Cleaning chrome

showcrop · Jan 26, 2015

I am working on an old car, and the chrome, even what I had rechromed twelve years ago has little green specs all over it. obviously I don't want to scratch the parts, but I don't want to take forever with it. I have tried DuPont rubbing and polishing compounds and nylon scrubbing pads. So far scraping with my thumbnail has worked the best, but the nails don't grow back fast enough. What do you suggest?

old · Jan 26, 2015

Buy a jar of Mothers chrome polish and it will clean it up fast. I use it all the time on old motorcycle chrome that has sat in the weather and it does a great job

D beatty · Jan 26, 2015

Another good product is Simichrome Polish it does a good job.

87nassaublue · Jan 26, 2015

What I prefer to use is 000 or 0000 (3 or 4 aught) steel wool with a good car polish. I used to have some airplane polish from the airlines that was slicker than snot. The polish works like a lubricant, cleaner and wax all in one. Put some good polish on some high grade steel wool and rub your chrome part. You will feel when the corrosion turns loose. Wipe it dry with a terry cloth and you'll see what I mean.

GarryinNC · Jan 26, 2015

The aircraft metal polish is called Met-all. It is about the same as simichrome.

87nassaublue · Jan 27, 2015

Thanks Garry, I ran out of what I had. I'm going to look for that. That was some super slick polish!

Years ago, I bought a new matag washer and dryer. Unfortunately, it was right after whirlpool bought maytag, but that's another story.

I used the airplane polish on them to protect them. The top of the washer was sloped downward slightly. One day when headed out to work, I put a cup of coffee on top of the washer. The bottom of the cup was sort of rough. I turned to close the door and the cup slid across the top of the washer and fell on the floor. Man that airplane polish is super slick!

Norm43 · Feb 2, 2015

A simple way is to wad up some plain old aluminum foil, dip it
in water and rub it around. The friction and water cause a
chemical reaction that really works. Try it, you might like it.

Txturbo · Apr 3, 2015

(quoted from post at 16:03:40 01/26/15) I am working on an old car, and the chrome, even what I had rechromed twelve years ago has little green specs all over it. obviously I don't want to scratch the parts, but I don't want to take forever with it. I have tried DuPont rubbing and polishing compounds and nylon scrubbing pads. So far scraping with my thumbnail has worked the best, but the nails don't grow back fast enough. What do you suggest?

ve been messing with old cars for 40 years and the best thing I've found for cleaning up chrome is 0000 steel wool. Takes off rust and most anything else without scratching the chrome. Also the best thing for cleaning glass. Will clean it so good you might hit your head on it because you can't see it. Polishes are what you use after it's been cleaned with the steel wool. Just be sure to blow off the area real good afterwards because the little steel particles from the wool will rust with the slightest amount of moisture.
Green specs on your chrome is a sign that you didn't get a quality plating job. That's the copper oxidizing through the pores in the chrome. A quality plating job would have had a layer of nickel over the copper to seal it before the chrome layer was put on....otherwise known as triple plated....copper, nickel then the chrome. Somebody took a shortcut.

Cleaning chrome

showcrop

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old

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D beatty

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87nassaublue

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GarryinNC

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87nassaublue

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Norm43

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Txturbo

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