cleaning lake scum from an aluminum pontoon

[Tim]

the tubes have some lake scum on them, Not green now, but dried on
from the winter,a nd really not that bad, but still stained from the
water lines. I'm not a fan of using muratic acid, but the stuff is
used in truck washes a lot or at least used to be. I don't know if
they're allowd to use it now or not.

anyone have any ideas on how to clean the aluminum safely? I do have a
power washer. But what ever I use, I'd like to keep it fromspraying on
the interior, unless it's safe for the vinyl apholstry.

[Jack]

I've used a pressure washer to clean the scum off the toons, but they
are usually still stained, and they will not get any cleaner without
some effort. I've heard of people mechanically buffing them, but I've
never tried that. There is a product called Toon-brite that is
basically an acid that you spray on, then hose off, that is supposed
to work well.

I've had the dealer clean mine a few times. They use the acid method,
and they come back looking like new. They have the forklift and
safety equipment to do it properly, but they don't mind charging for
it.

[Tim]

Understood, Jack. and thank you very much.

Once it's clean it will be staying clean because I won''t let it sit
in for a period of time. I'll be launched and retrieved in a matter of
a couple of days at the most. I'll be using it mostly a day at a time.

[John H]

I use oxalic acid to clean the brown stains off the boat, which is fiberglass.
It's never hurt the finish, and does a great job removing the stain. I bought a
box of the crystals at a hardware store and mix about a tablespoon to a couple
quarts of water. Then I spray it on with a hand-held sprayer.

Don't know how it would work on aluminum, but it's not very strong, so shouldn't
hurt anything. If the stain is tannin, oxalic acid should do a job on it.

[Tim]

On Apr 12, 4:35 pm, John H <salmonb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks John, I'm gonna take Greg's advice concerning the pontoon, but
that's a good idea for the v-hulls I have. They're looking like they
could use some cleaning too!

[John H]

I wouldn't use muriatic acid on aluminum either. But oxalic acid is nowhere
close to muriatic, especially when mixed at a tablespoon to half gallon ratio.

[Larry]

Watch what you run through your pressure washer. They have rubber seals
in the pump. Chlorine is one chemical that will destroy them. It's
cheaper to use a pump sprayer for the chemicals. They are cheaper to
replace.