Best way to clean plexiglass: free

Datadriver

Datadriver

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Datadriver
My steps for a spotless plexiglass:

1) douse bug stained areas with water
2) rub off/clean with old white t-shirt
3) use microfiber towel to push water aside

No special cleaner required. The water and tshirt do all the work. The microfiber keeps water spots from forming.

You can get the microfiber towel at an auto suppy store.
 
I do all that and then I wear the T-shirt!
 
I just rub myself all over the airplane like those automotive magazines and hot chicks they photo shoot.

Of course, someone usually comes over to see if I'm having a stroke or something... it's getting embarassing.

:) :) :) ;) ;) ;)
 
I use water and my bare hand (no rings, etc) to clean, then a clean cotton cloth to remove the water.
 
I use Dawn in water and my hands. No rags until I put on the wax, and then only 100% cotton. Eight years so far and no scratches.
 
Thanks Grant. I appreciate the advice but I am sticking with what I know works. I don't want to buy a windshield.
 
somorris said:
Thanks Grant. I appreciate the advice but I am sticking with what I know works. I don't want to buy a windshield.
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So hundreds if not thousands using Pledge for decades isn't enough for you, fine, buy the most expensive product that has or says "aircraft" on the label. Over 10 years you"ll spend the money a windshield would cost.
 
There is nothing wrong with staying with a method that works for you. None other than the crew of the B-17 Sentimental Journey introduced me to using Pledge for aircraft windows and wind screens. If you think you don't want to replace plexi in your plane, those guys sure don't. I also know several 135 fleets that use Pledge on all their fleets.

What I have seen is HOW it is used. And up and down motion (parallel to the relative wind in flight) is my preferred. That is how you would be viewing and you don't want any scratches perpendicular to your viewing. The worst are circular. I think a circular motion drags debris in from the perimeter.
 
Rubbing with water will make scratches, also won't dissolve any oil and leave windows streaky. (cheap, fast, bad)

Best to stick with aviation's known best, Lemon Pledge. (cheap, fast, good)
 
I've changed several windscreens that have been cleaned using pledge, all were yellowing at 10 years. and all were starting craze around the edges.

I love Pledge, I'm an A&P :)
 
Tom-D said:
I've changed several windscreens that have been cleaned using pledge, all were yellowing at 10 years. and all were starting craze around the edges.

I love Pledge, I'm an A&P :)
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Using Pledge on plexiglass would not cause either of those conditions noted (yellowing or crazing around the edges).
 
Tom-D said:
I've changed several windscreens that have been cleaned using pledge, all were yellowing at 10 years. and all were starting craze around the edges.

I love Pledge, I'm an A&P :)
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Tom,

Has nothing to do with Pledge. Thousands of pilots have been using it for decades with only the best possible outcome.

I used it on the side windows of the King Air for 20 years.
 
Rubbing with water will make scratches, also won't dissolve any oil and leave windows streaky. (cheap, fast, bad)
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Ahh, but I don't rub with water. I rinse thoroughly with clean water, then using a mixture of Dawn Dishwashing detergent and water, use my hands to soap up the plexiglass, rubbing gently on stubborn bugs, then rinse with clean water. The Dawn doesn't say "aircraft" anywhere on it, but I have been using this method for going on 9 years now and the windshield looks great. It dries without streaks. To each his own.
 
#1 ingredient
Naphtha, petroleum, light alkylate 5%-10% or (isoparaffinic hydrocarbon solvent)

Isoparaffinic Solvents
Isoparaffins are oil-like solvents and are derived from a petrochemical base using catalytic synthesis. This class of solvent contains pure hydrocarbons. The products most useful for industrial cleaning contain a mixture of fully saturated, linear and/or branched aliphatic hydrocarbons in the range of around C9 to C13. The flash point of these products is typically in the 57 to 65°C range which equals a boiling point of between 180°C and 220°C. Depending on the product, the boiling range may be as narrow as 10 to 15°C.

Isoparaffinic solvents are virtually free of aromatics compounds, are completely saturated and are practically odorless. They are good for the dissolution and removal of oil residues from metal surfaces. Additionally, they are excellent degreasing agents in numerous applications. However, as the solubility of polar substances in hydrocarbon solvents is extremely low, this may result in incomplete cleaning when the contamination contains polar components such as residues of aqueous emulsion and /or polar additives from high performance cutting fluids. Moreover, hydrocarbon solvents can not be stabilized against acidification. Acids brought in as part of contaminations or produced by decompositions may accumulate in the cleaning system and lead to acidification and corrosion.
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons
Considered very important products in the industry, chlorinated hydrocarbons are produced in large scale operations on all continents. The large majority of these products are chemical intermediates, which means that these products will be used as base stocks to produce other chemical products in the area of fluor chemistry (e.g. fluor polymers, refrigerants), silicon products (e.g. sealing materials) and the construction industry (e.g. production of cellulose ether).

