Greased Lightning !! - Montana Owners Club

palebluedot · 10-31-2004, 01:04 PM

We just returned from Pigeon Forge and the 5er was a mess. Leaves fell on the roof and then rain - Major stains on the roof and awnings. The usual layer of bugs splatted on the front end cap and road grime all over the sides and back. The normal scrubbing of the roof with Dawn soap cleaned the top layer of muck but did not touch the leaf stains. After consulting with the cleaner expert (wife), she recommended trying "Greased Lignting" an alkaline based liquid. So to the Keystone manual to see if this is OK. The manual warns against petroleum and citrus based cleaners. I then try a few squirts on one leaf stain as a test. After a few seconds the stain starts to release into the liquid cleaner and a couple of passes with a soft brush and then rinse and the stain is completely gone. Now the roof on the 3280RL is to large to cover with a spray bottle, so I poured the whole jug into a garden sprayer and applied to about 1/4 of the roof area at a time, let set about a minute then went over with the long handle soft brush and then rinse with the hose. The roof looks like it just came off the factory line and I'm not kidding. This stuff is better than great! Next to the front cap and the bugs - same result. You can see the bugs start to disintegrate when this stuff hits them. Of course it's available at Wally World in the household cleaner section. It has a yellow lable with black lettering.

Glenn and Lorraine · 10-31-2004, 01:23 PM

Thank you Bill,
Tomorrow I head for WallyWorld. Been using Simple Green for most cleaning jobs and it works well. But I was never quite satisfied on the job it did on the roof. I think I still have leaf stains from last fall at Pigeon Forge. Now I need to muster up the nerve to go back up there.

BillyRay · 10-31-2004, 01:55 PM

thanks for the info. I've heard good things about the product.

palebluedot · 10-31-2004, 02:20 PM

Hello Glenn,
Missed you at Riveredge this year. Just a word of caution - This stuff is very slicky on the rubber roof. Wear a pair of grooved rubber soled shoes and try to stay in the middle of the roof. With the long handle brush, you can stand on the portion that does not have the Greased Ligntning. After cleaning that section and rinsing off, it's OK to stand there and do the next section. Just work your way down the length of the roof a section at a time.

sreigle · 10-31-2004, 02:45 PM

Thanks, Palebluedot. We have those same serious leaf stains and dingy looking roof. Might try this on our slide toppers, too.

Broome101 · 11-02-2004, 11:24 AM

It does work wonders. But word of caution about using it on rubber roof, after you clean it with greased lighting whcih removes almost everything including protective coatings and wax. After using it on rubber roof rewash your roof with sometype automotive car wash that contains wax to reapply protective coating to roof. Or better yet spray your roof with Aerospace 303 when done, same for nose cap.

stiles watson · 11-03-2004, 04:02 PM

Thanks for the info. I have been uncertain about what to use on the roof.

NJ Hillbilly · 11-04-2004, 07:08 AM

THe other drawback is the run off might and I say might take the wax off the sides that it comes in contact with. It's always a good idea to have a helper on the ground rinse and keep the sides of the 5'er wet while cleaning the roof.

John

sreigle · 11-04-2004, 12:14 PM

Palebluedot and Glenn, we just made a reservation for Riveredge at Tybee Island (Savannah), GA. Is that the park you reference? If so, what did you think of it? Thanks.

palebluedot · 11-04-2004, 02:36 PM

Sreigle,
The Riveredge we are referring to is in Pigeon Forge, TN

Still_waters · 11-08-2004, 07:02 AM

Yes, the Greased Lighting is fantastic!! I had some dried up tree sap on my windshield and a little squirt of this stuff and a swipe of a rag took it right off.

Glenn and Lorraine · 11-08-2004, 11:35 AM

I could not believe how well this Greased Lighting worked and neither could the neighbor that actually got on my roof (I have a problem with height) and cleaned it for me. I could go up the ladder but no way could I step off to the roof. We were both totally amazed how clean the roof now is. His comment was "it looks as good as new" and he isn't kidding. My roof has not been cleaned since I bought the rig Sept 2003. It had pine sap, leaf stains, pollen stains as well as the stains where the AC condensation ran. It removed all of them. Most came off with a solution of 1 part GL to 2 parts water. The really stuborn stains required using the GL straight. But neither required any scrubbing. The cleaning was accomplished in under an hour and we used about 2 quarts of the GL. Of course that hour did not include washing the entire rig with Blue Corral Wash and Wax when we were done with the roof.

