What does everyone use to clean their plane?? Windex just seems to smear engine grime around. I had my someone tell me years ago that you could wax your plane with car wax and that would help, any thoughts??

I use paper towel and windex... takes a few passes... I also use simple green when I have it

I use windshield washer fluid with a couple of squirts of dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Cuts grease and oil and then cleans without leaving a film behind. And the washer fluid is pretty cheap too, about a buck a gallon.

Ken

I use rubbing (isophryl) alcohol. At about 3 or 4 bucks a gallon it's not bad, lasts a while and it cuts right through the oily mess.

I use windex with some non-abrasive kitchen cleaner in it at the feild. When I get home I use lemon Pledge to take off all the film and grime and to shine it up. Lemon Pledge seems to work much better than other brands of furniture polish and doesn't leave any waxy build-up.

I have found that it isn't so much what type of cleaner as what type of rag you use to clean with. The microfiber type of rags are reusable, and clean with just about anything you might have on hand. Have been using them the past year with great results.

When I fly its almost always more than one or two flights. My Saitos do make a bit of a mess. add a little dirt and its a big mess.

Now , when your car is dirty you use -hot soapy water
when your dishes are dirty you use - hot soapy water
your clothes ?
your floors?
My airplanes get hot soapy water.- carefully of course, so it doesn't get lots into electronics or engine. I use a washcloth and go over it wet then rinse it out and ring it out well then go over it dry.

For glow fuel I like to use Fast Orange cleaner or 91% alcohol since I always have it with me for my gas engines. Both work really well for me. I hear that simple green is good too. Windex works ok too it just cuts the oil a little more slowly so it takes a few more wipes.

On glow and gasoline, like Bubbagates I also use alcohol but I use 91% alcohol from Walgreens, but for some reason I don't get the sense that it works quite as well as fast orange, but that might just be me. 91% is about the same price as 70% rubbing alcohol but it cuts a lot better. The exhaust residue from a gasoline engine can be like road tar and alcohol cuts it like butter with a hot knife.

Orange Blast from Lowes cuts the oil fast and smells good too
Rich

I use this to help dirt and grime come off my cars (used it when I raced motocross and it works there as well)

Fill a squirt bottle with:
1/8 simple green or a detergent type cleaner
1/8 rain-x
3/4 water (preferably distilled)

You can vary the detergent/rain-x level but if you get too much it will foam up and actually leave a soapy haze.

Spray a decent coating on the plane BEFORE YOU FLY. Watch those electronics! Let it air dry.

You will be suprised how easily the grime comes off at the end of the day. The Rain-x makes liquids want to roll off the surfaces and the detergent keeps mud on RC off-road cars from getting a good seat.

Switch to 4-strokes and you have hardly any clean-up

Unless you use the Saito 100 on the Miss America and use the KeLeo exhaust. Works especially well if you like cleaning both sides of the plane from front to back

Man.... My 4c's must have a bad ring or something...... I use a rag.... about every
week or two more but never less I wax it.... Works for me....

But I have this plane, with a real quite motor... And I pretty much don't even need a rag....

Switch to gas and you have even less!!!!

Minn,
One nice thing about that Long Ez I got in Toledo, there is no cleanup on it!!!!

Since it's a pusher the motor is in the back of the plane.

Ken

You said a mouthful Bubba!!! I have one of those exhaust systems on my P-40. It does get oil everywhere!!! But the first time you hear that exhaust system fire up you don't really care how dirty the plane is. It just sounds so cool!!!!! [8D]

Ken

Just put your plane in the dish washer - regular cycle. Whatever you do, DON'T use the pot & pan cycle - it'll ruin your plane

Seriously, I use alcohol and paper towels.

Dave

Acohol to remove the grease and pledge to shine it back up

a cleen rag,window cleener for the plane,and some cotten-buds for cleening the engine just so u can get into the corners....