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Washing airplane with water and a hose....good idea/bad idea?


Mark89114

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There is a posting I think on a wastebook site about never washing your airplane with water.  Goes into a lengthy discussion of how professional airplane detailers are forbidden by their insurance policies.  I am thinking they just want you to avoid using a pressure washer?  I have always washed my planes with a hose and bucket, how else do you expect to lift and remove the dirt?  The water and soap as lubricants to get the dirt away from the finish.  Personally I think it is a nonsensical argument but I was just curious what the geniuses of MS think.  Mark "who will continue washing with a hose"     

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FWIW I use the blue waterless wash-wax all on mine. I've never used a bucket and water. I also use the purple stuff on the belly.

But also, I've never actually picked up any major dirt that I felt needed a hose and bucket.

However, I'd say that I am a bit afraid of using a hose and bucket because I've been told by a couple CFIs that it is unnecessarily risky regarding getting water in the fuel from a leaky cap seal...

I guess rain is okay though? I dunno...

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Modern spray detailers and waxes are pretty neat. I feel they do a good job of lifting the dirt. I don’t hose the airplane off anymore. The water ends of in places for days. Most Aircraft detailers won’t wetwash anymore either. That said a freshwater wetwash every year or so shouldn’t hurt anything. 
-Matt

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I think it depends a little on where you're based.

Here in the Denver area, humidity is almost always very low.  Things dry "instantly" in bright sunshine, and pretty quickly even in shade.  Still, I was cautious for many years, until I saw the local flying club's semi-annual "plane wash".  At said event, student pilots and other somewhat uneducated enthusiasts hose down the airplanes with spray nozzles and wild abandon.  No pitot tube covers, no tape over the static ports, no real guidance about where and how to spray.  I asked the club president if he was concerned about it, and he said something to the effect of, "Maybe, but we've been doing it this way for over 20 years with no problems".  I wouldn't necessarily take off into 200' ceilings immediately after, but the airplanes look nice and it's apparently not a serious issue in practice.

That said, I'd probably be more cautious in Houston, or Orlando.  I used to live in South Texas, and have vivid memories of towels not being dry even 24 hours after the last shower.

I think there's probably a reasonable middle ground.  I'm not advocating a careless attitude, but I find advice to "never use water to wash the airplane" to be silly.

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Like a lot of others I just use the Blue waterless wash-wax and the red stuff on the belly. My hangar neighbor has a beautiful Beech A36 that he takes over to the wash pad quite often. He will wash it and then fly around the pattern afterwards. When he parks it back in the hangar he doesn't have any water dripping from it.

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12 minutes ago, Skates97 said:

Like a lot of others I just use the Blue waterless wash-wax and the red stuff on the belly. My hangar neighbor has a beautiful Beech A36 that he takes over to the wash pad quite often. He will wash it and then fly around the pattern afterwards. When he parks it back in the hangar he doesn't have any water dripping from it.

...and a creeper, preferably one that has an adjustable backrest and height.  And eye protection, of course.

-dan

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I usually do a hose-and-water wash at our wash rack once a year in preparation for the annual inspection.    This year the EAA was using the wash rack shade for a picnic right when I needed to be there, so I pretty much had to do a waterless wash.   I already had all the stuff in the hangar, anyway, so it wasn't a huge deal.

I think there is a difference between a good water wash with mild soap and a waterless wash.   I would still prefer getting a good water-wash at least once a year, but it's not a huge thing either way, imho.

 

 

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12 minutes ago, exM20K said:

...and a creeper, preferably one that has an adjustable backrest and height.  And eye protection, of course.

-dan

And pay attention if there is a breeze blowing into the hangar which direction it is coming from, lessons learned....

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In my opinion 99% of the time a "dry wash" is used due to convenience and environmental concerns. It is much easier to wipe down an aircraft with Wash/Wax All then find a a place to do it, a hose, a bucket, soap etc to actually wash the aircraft. For airlines and big aircraft, a dry wash is used for the same convenience and due to concerns of washing the oil, dirt, grease, chemicals down a drain. 

All that said, nothing in the world wrong with washing an aircraft with soap and water. 

