is there a way i can bring old dulling chrome back to a nice new shine?

 

Welcome to FTE!

You might try posting in the Appearance forum.

There are plenty of chrome shining threads related there.



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If you do a search there is some chrome info here. There is more in the Appearance Forum.

 

thanks for the warm welcome dennis

 

Mothers chrome polish will make old chrome shine. (for about 10 minutes).

Unfortunately nothing works much longer than that. The reason that it is dull is that the chrome plating over the nickel has been removed from years of shining. (chrome doesnt shine, it is only a protective coating. the nickel is what shines)And as the chrome is removed, the nickel becomes exposed. nickel tarnishes quickly.

This wont help you, but for those who have shinny chrome here is a tip to keep it that way. DONT USE CHROME POLISH. Almost all chrome polishes have abrassives to help remove microscopic oxidation. These abbrassives also wears away the chrome. ultimately you end up with self-inflicted damage that there is no way to correct. (absent rechroming)

Always dry the chrome completly after washing. use a 100% cotton cloth, and only use polish when really needed. test the polish between your fingers, if it feels gritty at all, then dont use it.

hope that helps

Drew

 

Vette- Can you use a regular wax (without oxidation removers, abrasives, etc) after you have cleaned it?

 

Eric,

sure you can, of course I would check it for abbrassives. often times we confuse cleaners/polish/wax. Wax is a protectant. About twice a year or so I use Maguires soft carnuba paste wax (Blue can) to put a protective coat over the bumpers and on all the window posts, mirrors, et al. It is very hard to get off once it dries, so do it slowly and do small areas at a time. make sure your cloth is cotton, and make sure it is clean.

Once again, this will not do anything to restore the shine on chrome,it only helps add another moisture barrier to the item.

Drew

 

follow up.

waxing wont stop the nickel from tarnishing. it might slow it down though. I wax to stop it from getting worse. (if thats where you were going)

Drew