Belly cleaning

[Chuck Balogna]

I went to clean my Mooney’s belly today.

it was unpleasant and rather unsuccessful.

that is all.

[hammdo]

I use Buddha belly - yep, no fun ;op

-Don

[EricJ]

This stuff makes it super easy.    Smear it on, wipe it off with blue shop towels.   Get the white stuff, not the orange abrasive stuff.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/GOOP-Multi-Purpose-Hand-Cleaner-14-oz/16880683

[DCarlton]

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/aerobellywash.php?clickkey=452449

https://washwax.com/pages/aircraft-gear-belly-belly-soap

I use this one.  Works really well.  

[Joshua Blackh4t]

Carburettor cleaner and/ or engine degreaser

[JimB]

100LL

[Hank]

5 hours ago, DCarlton said:

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/aerobellywash.php?clickkey=452449

https://washwax.com/pages/aircraft-gear-belly-belly-soap

I use this one.  Works really well.  

I use aerocosmetics wash n wax degreaser, the red stuff. Spray on, wipe off, done. Then the regular blue stuff foe the rest of the plane.

[Danb]

First off clean it regularly which is a pain, keeping it relatively clean is easy. Once it’s on the surface for weeks it turns into a tough job. My bravo had oil residue while the Acclaim has white residue which is tougher to clean.

How does everybody clean the wheel wells out, that’s difficult to do I guess unless your young and limber.

[hubcap]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

I use aerocosmetics wash n wax degreaser, the red stuff. Spray on, wipe off, done. Then the regular blue stuff foe the rest of the plane.

^^^^^This is the same procedure and products for me.^^^^^

I clean the wings, horizontal and vertical stabilizer and windshield after every flight. I clean the belly a couple of times a year. 

[Fly Boomer]

7 hours ago, DCarlton said:

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/aerobellywash.php?clickkey=452449

https://washwax.com/pages/aircraft-gear-belly-belly-soap

I use this one.  Works really well.  

Do you have to rinse that stuff off?

[Hank]

24 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

Do you have to rinse that stuff off?

Don't know about the belly soap, but the red and blue are spray on, wipe around, buff dry with a dry towel. 

I generally use one scrub towel and one buff towel for the belly; then one scrub towel for everything else, and swap out buff towels when needed. I'm generally tired after two buff towels, like the cowl, one wing upper surface and the side of the fuselage. Do the other wing and other side another day, and a third day for all tail feathers and the tail cone.

[Fly Boomer]

10 minutes ago, Hank said:

Don't know about the belly soap, but the red and blue are spray on, wipe around, buff dry with a dry towel. 

I generally use one scrub towel and one buff towel for the belly; then one scrub towel for everything else, and swap out buff towels when needed. I'm generally tired after two buff towels, like the cowl, one wing upper surface and the side of the fuselage. Do the other wing and other side another day, and a third day for all tail feathers and the tail cone.

The red and blue are the Wash Wax All products?

[Marc_B]

AeroCosmetic products are meant to spray on and scrub/wipe off (at least the two I use).  But out of curiosity how does the Red - Wash all compare to the Purple - Belly Soap?

https://washwax.com/pages/aircraft-wet-wash-belly-soap

https://washwax.com/pages/aircraft-wet-wash-wash-all

FWIW I usually use the Purple Belly soap on the belly and the Blue Wash Wax All on the rest.  A little elbow grease but I think that the purple belly soap works pretty well on the grime, soot and oil. 

[Hank]

27 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

The red and blue are the Wash Wax All products?

Yes. Red is the degreaser.

4 minutes ago, Marc_B said:

AeroCosmetic products are meant to spray on and scrub/wipe off (at least the two I use).  But out of curiosity how does the Red - Wash all compare to the Purple - Belly Soap?

Never used the purple. Red works just like the blue, leaves my belly clean and shiny and slick. Minimal scrubbing. It's easier to clean my (one piece) belly when it's removed for annual, I do one side at a time with it leaning against the wall.

[exM20K]

I run LOP ATT, so the belly gets the off-white powdery exhaust residue.  I’m a big fan of the aero cosmetic products and use them on the plane and our motor home.  However, the red solution will not cut this exhaust residue as it is not oil.

This product does get it off with medium effort. This is a local company, and they are good guys.  They also sell on Amazon, IIRC.

-dan

[802flyer]

Someone on here recommended RealClean Turbine Soot Master at one point and I’ve found it to be SUPER effective (both with oily residue and the white LOP residue) and easy compared to other products I’ve tried.

Edit: this is what exM20K recommended just above me


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[Pinecone]

4 hours ago, Hank said:

I use aerocosmetics wash n wax degreaser, the red stuff. Spray on, wipe off, done. Then the regular blue stuff foe the rest of the plane.