The amount of chlorinated hydrocarbons used as solvents is rather small and decreasing. The main applications include use as extraction solvents in the pharmaceutical industry, finishing and cleaning agent in the textile industry and in metal cleaning.

The use of chlorinated solvents is strictly regulated by different legislations due to potential damage to the environment as well as due to health and safety hazards.
 
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dmccormack said:
Somewhere I "heard" (no idea who said it) that the formula for Lemon Pledge had changed.

No matter, I have a brand new LP Aero windscreen and keep it crystal clear with Dupont Sontara wipes and http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/allKleer.phpAero Plex All. Once bug season starts I'll be using a spray water bottle with a tiny bit of Dawn Dish washing liquid (one of mankind's tep ten inventions) and a microfiber cloth.

Here's more about windscreen care from LP Aero
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Every aircraft windscreen manufacturer recommends mild soap and water to clean, and a good hard wax as a polish.
they are cheaper to buy and better all around .
 
Datadriver said:
My steps for a spotless plexiglass:

1) douse bug stained areas with water
2) rub off/clean with old white t-shirt
3) use microfiber towel to push water aside

No special cleaner required. The water and tshirt do all the work. The microfiber keeps water spots from forming.

You can get the microfiber towel at an auto suppy store.
Click to expand...

I've used this method to remove bugs and bug guts from the leading edges of a plane and my friend has used it on his windscreen as well and works super.



kgruber said:
Rubbing with water will make scratches, also won't dissolve any oil and leave windows streaky. (cheap, fast, bad)

Best to stick with aviation's known best, Lemon Pledge. (cheap, fast, good)
Click to expand...

I'm curious how is it that water scratches? A bad cloth perhaps but if the cloth is soft enough then how does the water scratch? Your gonna tell me hard water right? :)
 
Lemon Pledge for leading edges, Prist and those DuPont things for the plexiglas. That reminds me, we're out of the DuPont things.
 
Did not know Pledge so popular. Interesting
 
Out of curiosity how fragile is this plexiglass as far as scratches go? I understand certain chemicals will do it, but as far as an object will a towel or what? I ask because everyone seems very specific in the method they use.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Out of curiosity how fragile is this plexiglass as far as scratches go? I understand certain chemicals will do it, but as far as an object will a towel or what? I ask because everyone seems very specific in the method they use.
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you are at risk any time you rub anything dry on the plexi, it will collect dirt/dust, and use it to sand the plexi.

It's best to wash away any grit prior to any rubbing of anything. that is best done with soap and water and your bare hand, you can feel any grit, before it makes too big of a scratch. then dry and wax.

I have found that a microfiber towel works great for polishing the wax.

and remember when the windscreen is scratched it can be rubbed out just like the clear coat on your car.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Out of curiosity how fragile is this plexiglass as far as scratches go? I understand certain chemicals will do it, but as far as an object will a towel or what? I ask because everyone seems very specific in the method they use.
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The wrong wiping material will definitely scratch it. Stick with diaper cloth (available at many auto supply stores), microfiber (ditto) and Kimwipes, or equivalent.
 
Ron Levy said:
The wrong wiping material will definitely scratch it. Stick with diaper cloth (available at many auto supply stores), microfiber (ditto) and Kimwipes, or equivalent.
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Kimwipes I'm not too fond of, they are after all a paper towel, but a good one.
 
Ron Levy said:
That's like saying microfiber is "after all a towel, but a good one."
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Pretty much. but it is still a cotton rag.

Kimwipes are a paper, it is made from wood but it is softer than your regular kitchen towels.
 
No offense to anyone here, but I prefer 100% cotton.
 
I scratched it once with a paper towel. A supply of them was in the airplane, but as it turned out, it was intended to wipe oil. It was a lesson to remember.
 
If you really want to be careful....

Use microfiber and only use a portion for a single pass.

IOW flip the side to the unused side each swipe. Otherwise you're dragging grit along from the previous swipe. Usually one cloth per session. I bring home half a dozen and they get washed in very small amount of fragrance and everything else free detergent.

I've been using the Sontara wipes and while they feel like paper, they seem to be non-scratching. But they were a gift and as soon as they are used up it will be back to microfiber cloths from Wally World.
 
Tom-D said:
If it isn't the material, why are all polishing buffs wool or cotton?
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First, there are artificial materials which are designed for cleaning plexiglas without scratching. Second, just because it's cotton doesn't mean it's suitable for plexiglas without scratching.
 
Ron Levy said:
First, there are artificial materials which are designed for cleaning plexiglas without scratching. Second, just because it's cotton doesn't mean it's suitable for plexiglas without scratching.
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Have you ever tried to find a buff for polishing out a windscreen? they are all wool. and the final step is a cotton mitt over a wool or foam buff.

It is about the material. there is no polishing buffs made from polyester. or what ever. because they don't work.
 
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