Cleaning the bottom of aluminum boats.....

[mikey]

What's the best stuff to clean algae/buildup from the bottom of an unpainted aluminum boat? The boat was sitting in the water for a few months....it's not bad looking, just that oxidized buildup that turns aluminum dull and has a film of something nasty on it. Would a power washer clean it without damaging the rivets or should I use a chemical?

My boat is on a trailer now, so I'm looking for a product that's easy to apply, works hard, and doesn't empty my pocketbooks.
Any thoughts?

[sirslurpee]

Something I picked up from another forum, tinboats.net


Aluminum corrodes very fast. The corrosion that appears on aluminum actually protects the metal itself. Much like steel (non-stainless) can be given a patina or blueing to inhibit rust. It won't stop it completely but it slows the process. Blueing on a firearm is a type of rust.

If you sand the oxidation off aluminum (using an abrasive - aluminum oxide - to remove aluminum oxide) you'll expose raw aluminum that will oxidize quickly. All you're doing is slowly thinning out the metal.

Look how many 20 or 30 year old pontoon boats are still floating around on unpainted pontoons. You've got nothing to worry about.

The thread is about painting the boat, if you have to or not, and why. Just thought you might want to know something like that before you go stripping the oxidation off.

[Burksee]

A power washer will clean the algea off just fine. As far as cleaning the aluminum, if you want to get it brighter there's a chemical cleaner at ACO (Sorry, forgot the name, its in a clear or white bottle with red lettering, only one at the ACO I go to) I use it for cleaning aluminum siding and it works great on the boat too!

[InTheRiver]

The two marine stores near me sell Zing aluminum boat cleaner, it works good. Its an acid so you will have to be careful when using it. I bought one of those chemical sprayers that you pump up....It worked long enough to get my boat done.