BUSINESS INSIDER
A supplier for Boeing said it tried using other household products like Vaseline and cornstarch as a lubricant before it settled on using liquid Dawn soap, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
In March, The Times reported that Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) auditors saw Spirit AeroSystems mechanics applying soap to a door seal.
The mechanics were also seen using a hotel key card to check a door seal, per an audit report obtained by The Times.
“People look at the hotel key card or Dawn soap and think this is sloppy. This is actually an innovative approach to solving for an efficient shop aid,” Spirit spokesperson Joe Buccino told The Times.
According to Buccino, Spirit also tried using other household products such as Vaseline, cornstarch, and talcum powder as a lubricant before settling on liquid Dawn soap.
Buccino said the Dawn soap became their top choice because it didn’t cause the door seal to degrade over time.
Spirit told The Times that Boeing had approved both practices. The company added that the soap and the key card-like device were documented for use under FAA’s standards as factory tools, also known as shop aids.
