If you want a product to use without the need for scrubbing and scraping this JJVs Best ALU100-G Aluminum Cleaner will likely a great fit.
Best pontoon log cleaner. Our Boat Care Products will help you. Get some fine steel wool or a scotch bright pad for tough areas or to polish it up a little after you hit it with the nylon brush. With a ton of build up if you dont need gloves and a mask it may not be harsh enough.
It keeps the pontoons clean and shiny for many years with a minimum of maintenance. It is truly awesome. We bought a 2007 Bennington and are loving it.
I purchased my first pontoon last week however the logs need to be cleaned up. Vinegar is acidic which eats away stains on reactive bases like aluminum. Start date May 1 2013.
Napa sells a good aluminum cleaner or you can get ac coil cleaner. It is designed to clean and brighten pontoon tubes from top to bottom with no scrubbing or need for elbow grease allowing you to just rinse away the formula once it. Just wipe it on and let it dry.
Mild detergents like Tide can be used by diluting 1 cup to 5 gallons of water. Two popular aluminum cleaners are Sharkhide or Biokleen. I can do my 24 foot pontoon by my self in less than 30 minutes and have gained as much as 8 mph with the clean toons.
Start with rubber gloves bleach solution and elbow grease before going to more extreme measures. Heres another household essential you might have lying around that also doubles as a pontoon cleaning solution. Keep the boat in shallow water and scrub.