aluminum dump trailer staining

[shawn_shawn]

i was cleaning several fairly new aluminum dump trailers today and after they dried i noticed on the vertical side supports and bottom rails they appeared to look stained or like anodized metal. ( orange looking ) . i tried to clean them several more times using aluminum brightener and they looked great until they dried and stained again but in different spots.

i also went and got water from my residence and tried my tank water. same results. the flat panels on the trailers look great only certain parts were affected.

can anyone tell me what happened???

shawn nihon
nec&m
lansford, pa

[jetstream1]

I wash them all the time. Sounds like the acid mix was to strong was it a brown stain after the wash.With the acid you have to mix it just right to get a good cleaning.How long did you let the acid sit on the trailer for?How I use it spray it on a foot or two then rinse.

[shawn_shawn]

yeah it was brownish. i clean aluminum dump trailers and tri axles all the time i never had this happen to me. i recleaned them like 5x and kept staining in different spots.
i tried rinsing from immediately up to 1 min . (garbage haulers) very dirty !!!

[jetstream1]

cut down the acid mix

[Biodude]

What brand of aluminum brightener are you using? What kind of acid is it? Are you acid-rinsing and then the streaks happen or acid-soap-rinsing?

[shawn_shawn]

i called the trailer company today and the stained parts of the trailer are extruded aluminum. the flat panels are great just the extruded parts are stained.

they are the vertical side supports spaced approx. every 4 ft. apart and the botton support.

stains are only visible after trailer dries. gets darker as time goes on.

[jetstream1]

I know what kind of trailer you are talking about
have you hit them with a lite acid and brush and rinse clean