Not long ago, I was talking to a gentleman in a colder climate on Planet Earth about the types of aircraft cleaning supplies he would need to use if he were to open an aircraft washing business. Specifically, he was concerned with composites, special aircraft paint, and manufacturer requirements. Many people, at least in the past, have simply used inexpensive car, truck, or boat cleaners and gotten decent results. Sure, me too for three decades, but what? Things are changing now. So let’s talk about this, okay?
Now yes, soaps and detergents can cause problems for composites, it’s a big problem, plus water often gets where paint and coating don’t, along with residue and excess materials. Silicones are also problematic for several types of aircraft paint, especially Imron and some polyurethane aircraft paints.
There was an interesting article in one of the aviation magazines not too long ago about some of the new light paints being used on Boeing 737s, which I bet will become more common. It’s super light and works great with extreme temperatures, carbon buildup, but it’s also super thin, and detergents, cleaners, and certain types of waxes (polymeric solvent clear coat car waxes) break it down very quickly.
So each manufacturer specifies a certain type of soap to use, some say “none” or no soap, chemicals, or cleaners; Obviously, that’s not going to work very well, is it? Waxes, some of them also cover the pores that don’t allow the paint to breathe, some of these aircraft paints need to breathe due to expansion and contraction due to cold temperatures at altitudes and warm temperatures on the tarmac in warmer climates, plus the need for the aircraft to flex.
Some paints with pores also help the boundary layer by creating small vortices on the surface, accelerating airflow, or tucking in the boundary layer, which improves performance. Waxes change the airflow environment of the microsurface, often with negative results, just the opposite of what might be expected. After all, you wax surfboards, cars, and boats to improve their performance and usability, as well as make them look good. This improves paint longevity and efficiency as those vehicles move through your environment. So it seems counterintuitive that waxing a plane could damage the paint or cause it to fade prematurely, but that’s the reality.
This means you’ll need to do your extra due diligence to choose the right soaps, chemicals, detergents, cleaners, and waxes for the right aircraft, the right paint type, and the right climate. Please consider all this and think about it.