I just bought a 30 year old aluminum canoe, It’s really dirty and stained on the outside, Is there anything I can clean it with to give it a nice shine again?
Aluminum travel trailer cleaner and
polish. Check with an Airstream site. Or contact Grumman and ask them. I found cleaner and polish at our local Farm and Fleet.
Contrarian reply
Pride of Ownership…undeniably a good thing, but just to provide another viewpoint (all in good fun)
Why would you want to do that? The “stains and dirt” are good camoflage. Do we really want to paddle around in a mirror-bright canoe? Of course, it makes perfect sense to polish the inside of the canoe, so you can achieve a Hollywood George Hamilton tan under your armpits, etc.
Some folks might look at the dings, scrapes and stains as badges of honor for the adventurous service experienced in a long and reliable history.
I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me a dirty canoe…I’m too lazy to clean mine.
Jeff
Danger will Robinson Danger
Don’t do it. Your significant other sees you cleaning a canoe she will have you cleaning windows and stoves. Even if she doesn’t it may give my wife ideas to have me cleaning windows and stoves! So for sake of mankind (or at least husbandkind) do not clean that canoe!
I have used fine steel wool and scotch brite in the past but don’t tell any one…
cleaning
alright I’ve been convinced not to clean it, i was thinking of spray painting the interior a nice red color though.Just to keep down the glare. Is there any certain kind of spray paint I should use?
Might reconsider …
You might want to reconsider that red paint…
I don’t think it’s an accident that Grumman & Osagian to name two aluminum canoe makers used lighter colored, flat paint inside their canoes. My Grumman had a light(flat)green color. My Osagian was a light(flat)gray color.
Dark colors absorb heat.
Glossy colors reflect glare & heat.
I cleaned my aluminum canoe just as I clean all my boats, but I didn’t polish it.
Your boat; your option.
BOB