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Thread Number: 86711
/ Tag: Other Home Products or Autos
Cleaning aluminum |
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| Post# 1112911 3/27/2021 at 18:52 (1,124 days old) by sarahperdue (Alabama) | ||
Hi everyone,
What's the best way to clean and deoxidize aluminum? I've spent a lot of elbow grease polishing, but I've been searching the web and see diy instructions for cleaning with acids and commercial cleaners. Thoughts? I would love something that can be prepared in a bucket for dipping or soaking. I have pieces varying in size from a sink drainboard to small utensils. Thanks in advance, Sarah | ||
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Post# 1112916 , Reply# 1 3/27/2021 at 20:04 (1,124 days old) by RP2813  (Sannazay) |
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Ditto | ||
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Post# 1112919 , Reply# 2 3/27/2021 at 20:30 (1,124 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI) |
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My griddle from my '59 frigidaire CI range is badly in need of help on the underside, been looking too. I've read baking soda and peroxide works well but have not had the quantity of baking soda to try it. Last resort is oven cleaner but that does a number on the aluminum. | ||
| Post# 1112922 , Reply# 3 3/27/2021 at 21:40 (1,124 days old) by sarahperdue (Alabama) | ||
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No, not oven cleaner!
In addition to pitting the aluminum, it can discolor it.
Do you have a self cleaning oven you can clean your griddle in? I'm going to have a Frigidaire Custom Imperial double oven in the kitchen, but I'm planning to put a single GE P7 in the workshop for both overflow cooking and cleaning things as needed. Sarah | ||
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Post# 1112925 , Reply# 4 3/27/2021 at 21:55 (1,124 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Aluminum can be cleaned with any mild acid
Oxalic acid (highly poisonous!), acetic acid (vinegar white or apple), maltic acid (apples), tartic acid (cream of tartar).
This pretty much sums things up nicely. cleaning.lovetoknow.com/how-clea... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalic_aci... You can also use finest grades of steel wool to buff, polish and clean aluminum. But work with grain and don't go at it as if scrubbing front steps. You can also use aluminum foil to clean aluminum items... www.reynoldskitchens.com/... Something one has tried and can vouch for.. www.automaticwasher.org/c... Whatever method chosen best to test a small inconspicuous area first before jumping in whole hog. | ||
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Post# 1112941 , Reply# 6 3/28/2021 at 00:33 (1,124 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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| Post# 1112945 , Reply# 7 3/28/2021 at 02:03 (1,124 days old) by sarahperdue (Alabama) | ||
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Off topic sort of | ||
| Post# 1112971 , Reply# 8 3/28/2021 at 09:32 (1,123 days old) by Oliger (Indianapolis, Indiana) | ||
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Mother's magnesium and aluminum polish. Very easy and quick. Available at plenty of big stores in the automotive section. It'll make it shiny and new again. | ||
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Post# 1112995 , Reply# 9 3/28/2021 at 10:22 (1,123 days old) by jamiel (Detroit, Michigan and Palm Springs, CA) |
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| Post# 1113015 , Reply# 10 3/28/2021 at 13:59 (1,123 days old) by sarahperdue (Alabama) | ||
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Mothers...
I love Mother's, but it takes a long time, punishing amount of elbow grease and a fair amount of product to take a very oxidized piece of aluminum back to a shine. Been there, done that. I'm looking for a solution that will cut time and effort on the front end. I'm happy to polish to a lustre, but using polish to cut through decades of oxidation is a thankless task.
Sarah | ||
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Post# 1113019 , Reply# 11 3/28/2021 at 14:11 (1,123 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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Jon Charles, Jetcone, used a product, the name of which I can't recall. | ||
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Post# 1113136 , Reply# 12 3/29/2021 at 14:23 (1,122 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions) |
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Post# 1113164 , Reply# 13 3/29/2021 at 20:14 (1,122 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI) |
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Sarah, I guess the question is what aluminum item(s) are you wishing to clean up? That might point us in the correct direction for a product. | ||
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Post# 1113225 , Reply# 14 3/30/2021 at 14:50 (1,121 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK) |
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Didn't Rhubarb boiled in a pan  | ||
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Post# 1113234 , Reply# 15 3/30/2021 at 16:11 (1,121 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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Austin, | ||
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Post# 1113243 , Reply# 16 3/30/2021 at 17:02 (1,121 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay) |
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Rhubarb My mom used to make rhubarb crisp. Her favorite vessel for baking it was an oval Descoware enameled cast iron casserole dish.
One time she baked one up and brought it to the nuns at St. Leo's school convent. When she got the Descoware back, the enamel on the bottom surface of the pan had been stained a light brown tint. She tried everything to remove it, but nothing worked. That dish was stained forever. | ||
| Post# 1113248 , Reply# 17 3/30/2021 at 18:20 (1,121 days old) by sarahperdue (Alabama) | ||
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Rhubarb
Just isn't part of Southern culture. Most of us have never seen one!
