Cleaning aluminium luggage

ROLL DOG

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Anyone got any good methods for cleaning alloy luggage that has been covered in stickers? Obviously removing as much as poss with a bit of heat but what about all the mucky residue?
Also any tips on buffing luggage back to lovely clean finish?
 
Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) aka surgical spirit.

apply gently by rubbing with cotton wool ball.

Should loosen up the horrible sticky mess.
 
go to maplins they sell spray on adhesive remover, its designed for the job and works very well. would be careful polishing after, you need to know if its coated or anodized just to make sure you dont remove the protective layer of what ever
 
If it's an OEM case there's no anodising so the stickered areas will shine brightly against the dulled non-protected areas. Lots of elbow grease pending to sort that out.

Paint thinners does the job, but keep turning the tissue or the sticky crud gets spread far and wide.
 
WD40 works pretty good, got all the sticky crud left by the daughters L plates on the car paintwork.
 
I normally have it to hand so it gets used as a general degreaser or sticky stuff remover.:rob
 
Borrow your Mrs hair drier and warm for a few mins it melts the glue and they peel off easy I've also used this tip on decals.
 
Brake/chain cleaner

WD40

White spirit

paraffin

petrol

etc etc
 
Acetone - get it off eBay.

use it for surface preparation for painting, glueing also.

Al
 
Panel wipe and blue roll (about £15 for 5 litres from a car paint shop) - it's naphtha and works well but as above keep using fresh wipes or it just spreads around.

Then you've got to sort out the shiny areas where the stickers used to be ;)
 
Nail varnish remover - usually contains acetone or isopropyl alcohol
 
I regret not having mine wrapped. Wrapping can get marked but bare aluminium corrodes all too easily, polishing is hampered by the plastic corners and I really don't want a full polished finish.
 


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