Wing cleaner

Any advice on the best wing leading edge cleaner /bug remover? I've tried
Simple green, car wash detergent in a spray bottle, and PPC Wing Clean. Any
other suggestions?

We use Windex after every flite and it
seems to work fine. Paint is 2 years old
and holding up fine.

Bill O

"Viperdoc" wrote:
Any advice on the best wing leading edge cleaner /bug remover?

Lemon Pledge. It leaves a slick film that bug guts can't stick to as well.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

Viperdoc wrote:
Any advice on the best wing leading edge cleaner /bug remover? I've tried
Simple green, car wash detergent in a spray bottle, and PPC Wing Clean. Any
other suggestions?

FWIW,

1) Wash the edges thoroughly with soap and water.
2) Wax them with a silicone based wax (work smart, not hard - use an
orbital polisher...I got a nice 5" one from Walmart for like $25).
3) Clean it with a moist terricloth towel after EVERY flight.
4) Rewax as necessary.

For the windows, use Plexus. Goes on like Pledge (and even smells a bit
like it), but "dries" when you rub it on (doesn't smear like pledge) and
actually lasts more than one flight (unlike pledge).

If you do the prep, the regular cleanup is easy. Wait until the bugs
harden and it'll take 10 times as long.

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, CFIMEIA

http://www.dvcfi.com
--------------------

ProtectAll - sort of like ArmorAll, but, I'm told, safer and better.
Can be found at Walmart.
Chris



"Viperdoc" wrote in message
...
Any advice on the best wing leading edge cleaner /bug remover? I've tried
Simple green, car wash detergent in a spray bottle, and PPC Wing Clean.
Any
other suggestions?

OK. Today I tried lemon pledge in the spray can on one wing, and PPC wing
cleaner on the other. The PPC was definitely better for taking off the bugs.
It may not provide any long lasting protection like Pledge might. I keep the
plane waxed pretty well with Race Glaze, and I'm a little concerned that the
strong surfactant in the PPC might also be taking off the wax.

Overall, the pledge in a spray can worked pretty well, but it seemed like
it might be a bit expensive in the long run. I saw an orange citrus Pledge
in the store today which came in a pump bottle and was cheaper, but wasn't
sure if it was the same stuff. Anyone have any luck with this?

Overall, the pledge in a spray can worked pretty well, but it seemed like
it might be a bit expensive in the long run.

Cheaper versions of Pledge a "Favor" furnature polish. Walmart has
another brand of furnature polish that is about the same stuff for about 85
cents/can.

Mitch

I've tried just about everything for cleaning leading edges, including Wash
Wax All and Lemon Pledge in the squeeze spray bottle, and Jay's right, they
all work well. One good one for baked-on bugs was Adolph's Meat Tenderizer
dissolved in water and applied with a spray bottle. The enzymes, I was told,
soften the bug guts. However, it was recommended that one avoid
garlic-flavored tenderizer or one's plane could be renamed The Stinking
Rose.

Windex will destroy your windshield. Within a year or so the ammonia
in it will turn the plexiglass so milky you can not see if facing into
the sun.
Had my $1000 lesson on what cleaners not to use.
John

On 05 Jul 2003 17:47:23 GMT, (OSKI 3) wrote:

We use Windex after every flite and it
seems to work fine. Paint is 2 years old
and holding up fine.

Bill O

Just plain old water is good to remove bugs. As long as the airplane is
reasonably waxed I just spray water on the leading edges and wait 5 minutes
for the bugs to soften up.

Then a little Lemon Pledge from the big cans at Costco, and they wipe right
off. Now these are just lowly Northwest bugs. I'm sure the Midwest bugs are
larger, meaner, nastier, and harder to remove!

Karl