Is the aluminum toolbox you have getting nastier each time you finish a job? Did you try maintaining and washing it, but you simply cannot get rid of the filth and grime? If so, you might be cleaning it in by using the wrong method and with the wrong products, which could result in you damaging the toolbox.
This is why you’re probably wondering – how can I make my aluminum toolbox shine? To put it simply, there are several things that you could try to do, all of which we’ll discuss in this article today. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the 4 things you could do:
Method 01: Vinegar
You’ll Need: A bottle, vinegar, a soft fiber brush, wax, a toothbrush, and a dry paper towel
Before you could do anything else, you’ll need to fill the spray bottle with some vinegar. Once you’re done, you should begin by spraying one area at a time, mostly because this will prevent the vinegar from evaporating. By using a soft bristle brush, you should scrub the area you sprayed, and if there are some sections that are difficult to reach, utilize the toothbrush.
When you begin washing, you’ll notice that the dirt is slowly getting off. You shouldn’t remove it, instead, leave it to air dry. If possible, you could utilize a dry paper towel for removing the grime. To get the shine that you need, you’ll have to apply wax with a soft cloth.
Method 02: Coca-Cola
You’ll Need: Coca-Cola, a hard scrub brush, a dry paper sheet, aluminum wax, water
If shine is what you’re looking for, the shine is what you’ll get by using a bottle of Coca-Cola for cleaning your aluminum toolbox. Like with vinegar, you should pour it onto the exterior of the toolbox. To distribute it correctly, you could utilize a dry paper towel. Keep in mind, it needs to be evenly applied and left for at least 5 minutes before you start working on it.
If you have a toolbox such as the aluminum toolboxes by OZY, you must use a hard scrub brush from washing it, mostly because it’ll remove all the grime for the surfaces. When you’re done scrubbing the section, you’ll have to apply water for removing the cola and the grime. If you want to speed up the drying process, use a dry towel.
Once you’re done with all the aforementioned things, you should apply aluminum wax to coat the toolbox properly. Keep in mind, you shouldn’t purchase low-quality wax for aluminum, mostly because it won’t protect it properly. When you apply it, leave it to dry entirely.
Method 03: Phosphoric Acid
You’ll Need: Phosphoric acid, water, metal wax, a nylon rubbing pad, gloves, eye protection, dry paper towel, a soft cloth
If you choose this method, you should know that you’ll need to first water the entire exterior in order to wash it and when you’re done, you should use a paper towel for drying it. At this moment, you’ll have to start polishing it, however, before you could actually begin, ensure that you put on your eye protection and gloves.
Protecting yourself is crucial and once you do, you should use the nylon scrubbing pad to clean the surfaces with phosphoric acid. You should keep polishing it until it starts looking white. You should then use water to extract the dirt and acid, and once you do, you should leave it to air dry.
The last thing that you should do if you opted for this method is to apply the metal polish – but after it has dried properly. Keep in mind, once you’re done with applying the metal polish, you should wipe the excess off since if you don’t, it’ll only collect dirt instead of preventing it to stick to your toolbox.
Method 04: Dish Detergent
You’ll Need: Hot water, dish soap, a dry paper towel, a soft bristle scrub brush, a bucket
This is, perhaps, the cheapest option from this list, and to wash the toolbox, you need to fill up a bucket and combine it with some liquid dish detergent. To make the mixture better, you should stir it for several minutes in order for it to dissolve. When you’re done making the mixture, you’ll have to wet the sections with some clean water.
Next, you should dip the fine bristle brush into the container and start scrubbing all the areas until the filth and dirt get off. Keep in mind, this process is a little bit more time-consuming, mostly because dish soap doesn’t have the same properties as, for example, phosphoric acid.
After you’re done cleaning it, you should utilize clear water to rinse the surface until the detergent and dirt go off. Utilize a dry towel to entirely wipe the toolbox, and when you’re done, you should allow it to air dry as well. The last step is to coat the surfaces with some wax, and you’ll be good to go.
Are There Some Ways That I Can Prevent it From Getting Dirty?
There are some things that you could do, all of which will help you keep your toolbox a little bit more clean, and more importantly, it’ll prevent it from getting damaged. For starters, you should always get rid of any water on the surfaces, mostly because if left there, it’ll certainly damage the surfaces quickly, which can result in some expensive repairs and in some cases, people had to replace the entire toolbox because it was damaged by water.
You should also ensure that you don’t leave it uncleaned for a long time since if you do, you will need more time and effort to wash it later on. You should also ensure that you use wax frequently, which means that you might want to maintain the toolbox once in two months in order to prevent grime build-up. Lastly, you should never use products that weren’t designed for aluminum, hence, you should only use dish soap or car washing products for maintaining it.
Conclusion
Most individuals think that cleaning their aluminum toolbox is daunting and complex, however, it’s relatively easy and cheap. And, now that you’ve learned what methods you could use for cleaning it, you shouldn’t waste any more of your time. Instead, opt for a method we mentioned above and get to cleaning!
