Lemon Pledge on the leading edge of the wing and a little polishing glove. That removes the bugs and leaves behind a little waxy layer to make it easier next time. On the previous plane the bugs got sort of cemented on by time.
Hi Colin,
I'm reviewing prior articles on types of silicone-free wax and I saw your post along with several others mentioning Lemon Pledge. Doesn't Pledge contain silicone?

https://www.hdtimeline.com/threads/chem ... ish.13248/
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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by rwtucker »

There is a chance that a wax containing silicone was applied to my DA40 maybe 10 years ago. Is there a permanent change in play or does the clock run out eventually? Since I'm hangared when-not in the air, I can't make a case for much UV break down. What are the implications?
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Re: Best products for cleaning the plane

Post by dmloftus »

rwtucker wrote: Fri Oct 08, 2021 10:15 pm There is a chance that a wax containing silicone was applied to my DA40 maybe 10 years ago. Is there a permanent change in play or does the clock run out eventually? Since I'm hangared when-not in the air, I can't make a case for much UV break down. What are the implications?
I'm not arguing for silicone-based products, but being the third owner of my plane I have no idea what has been used on it in the past. This is a really interesting article about silicone misconceptions with regard to autos. If everything he says is true, I'm really curious how much different the effects are on our airplanes vs autos:

https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ho ... ducts.html
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