Don't use steel wool on aluminum. It will cause a corrosion problem. Use
Scotch Brite pads.

Bill

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

"HiTech Redneck" wrote in message
...
Can anyone suggest the best way to clean an aluminum boat before
painting?

My intuition says to use the finest steel wool you can get - the kind
you'd
use on polyurethane between coats if you wanted it REALLY glossy. But,
push
harder on aluminum. If it's so dirty that you feel some sort of chemical
is
needed, I'd start with something made for cleaning aluminum alloy wheels,
follow with soap & water (to remove anything that might mess with the
paint's ability to stick), and then finish with steel wool.