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Brushed raw aluminum chairs needing cleaning and protection

Q. I have Brushed aluminum ladder-back dining room chairs that have been in an outside porch. As the location is near the ocean they have salt deposits and a bit of pitting. How do I clean them and seal or protect them? Thanks.
Joey

Joey Ziff
- Santa Barbara, California USA
July 20, 2017

Hi Joey. I doubt that the 'salt deposits' are salt deposits; they're probably corrosion of the aluminum (aluminum doesn't rust like steel, it gets those tiny white volcanos of corrosion). It's possible that oven cleaner [on eBay or Amazon] will dissolve that corrosion without too much attack on the raw aluminum...

Wearing chemical goggles (not safety glasses) and rubber gloves, you can try to dissolve that oxidation crust and scrub or wet sand it away, then thoroughly rinse it. After it's dry you can clearcoat it. Obviously, don't leave the oven cleaner on too long or you'll lose your brushed look.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
July 2017

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