Lemon Pledge

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170C
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Lemon Pledge

Post by 170C »

Pro's and Con's of using Lemon Pledge on our windshields and side windows?

Contains:water, isoparaffin, Dimethicone, Octylphosphonic Acid, Nitrogen, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate, Polydimethylsiloxane, Aminomethyl agent, fragrance, Proprietary acrylate thickening agent & Methylisothiazolinone
OLE POKEY
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Ryan Smith
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by Ryan Smith »

Consuela from Family Guy says...
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tigger
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by tigger »

I've been using Lemon Pledge (or Dollar General's cheap substitute) on windshield, side windows and leading edges on our C170A 1493D since we bought the plane 25+ years ago (per the previous owner's advise.) By doing this after every flight, bugs wipe off easily each time. Lanny
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ghostflyer
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by ghostflyer »

OMG , all those chemicals do you wear rubber gloves and wear a hazard suit with your own o2 supply. We use plain old water out of a rain water tank . Soak the dead bugs for about 10 mins and using your hand remove the bugs and grime ,with plenty of water . With aerosol cans there is over spray and you could be breathing all that in . 8O
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GAHorn
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by GAHorn »

ghostflyer wrote:OMG , all those chemicals do you wear rubber gloves and wear a hazard suit with your own o2 supply. We use plain old water out of a rain water tank . Soak the dead bugs for about 10 mins and using your hand remove the bugs and grime ,with plenty of water . With aerosol cans there is over spray and you could be breathing all that in . 8O
...and then there's the damage to the environment, and disposal of the can, and the chance some minor might sniff the stuff, and that nasty "hissing" noise...

(seriously, I only use aviation specific cleaners on mine)
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
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Joe Moilanen
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by Joe Moilanen »

28 years of Pledge and windscreen still looks like new.
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cessna170bdriver
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by cessna170bdriver »

I used to use Lemon Pledge religiously until someone pointed out to me that the manufacturer is under no obligation not to change the recipe to include something not friendly to acrylic. It will probably never happen, but why take the chance? Water is the most universal solvent on the planet and is known to be acrylic-friendly. About 4 ounces of di-hydrogen monoxide and a bare hand, followed by the acrylic-friendly drying towel of your choice will get it as clean it's ever going to be.
Miles

“I envy no man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know less.”
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johneeb
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by johneeb »

cessna170bdriver wrote:I used to use Lemon Pledge religiously until someone pointed out to me that the manufacturer is under no obligation not to change the recipe to include something not friendly to acrylic. It will probably never happen, but why take the chance? Water is the most universal solvent on the planet and is known to be acrylic-friendly. About 4 ounces of di-hydrogen monoxide and a bare hand, followed by the acrylic-friendly drying towel of your choice will get it as clean it's ever going to be.
But don't leave your weeding ring on the cowl when you are done cleaning the windshield, it may not be there after you land! :-)
John E. Barrett
aka. Johneb

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170C
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by 170C »

John, you got him (Miles). Only our resident (ret'd) rocket scientist could be so lucky :D My ring wouldn't have make it past the first turn!

I have been told water & our hand is the best cleaner, but was curious about Pledge. I have used it off and on for many yrs, but decided to seek professional advise. Guess I will continue using the products that are made for our windshields/windows and save the Pledge for the leading edges of the wings.

Thanks
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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

170C wrote:Guess I will continue using the products that are made for our windshields/windows and save the Pledge for the leading edges of the wings.

Thanks
Cause Pledge was specifically formulated for airplane wing leading edges hence the name PlaneLeadingEDGE 8O Probably good thing it was also found to work well as a furniture polish.
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mit
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by mit »

I quit using it when we could not get It in the pump bottle.
Tim
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TFA170
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by TFA170 »

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GAHorn
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by GAHorn »

Aryana wrote:The best hands down, and at $5 a can why would you use anything else?
prist4.jpg

Yep! It's what I use!