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43 minutes ago, EricJ said:

I usually do a hose-and-water wash at our wash rack once a year in preparation for the annual inspection.   

I have been told it is better to not wash before annual, only after.  You may be removing evidence of leaks, smoking rivets, or accumulations that they would want to see for diagnosis purposes.  Wash after annual, and have a clean slate to see progress on leaks after repairs, if any.  

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Nothing wrong with a hose, I would try and avoid a power washer unless you have a really wide angle nozzle. If you have paint that is chipping or flaking avoid direct contact in those areas.

Personally I mix up ONR in a chemical pump sprayer (for lawn chemicals just make sure its brand new and only gets used for soap) and spray down a whole section then use dozens of microfibers and change them out frequently.

Most people use waterless washes wrong and are actually scratching their paint (love marks), using a hose with water is safer if you do not use those products correctly.

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1 hour ago, Bolter said:

I have been told it is better to not wash before annual, only after.  You may be removing evidence of leaks, smoking rivets, or accumulations that they would want to see for diagnosis purposes.  Wash after annual, and have a clean slate to see progress on leaks after repairs, if any.  

The very first step in the FAA annual check list is to thoroughly clean the aircraft.   I can't wait until after, since it is part of the annual.

 

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1 hour ago, GeeBee said:

Someone forgot to tell the Navy and Coast Guard not to hose down their airplanes.

Army too. our mission in korea was overwater, yellow sea specifically, to prevent a MacArthur style amphibious landing, the North apparently has a huge amount of hovercraft and AN2 Colts for this mission.

‘Anyway by Army reg every overwater flight required the aircraft to be washed with water. Navy will often have “bird baths” where you taxi into a spot and click x number of times on a set frequency and fire hoses spray water on the aircraft at an arc. We also had to wash if flown within 25 miles of a volcanic event and radiation exposure, chemical weapons

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19 minutes ago, EricJ said:

The very first step in the FAA annual check list is to thoroughly clean the aircraft.   I can't wait until after, since it is part of the annual.

 

Wouldn't that be the action of the person doing the inspection?  They clean it, so they know where the tell-tale leaks are?

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24 minutes ago, EricJ said:

The very first step in the FAA annual check list is to thoroughly clean the aircraft.   I can't wait until after, since it is part of the annual.

 

Years ago, I went into aviation maintenance because I got tired of working on nasty, filthy bulldozers etc.

Who wants to work on a dirty motor?

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25 minutes ago, Bolter said:

Wouldn't that be the action of the person doing the inspection?  They clean it, so they know where the tell-tale leaks are?

I do owner-assisted annuals.   My IA wants it clean when we start.   You can see a lot more when the oil and dirt are removed.   I think that's why it's first in the FAA checklist.

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Don’t point the hose at the air filter. Don’t hit the wheel bearings and landing gear joints with pressure, a gentle rinse is ok.
 

Fly the plane after washing it. It will do the best job of blowing All the water out of all the nooks and crannies.

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37 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

Years ago, I went into aviation maintenance because I got tired of working on nasty, filthy bulldozers etc.

Who wants to work on a dirty motor?

You are welcome to come over and work on my dozer anytime you want if you miss looking like you just rolled around in a mud puddle filled with oil and grease.:D  

 

I wash my plane with water several times a year sometimes with soap sometimes without.

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44 minutes ago, EricJ said:

I do owner-assisted annuals.   My IA wants it clean when we start.   You can see a lot more when the oil and dirt are removed.   I think that's why it's first in the FAA checklist.

It would be nice if all owners followed your lead.

Clarence

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3 hours ago, 1964-M20E said:

You are welcome to come over and work on my dozer anytime you want if you miss looking like you just rolled around in a mud puddle filled with oil and grease.:D  

That and having to take off a few hundred lbs of armor plate before you could do anything.

‘Some things from my youth, I don’t miss.

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Try to avoid filling the static vents…

Drain the static system when done…

Drain the fuel sumps as well, note if any water shows up there…

+1 for avoiding 175kt water blasts… it is tough on the leading edges.  Most noticeable on the corners of stall strips…

Parking outdoors has a tendency to collect a lot more dirt and plenty of paint oxidation…

PP thoughts only…

Best regards,

-a-

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