Aluminum winter frame crud

[Turk397]

Has anyone figured out a way to alleviate the black oxidation that drips on the deck during winter lay up, from the aluminum frame that support the canvas?

[Orion Jim]

I’ve had a Fairclough cover since 2011 which uses 1 1/8” conduit and I’ve never had any oxidation issues.
I’m unsure why anyone would go through the expense of using aluminum for a frame. If that is what you have you may want to clean it in the spring and add a coat of wax. I would expect untreated aluminum to merely develop a surface corrosion over time and be essentially inert going forward.