While we all know that a clean airplane gets a few extra knots, looks better and extends the life of the multitude of components that make up the machine, not many pilots clean the airplane they fly themselves. If you fit that category, either because you would rather pay for the service than do it yourself or because you rent the airplane you fly, it is wise to put in some elbow grease and wipe the airplane off on a regular basis.
Getting a rag and wiping the fuselage is work, but you may be surprised at how much it can pay off. There may be a small crack developing somewhere that you likely would miss during a regular preflight inspection. Addressing cracks in their infancy can be much less costly than if the problem develops into more substantial damage. A tiny crack can be stop drilled before it grows whereas a larger fracture may require the replacement of an entire section.
