I am needing some help.  We just purchased a Keifer aluminum trailer and it has streaks down the sides. What is teh best way to get rid of these? What is a good way to keep them from happening again?  Thanks for your help!!

Ditto on the Fastball, it worked AMAZING for us!

 Use the search feature at the top left of this page and search the word "streaks" for the past 365 days... Alot of good info already in print.

 What kind of acid do you use and where do you get it?

Thanks

So, I went and did a search, and found Gard's very good advice about the muriatic acid wash. I am going to do that since I can't seem to find anyone around here that does acid washing and my trailer needs it bad!

And I am going to order some of the Streakmaster brightner and probably the streak remover.

My question is...the streak remover can or can't be used on the bare aluminum? And vice versa for the brightner? I need the two different products to clean a trailer that is extruded, polished AND white?

I would not recommend  using Muriatic acid as a wash, to remove light surface discolourations. It is a product that has strong fumes and can be dangerous if splashed into your eyes. It works well as I have used it, to stop corrosion and to acid etch the flooring in preparation for an additional coating.

There are many products, some of which were previously mentioned, that are specifically intended to use as a wash and "brightener". I would recommend their usage for this purpose.

In general, I don't recommend using any product that is stronger than necessary, to clean a surface. Your personal safety is paramount.

Gard

Recently stopped at the local RV mart to pick up an adaptor plug.  Asked the parts/service guy what they use on all of them fancy rv's and campers to keep the streaks off.

Dawn dishsoap.  Apply to cloth, apply to streak.  Wipe.  Rinse.

Wifey and I washed ours last week.  It worked wonderfully.  Used about a 1/4 bottle of dishsoap.

Will the streaks come back?  Sure.

Our local Dollar store sells "Awesome Orange". It works better than any high priced spread we've tried, and on almost anything that's dirty. The only problem is that afterward, your cleaned area smells like a smashed citrus grove after a bad storm.

Gard

It's been mentioned in past discussions, but it may bear repeating. It is NOT advisable to use any acid washes on painted surfaces or bare aluminum that have clear coatings to keep them "bright". Both can be damaged by the acid washes.

Only bare aluminum can be treated with the acids. Anything else should be treated with milder soap solutions, such as the ones that were previously described. Any typical automotive car wash works well and will rinse clean with little soap residue. Spot cleaning with a bug remover usually works on problem spots.

Gard

I have a couple of minor faint streak black marks. I want to stay on top of trying to keep them gone especially before I wax it. Dawn didn't work for me. I will give Purple Power a try. I took my mats out and holy cow, they are truly an awkward thing to pull out of the trailer. I managed....Trailer is clean inside and out. I got my workout for today. 

One last thing, after acid washing the extruded aluminum, should you put a wax on it?

If you do, it will help to retard the amount of oxidation by the bare aluminum. Your metal will shine a little longer before it dulls.

Gard