 

3 hours ago, hubcap said:

^^^^^This is the same procedure and products for me.^^^^^

I clean the wings, horizontal and vertical stabilizer and windshield after every flight. I clean the belly a couple of times a year. 

Same here.

 

[LANCECASPER]

Tub O' Towels work great on the belly: 

https://www.amazon.com/Tub-Towels-Heavy-Duty-Multi-Surface-Cleaning/dp/B00022W4ZU?pd_rd_w=TkyB1&content-id=amzn1.sym.d7105005-1122-4ebb-804b-fda01cf6b56f&pf_rd_p=d7105005-1122-4ebb-804b-fda01cf6b56f&pf_rd_r=F4BCS1HNDE90T3FNW362&pd_rd_wg=socPQ&pd_rd_r=913d6448-aa88-4655-818e-33a2c1f33f0b&pd_rd_i=B00022W4ZU&ref_=pd_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_i&th=1

[Stan]

Scrubbing Bubbles, just don't tell the wife you know how to use it!

[M20F]

The key is once it and the airplane are clean to wax it.  I like Jescar Powerlock.  Then ensure you maintain.  It is awful the first year but thereafter easy regular maintenance and a once in the spring refresh on the Jescar.  

[LANCECASPER]

10 hours ago, Stan said:

Scrubbing Bubbles, just don't tell the wife you know how to use it!

No doubt it will cut the grease but it might be too harsh on the paint. I let some sit overnight on an inspection panel to soften the paint and make it easier to remove.

One other caution on cleaning bellies on airplanes is to be careful with any product that could drip in your eyes while you are underneath there. The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) on Scrubbing Bubbles has some strong warnings about getting it in your eyes.

Here's a thread about it from Beechtalk: https://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=222754

[Pinecone]

11 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

One other caution on cleaning bellies on airplanes is to be careful with any product that could drip in your eyes while you are underneath there. The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) on Scrubbing Bubbles has some strong warnings about getting it in your eyes.

Most things are too harsh to have in your eyes.

My recommendation (as a long time safety and health professional) that for belly cleaning wear a face shield AND safety goggles (not safety glasses).

[LANCECASPER]

On 9/20/2023 at 8:01 PM, Pinecone said:

Most things are too harsh to have in your eyes.

My recommendation (as a long time safety and health professional) that for belly cleaning wear a face shield AND safety goggles (not safety glasses).

Yes, that's why I mentioned "to be careful with any product that could drip in your eyes while you are underneath there".

That's also why I use the Tub O' Towels degreaser wipes so I'm not spraying anything on and then laying underneath it as it drips on me.

I agree 100% on the face shield and safety goggles. I had a friend that cleaned the belly of his airplane with Simple Green. It dripped in his eyes and he had to be taken to the emergency room - the Simple Green burned his corneas. He couldn't drive for over a month and held off on flying for many months.

 

The Mooney POH says: 

Remove grease or oil from the exterior by wiping with a cotton cloth saturated in kerosene. Flush away loose dirt and mud deposits before washing the exterior with an aircraft-type washing compound mixed in warm water. Use soft cleaning cloths or a chamois, and USE ONLY MILD LIQUID TYPE DETERGENTS, avoid harsh or abrasive detergents that might scratch or corrode the surface. It is essential that ALL CLEANING COMPOUNDS AND APPLICATION CLOTHS BE FREE OF ABRASIVES, GRIT, OR OTHER FOREIGN MATTER. Use a pre-wax cleaner to remove a heavy oxidation film. For non-oxidized or pre-cleaned surfaces, apply a good exterior finish wax recommended for protection of urethane enamel finishes. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions. A heavier coating of wax on the leading edge of the wings, empennage, and nose section will help reduce drag and abrasion in these areas.

[GeeBee]

I started my aviation career flat on my back.....scubbing bellies on a fleet of 35 airplanes. I was 13 at the time. Used stoddard solvent. Used so much of it I had burns on my abdomen from the drips.  I knew enough then and now not to want to do that again. With my personal airplanes now I keep the belly waxed real good and let me say, the ceramic waxes are the bomb. For the belly, you don't need an expensive one except for the first coat. After that, I clean the belly every 10 hours or so with Mother's ceramic cleaner or Turtle Wax 3 in 1 Ceramic detailer. Go back over it with Mother's spray on ceramic. Done. Takes less than 45 minutes. Stays nice and clean. Heck the other day I cleaned it with my street clothes from a creeper. No harsh chemicals on you, no harsh chemicals on the airplane. 

[Marc_B]

12 hours ago, Pinecone said:

My recommendation (as a long time safety and health professional) that for belly cleaning wear a face shield AND safety goggles (not safety glasses).

First thing that comes to mind reading this ...    But probably should at least have safety glasses any time you're doing anything under the aircraft looking up.