When washing an aircraft or getting ready to detail an aircraft, two applications for getting that aircraft clean will apply. The method most of us are familiar with is the wet wash, the process in which water is directly applied to the aircraft either with mild pressure via a pressure washer or a standard garden hose. Wet washing has become much more of an environmental issue in resent years. Many airports are now treating the water that is used to wash aircraft as waste water, thus many airports no longer allow wet washing practices or have established wash racks where all wet washing will need to occur.

The second method, the dry wash method is quickly becoming more and more of the standard within the industry due in part to EPA standards that's now filtering down to many airports. Dry washing is no new technology, for many years' waterless wash products have been available to not only the automotive industry, but the aviation industry also. Technology it seems is on the move and some great products are out there for all of us to utilize.

Within this article, we will cover both the prep process and the dry wash process, how to prep the aircraft for dry washing along with many helpful hints and also the best products to utilize in the prepping and dry washing processes.

When you look at an aircraft, several areas are subjected to becoming dirty much faster than other parts of the aircraft. Leaks, blown exhaust, hydraulic fluid, all of these items are common clean-ups on aircraft. Of all clean-ups, all aircraft have one single issue in common bugs! I have yet to see an aircraft that can miss these pesky and messy critters that really splatter at 200 MPH plus! No matter what the size of aircraft, every aircraft has the nose, leading edges (front) of the wings, windscreen and numerous other locations covered in bugs.

Also, certain types of aircraft will have characteristics that run common on each model you service. For instance, Beech King Air aircraft produce a great amount of exhaust soot along the engine cells (engine covers) and at the leading edge (front) of the wings, on top of the wings and under the wings. This exhaust is a major reason why King Airs are cleaned they look terrible without the proper cleaning! Many other aircraft types have their own issues, Cessna's love to leak oil and exhaust across the belly and if not cleaned on a regular basis, this can become a chore!

So, where to start? If working solo, I start on the high points of the aircraft. This will be the tail section or the wings depending on if the aircraft is a high wing or a low wing and which way the wind is blowing. I pay close attention to wind direction, if you clean the tail and then the wings and the wind blows over spray onto the tail section as you clean the wings, you just created more work for yourself. Lets say it's a nice calm day, I would de-bug the leading edges (front) of the tail section, first the highest portion, the vertical stabilizer, then I would follow with the rear wings or horizontal stabilizers. Move on to the high portions of the wings and or the fuselage. (The body of the aircraft) Then the landing gear covers, wing and gear struts and any other area of the body that may have bugs! Make certain the flaps are cleaned up good as the flaps really get pounded with bugs on takeoff and landings! Notice I did not mention the windscreen, that's because windscreens are very sensitive to scratching and very, VERY costly! When cleaning windscreens, I am very picky about product selection so read below for what I would recommend!

At this point, what product to utilize should be a major concern, using the wrong product could not only limit your success, it could cause damage to the paint of the aircraft or worse, damage to the structure of the aircraft.

Toweling? The towels you use on aircraft are just as important as the products, so lets cover this topic a tad!
1. What not to use!!!

1. Old T-shirts - Old T-Shirts should be used for one thing, rags! Never use T-Shirts on any part of an aircraft. (Ok, you can clean the gear strut or brake housing but that's it!)
2. Diapers - I simply do not prefer diapers on painted surfaces and NEVER use diapers on Plexiglas!
3. Paper Towels - Another huge No-No!
4. Newspaper - NOPE!

What do we like when searching for towels to use on aircraft!

1. You all know what I am going to say Micro Fiber! These towels are by far the best to use when working with aircraft
2. What about the gunk- waste a micro for that? No, that is another rule breaker, when cleaning the belly or even the cowling or cells, we use a high quality 100% cotton terry cloth that is heavy weight and even the trim of the towel must be cotton! These are the only areas where anything but soft micro Fiber is used! When the gunk is cleaned off and removed, the final wipe is preformed using you guessed it, Micro Fibers!

For removing bugs from aircraft paint, we prefer to use the following.

1. Aeroshell Flight Jacket Touch & Go - This is a great product. It works well, removes bugs and leaves the paint soft and smooth and will not cause damage to either the paint or aluminum metal. It's a great product for fresh bugs and will not remove any wax that may be on the surface. Its only limit is sizing, at this time it only comes in 16oz bottles. Professional detailers doing volume will require larger sizes. A very good seller with many repeat buyers.
2. Wash Wax All - This is a super safe product that is water based and does exactly what the name states, as it cleans it also applies a light wax that is safe and effective. Come in both quart and gallon sizes for the professionals. This product may take a little elbow grease but it's very safe and effective. A very good seller with many repeat buyers! Sized for professionals.
3. Nuvite Citricut is also a great cleaner that can also be used as a wet wash. Cuts bugs and grease. You may see some smearing that is normal when removing nasty bugs! Sized for professionals.

