Cleaning aluminum hull

[Billy H]

My crestliner bare aluminum hull is getting pretty ugly. I fish two or three times a week and the scum line is getting bad as well as the rest of the hull. I want to clean it up. I’ve seen the videos of NAPA aluminum brightener and purple power aluminum brightener and the results are awesome. Spray it on rinse it off. On the contrary I’ve read that those products will cause pitting. Starbright also recommends acid proof gloves?
Looking for first folks with first hand experience with these types of products. I’m sure pontoon guys have been down this road.
TIA Bill

 

[FuzzyGrub]

Thats what I hear to use on my pontoons, but haven't needed it yet. The scum line wasn't that bad from last year. I used some "Iron Out" which took it right off. It has some acid in it, so need to rinse thoughly. Many say to put "Shark Hide" over it once you clean it. I put a Dep glossy floor wax on the toons before my first launch.

 

[LDUBS]

I use StarBrite Aluminum restorer. Put it on with a spray bottle in sections. Lightly scrub with a scotch pad (red I think), then hose it off. Do it in sections. If you don't use the scrub pad it will be streaky. I usually do two applications back-to-back. I would say gloves are mandatory.

Here is a before and after.

 

[Billy H]

Good info. Did you guys notice any sort of pitting or corrosion from the cleaners.

LDUBS that hull looks great, those are the results I’m looking for.

 

[thill]

I start with Purple Power and a shot of bleach in a pump bottle with a green or gray Scotchbrite pad. That takes care of the scum.

If the aluminum itself is stained, I will move on to Aluma-Brite, similar to the StarBrite product above. The trick is to put it on, scrub it a bit and then rinse it off.

No, it won't corrode your boat, unless you forget to rinse it off, then it's possible. Leave it on too long and it will make the aluminum look hazy or even chalky. It works so fast there is no reason not to have a hose next to you to rinse and move on.

 

[Billy H]

Thanks guys. Aluminum brighter/ restorer product looks like the ticket. I’ll post up when I get around to getting it done. Never had a complete bare aluminum hull boat before, paint is a lot easier to keep clean.

 

[oilsmoke]

I've had a few boats that were really nasty when I got them, rather than wasting a ton of time and money in cleaning them I started with a good wash with dish soap to cut any grease, then went right to using some Bar Keeper's Friend and a huge sponge.
its not really abrasive but it cuts through the mold and mildew build up fast. I'm sure just about any stainless steel kitchen cleaner would work. After that I took my buffer to it with some clear coat polish and did the whole boat. On a few, with formerly polished hulls, I went a step further and did a three step polish starting with red polishing compound, then working my way down to a fine polish with a foam pad. The result can be a near chrome finish. To keep the shine, I coat it with a product called Sharkhide.

 

[LDUBS]

Good info. Did you guys notice any sort of pitting or corrosion from the cleaners.

LDUBS that hull looks great, those are the results I’m looking for.

Have not seen any corrosion.

BTW, what @thill says about rinsing before it dries is good advice. And as already said, scrubbing will give you a uniform result. It doesn't take long. Spray, scrub, wait a few minutes, rinse, move to next section. I go over my boat twice in no time at all.

 

[LDUBS]

I've had a few boats that were really nasty when I got them, rather than wasting a ton of time and money in cleaning them I started with a good wash with dish soap to cut any grease, then went right to using some Bar Keeper's Friend and a huge sponge.
its not really abrasive but it cuts through the mold and mildew build up fast. I'm sure just about any stainless steel kitchen cleaner would work. After that I took my buffer to it with some clear coat polish and did the whole boat. On a few, with formerly polished hulls, I went a step further and did a three step polish starting with red polishing compound, then working my way down to a fine polish with a foam pad. The result can be a near chrome finish. To keep the shine, I coat it with a product called Sharkhide.

Based on a recommendation from these forums, I use liquid Bar Keepers Friend to take the scum off my outboard. No hard scrubbing. Just some very light pressure with a soft cloth and it is gone. Mrs Ldubs uses the powdered version on her stainless pots/pans.

Before and after:

 

[thill]

Thanks guys. Aluminum brighter/ restorer product looks like the ticket. I’ll post up when I get around to getting it done. Never had a complete bare aluminum hull boat before, paint is a lot easier to keep clean.

Actually, once you get it cleaned and polished that first time, the bare aluminum is really easy to deal with and keep clean. Easier than most paints, I would say.

 

[LDUBS]

Time before last guy that pulled his boat out ahead of me spent a few minutes wiping his painted hull down with a microfiber cloth. Probably a really good idea whether painted or not.

 

[boatyard]

The worst thing I tend to see here is cedar water stains on the white hull paint.
Bar Keeper's Friend or just about any SS and Aluminum pot cleanser will work.
Its just a fine polish in powder form, use very light pressure and enough water to form a paste
it cleans pretty fast. Many years ago I worked at a car dealership and their go to fix for really dull paint on used cars was a quick wash, then a rub down with Comet cleanser and a quick buff job. The guy who detailed cars in the wash bay could make primer shine.
At that time I had an older Sears/Alumacraft 14ft V hull that looked pretty bad from years of sitting in the woods where I found it. I had it in the back of my truck one day planning to hit the local lake after work. The guy who buffed cars told me he could make it look like chrome for a free Mc D's value meal for lunch.
I let him have it, It took him about an hour tops. He started with a rag buffer and some Comet, then with a foam pad he used some rubbing compound, then he worked down to clear coat polish and a coat of wax burned on with a buffer. The thing was like a mirror. The best $4 I ever spent. Having it polished up like that also kept it cleaner as water didn't cling to it with all the wax on it. Of course he did it on company time but that sort of thing was fairly common at that place. We were always working on our own stuff on the clock and doing side jobs during the day, no one cared and no one checked, the place was a big write off for some big investor somewhere and we were told it was never supposed to make a profit, so we were told 'don't work too hard'.
I was there for 10 years, best job I ever had, but it got shut down during the savings and loan mess in the late 80's and early 90's.

 

[airshot]

Once you get your hull clean, keep a coat of sprayon car wax, no need to wipe off or buff. I do my painted hull a few times each year. The crud comes off much easier! Above the water line I do a little buffing ( very little) just for appearance only. I crawl under my boat on the trailer and spray the bottom as well as I can. Just cheap turtle wax, sure keeps hull cleaner with far less work !

 

[thill]

Once you get your hull clean, keep a coat of sprayon car wax, no need to wipe off or buff. I do my painted hull a few times each year. The crud comes off much easier! Above the water line I do a little buffing ( very little) just for appearance only. I crawl under my boat on the trailer and spray the bottom as well as I can. Just cheap turtle wax, sure keeps hull cleaner with far less work !

^^^THIS^^^

Works just as well or better on polished aluminum