Ever wonder how to clean all that dirty bare cast aluminum to a “like new” brilliance? I’ve been told that only a “acid bath” will do it – but this has to be pretty close.
I found something that works almost too good to be true. Its called ZUD cleanser. It come in a yellow Ajax type cleanser can. I buy mine at Menards. Good for copper, brass, bronze, chromium, ALUMINUM , iron, pewter, ceramic and stainless steel. Caution on painted surfaces (but I haven’t had any problems with that)

I make a soupy paste with the powder and brush it on with a paint brush (my cousins idea). With only minimal mechanical scrubbing (the paint brush works, but so does a tooth brush, scrub brush or even a rag – whatever works) the aluminum is cleaned and is looking like new again. This stuff is GREAT! ZUD contains no phosphates. I believe the main cleansing ingredient is oxalic acid but its not so powerful as to have done any skin damage and I use it a lot. Both in the house and on the quad. It’s a fabulous rust remover also. ZUD Gets rid of those red rust stains on wheels in a jiffy. My engine, oil cooler, transmission and front struts look like new again. On the down side, it does remove the cadmium or other coating on the bolt heads. I found the pressure washer is all that is needed to finish the job – A good garden hose may be enough also.

Technical information for oxalic acid is at http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/o6044.htm

Just thought I’d pass it on. Good Luck and please use common sense when working with any chemical.