Cleaning up an Aluminum boat?

[darealbigcatman]

I just bought a 14 foot Aluma-craft boat.Its been sitting under some trees for a year or two and needs a little TLC,does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about cleaning the boat up?Should I power-wash her?Any special tips on dealing with aluminum would be appreciated,Thanks,Darealbigcatman

[kyfishing]

I would start with a good shopvac and clean out the inside of the boat then pressure wash it and watch how the boat responds to the pressure. If it is flexing too much then use less pressure. I had a friend that sprayed his entire boat down with Simple Green and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. He used a pressure washer and it came pretty clean with that.

Best of luck,

[apextrail]

If it is unpainted (bare metal)I have found the only way to get them clean is with a Brillo pad and allot of elbow grease. Any better methods I would love to hear them.

[tracker4stroke]

when i clean my tracker up i use something called toon brite after i clean it with soap and water. comes out looking really good i think it cost like 10 buck at bost boat dealers may be called something else. i got it from R & w in etown

[roadrunner]

Toon Brite and other products sold at marinas for aluminum boats are good products to clean unpainted aluminum. Be sure to wear rubber gloves as most contain a very mild acid at least mild to aluminum.

[motalot]

Acid coil cleaner is by far the best product to use. It has a blend of acids to clean aluminum coils in air conditioners complete with surfactants. This is for unpainted aluminum. Don't use detergents that contain alkaline products as it will turn the aluminim black and if not washed properly eat a hole.

I purchase my coil cleaner at SWH supply in Louisville. Make sure you try it on the bottom first. Let it sit for a few minutes and wash it off with a hose. You can use a scrub brush if you like but I never do. This works great on all aluminum parts on a boat. It also removes scum off the bottom