How to Clean Aluminium

Aluminum products can be found throughout the average home. Cookware, serving plates, camping utensils and lawn furniture are all common items that are sometimes made of aluminum. This material is inexpensive and holds up to a lot of abuse. Unfortunately, aluminum can easily lose its luster and, although not difficult to clean, it responds poorly to abrasives, which can leave scratches. Frequent cleaning, with cleaners you probably already have in your home, is better for keeping aluminum looking its best.

Things You'll Need

• Warm water
• Dish soap
• Bucket (or sink)
• Sponges
• Waffle-weave microfiber cloth
• White vinegar

Instructions

How to Clean Aluminium

1. Put warm water and four or five squirts of dish soap in a bucket or sink basin. Soak a sponge in this and wash down the aluminum. If the aluminum is a pot or pan, let it soak in the suds for at least 15 minutes to loosen any stuck-on food particles.

2. Wet a waffle-weave microfiber cloth in the soapy water. Rub down the aluminum with this. The weave pattern will (safely, as it is not abrasive) help remove embedded dirt.

3. Pour 1/2 cup of white vinegar directly onto a sponge and rub over the aluminum. Let this sit for 10 minutes. If you are cleaning aluminum cookware, pour 1 cup of vinegar directly into the pot or pan. If the latter is the case, set it on a stove until it is lightly boiling--then remove from heat and let sit for five minutes, or until the vinegar has cooled.

4. Pour 1/2 cup more vinegar on a sponge and scrub the surfaces. Stubborn stains may need a little more time (up to a half hour) to soak.

5. Rinse the aluminum and dry with a soft towel.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have an aluminum pot that looks dingy, try cooking some tomato-based pasta sauce in it. You'll have dinner partly fixed, and a shinier piece of cookware after you're done. Just as acidic vinegar helps aluminum, so does the acid in tomatoes. For non-cookware that looks dull, try an aluminum polish from an automotive shop.

• Allow hot aluminum, such as aluminum cookware, to cool down before cleaning--this saves you from burns and also saves the aluminum from damage. Avoid using steel wool on aluminum--it is too abrasive and will leave small scratches. If you need to use a scouring pad, use a synthetic (nylon) one.

References

• More tips for cleaning aluminum
• Information about cleaning aluminum