De-Icing

Visiting a friend last night and he was showing me a new airplane he bought. He is currently getting dual instruction in it. If anyone is in Wisconsin you will know that we have this mix of ice, water, slush and snow everywhere. Looking at his airplane I was shocked at how much slush which was thrown up from the wheels on the tail surfaces which froze.

Our airport does not offer de-icing services. Heating the airplane in the hanger is not an option. How do others remove snow and Ice from their airplanes? There there any common chemicals that can be used which are safe for aluminum and Cloth Aircraft?

I have used a bucket of hot water and a cloth. One has to be careful not to deposit more water on to the surfaces than you remove.

I've used window washer fluid and a scrub brush..

I have a friend that swears by a 3:1 mixture of Isopropyl Alcohol and water in a garden sprayer.

In the winter I keep a few gallons of windshield washer fluid sitting on a home radiator to keep it warm.