1. Wash Wax Belly Cleaner gets the bugs off.
2. Wash Wax All using their Aero Scrubber product. A light scrubber that removes the bugs but not the paint!
3. Long Haul Bug and Grease Remover, which cuts the bugs even when aged. Safe for paint and aluminum and really cuts the bugs right off the paint and both are very affordable.
4. APC Cleaner. Safe for paint and aluminum and really cut the bugs right off the paint.

1. AVL Plexiglas Cleaner - This is a great Plexiglas cleaner that is very affordable!
2. Wash Wax All - A greater cleaner for windscreens while adding a light protective wax! Again, one of the safest and mildest aviation products on the market. A very good seller with many repeat buyers!
3. Aeroshell Flight Jacket Plexicoat - This can be used as a cleaner, but is also a great polish/sealer. It dries to a haze much like a wax or sealer and it does have a mild abrasive, which will remove light surface scratches. This product has a long life once applied to the windscreen. A very good seller with many repeat buyers!

OK, the bugs are gone, now what? I like to get the real dirty areas of the aircraft cleaned up at this point. The belly, engine cells and the areas where exhaust soot, oil and grease collect.

Dried oil and aged exhaust soot seems to be the hardest of all the areas of the aircraft to clean and where most simply use the wrong products. Aircraft paint is very sensitive to chemicals and the wrong chemical can cause serious issues!

I like to get on my creeper and presoak the real dirty areas on the belly. I simply spray the areas with one of the following products and wipe the area clean.

1. Wash Wax All Belly Cleaner - The name says it all, belly cleaner that is Safe and comes in professional sizes!
2. Long Haul Bug and Grease Remover - If you have heavy grease and gunk, this stuff works! Will leave some light haze that will need to be wiped clean but removes even heavy gunk with little effort.
3. Nuvite Citricut - A multi use product that really cuts the gunk. On heavier oils, it may leave a haze that will need to be wiped clean. Large sizes for professionals available!
4. APC Cleaner. A multi use product that can be used on several areas of the aircraft and it really cuts the gunk. On heavier oils, it may leave a haze that will need to be wiped clean.

Next, the engine cowling or cells - These areas can really be a mess. Remember earlier we spoke about the King Air's and how the exhaust really gets messy? Well these are the areas I hit next! Again, I use the mildest products first; again aircraft paint is not as sturdy as auto as auto paint so a soft touch is important

For Mild to moderate oil & exhaust, try these products.

1. Wash Wax All Belly Cleaner - It says belly cleaner but it cleans the engine areas with little effort! Safe and comes in professionals sizes!
2. Aeroshell Flight Jacket Touch & Go - On mild oil and exhaust, this product leaves a nice smooth finish.
3. Flyers Speed Wax � Will bring the paint to a very nice shine without the need for a second wipe over. This product does have a mild wax for added protection. Available in professional sizes.
4. Long Haul Bug and Grease Remover - Will cut oil and exhaust but may leave a slight haze.

For Heavy oil and exhaust on the cowling and cells. We use these products.

1. Wash Wax All Belly Cleaner - It says belly cleaner but it cleans the engine areas with little effort! Safe and comes in professionals sizes!
2. Nuvite Citricut - A multi use product that really cuts the gunk. On heavier oils, it may leave a haze that will need to be wiped clean. Large sizes for professionals available!
3. Long Haul Bug and Grease Remover - Will cut oil and exhaust but may leave a slight haze.

Now that all the heavily soiled areas of the aircraft are clean, its time to move on to getting the entire aircraft clean, smooth and shining! Start from the beginning, from the high points down start wiping the surfaces. Remember your toweling, your choice of towels is important and you know what towels to use right Micro Fibers! Make certain to not over spray product, apply to a small area and wipe clean! Make certain to turn the towel often so you always have a cleaning towel in contact with the surface being cleaned. You can spray your towel with your desired cleaner or you can spray the aircraft surfaces, several situations will assist at your decisions.

1. Sun Light - Will the sun dry your product to quickly?
2. Wind, will the wind blow the product onto other parts of the aircraft or onto other aircraft?
3. Are you working near openings on the aircraft? Ports, vents and inlets should be 100% protected!

Products for that perfect final finish! These three products are among the best we have tested and we have tested over 100 dry wash products thus far!

1. Wash Wax All - This is a super safe product that is water based and does exactly what the name states, as it cleans it also applies a light wax that is safe and effective. Come in both quart and gallon sizes for the professionals. I like this product because it does contain a mild wax which ads further protection! Can be used on all parts of the aircraft.
2. Aeroshell Flight Jacket Touch & Go - This is a great product. It works well, removes bugs and leaves the paint soft and smooth and will not cause damage to either the paint or aluminum metal. It's a great product for fresh bugs and will not remove any wax that may be on the surface. Can be used on all parts of the aircraft.
3. Gloss Highlighter - This product is produced by Race Glaze and works great! No wax but leaves the surface smooth and clean.

Now stand back and inspect your work! Any areas you missed should be viewable if you look at all surface areas from many standing points! Don't forget, remove any and ALL covers that you may have applied and inspect the aircraft to make certain all product containers, tools and cleaners are removed from the aircraft, especially on, in or near the engines!