Next project will be the 303 Protectant.

sreigle · 11-08-2004, 02:38 PM

Any noticeable loss of the shine on the endcaps or gelcoated sides? I don't mean loss that a wash/wax will restore. I guess i'm asking if there's any dulling that would require compounding to restore?

sreigle · 11-09-2004, 10:29 AM

The strength of this product had me concerned. I went to their website and read all the "don'ts", including don't get it on bare aluminum, etc. At that point I emailed them asking if it contains any petroleum distillates and whether it would harm a rubber roof. They didn't really answer about harming the roof but did say no petroleum distillates. They list rubber as something it works on. I'm still a bit nervous about using something that strong on the roof. Here's the reply I received a few minutes ago:

Dear Mr. Reigle:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We are committed to providing superior products and customer service. Greased Lightning is a great multi-purpose cleaner that can be applied to multiple surfaces with caution and care and is formulated to clean kitchens, bathrooms, and many other areas around the home. We recommend that you follow the label instructions at all times when utilizing any household cleaner.

Note: Always test an inconspicuous area for colorfastness, etc. before treating the exposed area. Also note that certain stains are permanent. Consulting with a professional or the manufacturer of your garment/fabric is the best way to obtain the most current cleaning recommendations. Rubber Gloves are strongly encouraged.

There are no petroleum distillates in Greased Lightning. As mentioned, please test in an inconspicuous area before using.

Greased Lightning works well on the following surfaces:
Stainless Steel
Polyurethane
Porcelain Surfaces
Baked Enamel
Rubber
Nylon
Fiberglass
Acrylic
Vinyl
Chrome
Concrete
Tile

Please feel free to contact us via phone or e-mail, if you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Greased Lightning Customer Care
1-800-646-7730, Option 2
Mon - Fri
8 am- 6 pm EST
www.greased-lightning.com

OntMont · 11-09-2004, 01:33 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

The strength of this product had me concerned.

I took a little different approach and looked up the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Before I retired, one of my duties as Health and Safety Officer for my employer, was to make sure that our employees were not adversely affected by the chemical products they used in the workplace.

Greased Lightning contains two nasty ingredients. Sodium hydroxide, a severe eye irritant that can cause blindness even when diluted, and Butoxyethanol, one of the few chemicals that can be absorbed in toxic amounts directly through intact skin. Butoxyethanol was outright banned from our workplace. On the good side, it has a low vapour pressure, so breathing airborne vapours should not be a problem as long as you don't create a mist.

That said, I have no doubt that it is an excellent cleaner. Used with care outdoors, on an occasional basis, it is not likely to harm you, but you should be really careful not to get it in your eyes.

I don't think it should harm your rubber roof, or awning if you choose to use it for that.

If you are interested in trying a less hazardous alternative, try VOOM RV. It is available from CW and some other RV places.

(This is too much like work - I'm supposed to be retired)

Montana_2180 · 11-13-2004, 05:48 AM

Was out a Wally's last night and picked up the large bottle of this stuff...can't wait to give it a try! I just washed the roof a few weeks ago, I was parked in a heavily tree'd area and the trailer was covered with leaf stains...

I used laundry detergent, but it didn't remove the tough stains so I hope Greased Lightning will...

mobilrvn · 11-14-2004, 08:43 AM

Another good and cheap cleaner is "Awesome", but it will take off wax. It appears to be a cousin of Grease Lightening. We have found it for sale in most "dollar stores" at a buck for 22 oz and is diluted for most applications. It contains no acid, ammonia or bleach and is non-flammable.

Glenn and Lorraine · 11-14-2004, 10:51 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

Any noticeable loss of the shine on the endcaps or gelcoated sides? I don't mean loss that a wash/wax will restore. I guess i'm asking if there's any dulling that would require compounding to restore?

I don't have the gelcoat and no there was no dulling at all of the endcaps or sides. Other than being clean there is no noticeable difference in the finish. After we finished the roof I did gave the rig a good thorough washing with Blue Coral wash and wax.

sreigle · 11-14-2004, 11:22 AM

Thanks. I bought a bottle today while at Walmart. It's too cold to get up on the roof while we're here but one of these days I'll give it a try up there. Meanwhile, Vicki wants to try it on a couple of things inside the coach, like the kitchen sink that's a bit scratched up.

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