[SOLVED] How to clean outside of white aluminum gutters Solved

Alcholol won't soften the baked on paint of the aluminum gutter.

Go to Ace Hardware and buy a gallon of their aluminum siding cleaner. Takes that stuff right off.

I have never cleaned any white ones but Lowes had a closeout sale for some kind of plastic drip edge to snap on so they never get streaky again. They had a big drum full of them but they are probably gone in the trash by now.

Ray, Get you some Blue Wolf All Purpose Cleaner

Sean

replying to Ray K, Mr. Nate wrote: Great way to get the black grime off is Wesleys Bleach White.

I did that lat year. Really did a good job just using a regular hose to rinse.

Have you been doing that since the OP 7 years ago??

Does it need any bristle brush scrubbing?

A couple days ago, I tried Westley's Bleche White (from the auto parts store) on white news paper tube, and it did some good. Also on white aluminum trailer siding.

I'm sure brushing would make if faster, but in my case, it did not need it.

Thank you. Supposed to rain tomorrow. I'll try and remember to try this in the AM before the rain washes my trailer for me. Would be nice to make it look a bit cleaner. Will let you know how it works out.

You might want to read the directions for your pressure washer to ensure bleach based products won't harm its innards.

Much appreciated. I did remove a lot of dirt and crud from the outside of my (white, aluminum) trailer sides. The formula was not 100% perfect, but did a considerable lot of good. I've been here about twenty years. This is the cleanest I've seen in those years. And I did try power washing with clean water, a couple years ago.

Some day in dry weather, I may paint over some of the dirty areas. Well, some day.

i have a similar problem:

aluminum garage doors, a medium brown color, that i can't seem to get clean... the afternoon sun may have [almost] baked stains onto them

Bleach comes up often in the comments. I may try some, in a small test area

marc

Good point, but best not to use a pressure washer for application. Use a pump sprayer like you use for the garden. Let is soak a bit, then pressure wash with plain water.

I did pump sprayer, nylon scrub brush, then garden hose (no power washer). Lot of dirt came off, some discoloring remains.

replying to Ray K, RonC wrote: I have used acetone. Place on rag and wipe. Do not wipe too much. Acetone actually removes a thin layer of paint. My steps ...

1. Wash with soap and water. Let dry.
2. Dampen a rag with acetone and wipe in one direction. Always wipe from clean into dirty area. Otherwise dirty paint will smear out if you wipe back and forth.
3. Apply car wax to protect paint. I will try to upload images.

Acetone has some potential risks. I just use a strong bleach solution and a garden sprayer. Rinse. Done

replying to Ray K, Bryan Kelley wrote: Strait simple green from a spray bottle. Spray it on, immediately wipe with one cloth and use a second cloth to dry. The warmer the temperature the better. I do this all the time. Did large house today, took 5 hours for gutters and soffit.