As for what kind of things--pots, pans, deep wells, kitchen drainboards (I have an aluminum one)... I've put a few things in a vinegar soak. I've also read about commercial preparations designed for cleaning pontoon and john boats. I ask because I've noticed a lot of aluminum items that have, for years, been sold with the grey oxidation, now listed with a bright, polished shine. I love the way polished aluminum shines. It's softer, more like sterling than stainless. Sarah | ||
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Post# 1113251 , Reply# 18 3/30/2021 at 18:37 (1,121 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Post# 1113264 , Reply# 19 3/30/2021 at 21:20 (1,121 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay) |
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I've tried three times to grow rhubarb and it always fails the second year it's in the ground -- if not sooner. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. It's supposed to grow like a weed with little or no attention once it's established, but I can't even get it to that point.
I did use either Mothers or Meguiars aluminum/mag wheel polish on a vintage Mirro-Matic 6-quart pressure cooker and it produced a bright, shiny mirror-like finish. The finish when found at a thrift store was dark and dull and I thought it was beyond hope, and I couldn't believe the results. The finish is still beautiful several years later. I wash it with regular dish soap and dry it immediately to avoid any spotting.
I'm not as comfortable using that type of polish/cleaner on interior surfaces of aluminum cookware, though -- particularly the ribbed finish on the interior of my Guardian Service (National Presto rebadge) 10-quart pressure cooker. I'm not sure about my vintage set of Magnalite either. Should I be concerned? I recently bought more polish for another project so have it on hand if others here can advise that it's safe for surfaces that make contact with food, and how to make sure all residue has been removed. | ||
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Post# 1113289 , Reply# 20 3/31/2021 at 01:24 (1,121 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Growing rhubarb....
Yes, the thing should grow like weeds for a good few seasons. Rhubarb does tend to like rich soils and cooler weather. Best to use natural fertilizers like compost or manure, though some suggest artificial things like nitrates are fine. www.almanac.com/plant/rhu... web.extension.illinois.edu/veggi... www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-... | ||
| Post# 1113343 , Reply# 21 3/31/2021 at 10:19 (1,120 days old) by firedome (Binghamton NY & Lake Champlain VT) | ||
Barkeepers Friend... | ||
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Post# 1113364 , Reply# 24 3/31/2021 at 12:40 (1,120 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area) |
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Guardian Service used to sell a powdered cleaner for their cookware, and I have a can of it, but have no idea where - probably at storage. I don't know what it contains, but it may be similar to BKF. | ||
| Post# 1113371 , Reply# 25 3/31/2021 at 13:20 (1,120 days old) by Maytagbear (N.E. Ohio) | ||
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Nevr-Dull! Is good stuff. Stinky, but effective, Petroleum distillate of some sort. Lawrence/Maytagbear. | ||
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Post# 1113414 , Reply# 26 4/1/2021 at 02:28 (1,120 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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I would avoid using steel wool on aluminum. It can leave behind little bits of steel embedded in the softer aluminum metal, which will, of course, rust later when exposed to water or humidity.
Mother's is good, as are the various mag wheel cleaning/polishing products. If the aluminum is in real bad shape, then various grades of nonmetallic scrubbing pads *might* work as long as they are not too abrasive. I'd start with the least abrasive. Sort of depends on the desired final result: mirror finish vs. patina. A buffing wheel with a polishing compound might be a good choice for the finer finishes. | ||
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Post# 1113419 , Reply# 27 4/1/2021 at 04:39 (1,119 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Naval jelly is still around, It's sold by Henkel under brand name Loctite.
www.hunker.com/13415944/h... Naval jelly isn't recommended for cleaning aluminum, but some do anyway. dsportmag.com/the-tech/surface-r... There once was Loctite Aluminum Jelly Cleaner and Brightener which did contain phosphoric acid, but amounts were different than naval jelly, and product lacked or had smaller amounts of oxidizers. Henkel discontinued that product some time ago however. Remaining on subject it is important to decide of one wants to clean aluminum or polish. The two aren't always same and some products are meant to do one but not always the other. | ||
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Post# 1113460 , Reply# 28 4/1/2021 at 12:38 (1,119 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area) |
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Steel wool The Guardian Service "service kit" included steel wool, in addition to the powder cleaner and snap on Bakelite handles. Evidently they thought it was suitable for use on their products. Stainless steel wool is available if rust spots are a worry. | ||
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Post# 1113496 , Reply# 29 4/1/2021 at 21:46 (1,119 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Finest grades of steel wool, such as used for polishing wood furniture, floors and other things is fine for cleaning cast aluminum. Aluminum sheet things are likely best off with a nylon scrubbie.
Use fine steel wool with a bit of soap jelly (since have tons of soap lying about spare), all the time on my Wagner cast iron cookware, works a treat. www.howtocleanstuff.net/c.... This being said some still don't believe in using steel wool of any sort to clean or polish aluminum. www.boler.ca/2018/03/25/p... | ||
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Post# 1113735 , Reply# 30 4/4/2021 at 20:26 (1,116 days old) by Dermacie (my forever home (Glenshaw, PA)) |
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