Tips for cleaning aly frames?

[kaseryn]

Have had a go with brillo pad and even that doesn't get everything off.. including traces of the old silicon. Are there any tricks to getting these to clean up nicely?

 

[Richard C]

Cleaning aluminium frames is never easy or very successful as it’s the very thin anodising on the surface that deteriorates. Any abrasive cleaner & certainly a Brillo pad, will destroy the anodised coating & although it may initially look good, the bare aluminium underneath will oxidise & corrode very quickly & look even worse than it did before.

 

[kaseryn]

I see.. thanks. Well i guess that coatings knackered anyway now so i can just scrub as much as poss now and keep giving it a buff now and then...