What will clean aluminum ?
 

A friend gave me a nearly new aluminum, in bed mounted tool box. The shiny chrome looking finish is dull and tarnished looking.

Anyone have a secret weapon up their sleeve that I can use to restore this to a shiny aluminum finish again?

Thanks

Been told by two different people to spray weak muriatic acid on mine. Let it set for a "couple" minutes and hose it off. Both guys swear it will work, but I've cleaned to much brick with that stuff to believe it.

Why don't you try it and let me know how it turns out? [whistle]

I've just decided to paint the darn thing sometime.

Ed

There are ACID free cleaners that dont dull the finish here is one.

http://www.eagleone.com/pages/produc...=1008&cat=5006

Dusty

I used a commercial aluminum cleaner once on some pistons which worked real well but I think it was just real strong amonia. It smelled like it anyway. I would be afraid of using acid though. To anodize aluminum use sulfuric acid with lots of DC current. Anodized aluminum will last forever.

Edwin

Alcoa makes some pretty good polishes and cleaners.

rico,
what's that, the Ole' 12 pointer in the night vision? hurry up, pull the trigger. [laugh]

I know I sound like a broken record but go to the local marina and talk to the boat owners. 3M makes a good cleaner.

I have never found any good cleaner for aluminum that didnt require a lot of elbow grease to make it shine and look right. I use to use NEVERDULL or Mothers. The black residue that is left is removed with corn meal. This is from my truckin days and polishing the rig. [yuk] [yuk]

White polishing (for auto paint finishes) compound and a DA polisher.

Like Turbox2 said, Mothers and elbow grease! That's what I use on my truck rims.

FYI: Be REALLY careful using any acid based aluminum cleaner/brightener.
They contain a dilute HydroFLUORIC acid solution that does work well to strip the oxide and tarnish (and anodizing!) off of aluminum, but require good protective equipment to prevent any contact. HEED THE WARNINGS ON THE BOTTLE!
HydroFluoric acid is dangerous stuff even in dilute forms. In concentrated forms, burns are immediate, painful and disfiguring even if the HF poisoning doesn't kill you first.
Dilute HF burns later, much later.
One of our company Doctors that unfortunately became the Co. expert in HF burns says today a surprising and quite troublesome source for HF burns is ordinary people using acid based aluminum brightener/cleaners and A/C condenser coil cleaning solution that contain dilute HF. They get it on them and since it doesn't "burn" like battery acid or muriatic, they frequently ignore it and the fluoride ion penetrates the skin.
If you get it on your skin, wash it off right away and you should be OK.
Eyes are a different matter... Use faceshield or goggles...


K.

Ihave used muratic acid on aluminun wheels. I will clean them, but do not, DO NOT leave it on for very long. It will start to bubble and get very hot. the fumes are really bad. I used a scrub brush and rinced them with water.This was to remove paint.

Phosphoric acid works best! I cleaned the bottom of one of my aluminum boats with it, Muratic acid will eat through the aluminim and pit the aluminum.

Phosphoric acid will clean and dull. Use Mothers to finish the job.

Rick

The aluminum "tarnish" is an oxide (as Im sure you all know). Any polish will take it off with enough elbow grease....then make sure you put a good coat of wax on or it will just oxidize again. Its a never ending battle, but well worth it to have some nice shine on a nice truck!

beleive it or not, lemon juice.....let it sit for a few minutes then polish...