Pledge won't be used again for leading edge treatment after Steve Jacobsen landed at the Benson Harbor convention... He was beside himself with horror when he found it smeared all over his polished Oshkosh-bound restoration. (He approached me about how to get the junk off his wings and a gallon of WD-40 and several rolls of paper towels later... he was sweaty...but smiling again.)
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
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n2582d
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by n2582d »

Here's what LP Plastics, "the world's largest manufacturer of light aircraft windshields and windows", recommends. As the original subject was Pledge, I've highlighted what they say regarding furniture polish. It echos what other posters have already said.
When cleaning a window, always remove as much abrasive dirt as possible without touching the surface. Ideally this would involve flushing the surface with water and allowing the accumulated bug residue to soak, possibly with a little dish washing liquid added to the water. If a little rubbing is needed, do it lightly with your bare hand. After a final flushing with more water and carefully drying with a clean soft cloth, use a good grade cleaner/polish intended for acrylic windows, following the manufacturers directions.

We need to step back here and take a look at cleaner/polishes. Everybody seems to have a favorite, from great and proper to poor and very dangerous. The good ones, at least those that are safe to use on acrylic plastics, tend to be the commercial ones, intended to be used on this specific material. The bad ones, including the very dangerous, tend to be materials never intended to be used as an aircraft window cleaner/polish, such as glass cleaners and furniture polish. Glass cleaners invariably contain ammonia, a killer of acrylics. DO NOT use anything containing ammonia on acrylic plastics. It will cause crazing (thousands of microscopic cracks) in short order. Furniture polish seems to be safer, but its long term use is undocumented and reports indicate it builds up and produces smears that are hard to polish off. Something to consider about furniture polish - it is intended to be used indoors, not outdoors, and on furniture, not aircraft windows. Furthermore, it's not much less expensive than many aircraft window products.

Good and safe care products vary in their ease of use and other properties, so if you don't like what you're using, give another a try. Talk with other pilots about what they are using, but be sure the product you select is intended for acrylic windows. Other products to keep away from your windows include any aromatic solvent, such as methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, lacquer thinner, gasoline (a minor fuel spill should do no harm), and, heaven forbid, paint stripper. If you have to remove masking tape residue or other sticky or greasy stuff, the safest solvents are 100% mineral spirits or kerosene. Some alcohols are safe, such as isopropyl alcohol, but not all.

Concerning the polishing cloth, use the softest cotton cloth available. One hundred percent cotton flannel is ideal and available in yard goods stores. Old washed-out cotton T-shirts are a good second choice. We at LP Aero Plastics have never found a paper product that did not scratch, even those advertised for cleaning plastics. One benefit of cotton cloth is that it can be washed, thereby effectively recycling the material.

Your choice of cleaner/polish should also be based on what is needed. Basically, you have to determine what type of care is needed and pick the best products to do the job.

First, it's best to understand what types of products are available. They can be loosely grouped into three categories:
1. Non-abrasive liquid sprays, in pumps or aerosols, that may or may not have scratch filling properties.
2. Non-abrasive creams that have scratch filling properties.
3. Mildly-abrasive creams that have scratch removing properties.

Since windows do accumulate minute scratches as part of everyday life (the kind you can't feel with a fingernail but can really see when flying into the sun), the products that fill fine scratches are great for regular use. If scratches still appear when flying toward the sun, the abrasive variety and some elbow grease is called for. This type of cleaner should be used occasionally only as needed. Most manufacturers of abrasive cleaners recommend following up with a scratch filling product as a second step.
The bare hands folks find support from the FAA. AC43-13-1B, Chap. 3, Sec. 4 says:
Cleaning. Acrylic windshields and windows may be cleaned by washing them with mild soap and running water. Rub the surface with your bare hands in a stream of water. Follow with the same procedure but with soap and water. After the soap and dirt have been flushed away, dry the surface with a soft, clean cloth or tissue and polish it with a windshield cleaner especially approved for use on aircraft transparent plastics. These cleaners may be purchased through aircraft supply houses.
Gary
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GAHorn
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Re: Lemon Pledge

Post by GAHorn »

That's good info.
And I'll add a tidbit.... when using ALCOHOL, ...notice they say some alcohol is safe..."but not all". This is because some regulations controlling alcohol are designed to make certain that it cannot be used illegally as a beverage... therefore it is commonly/adulterated or "denatured" with other offensive products such as acetone, MEK, or petroleum-spirits/ethers to make it offensive to taste and disruptive to the digestive tract. These "denaturing agents" can ruin acrylics, plastics, and polycarbonate (Lexan) plexiglass type windows.

IF you ever use methanol or isopropyl alcohol near your airplane make CERTAIN it is 100% pure (or mixed only with distilled water or other safe product.)
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
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