How to clean chrome
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New User
Joined: Sep 2003
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How to clean chrome
What has everyone used to clean the chrome grill surround and the chrome on the fenders and doors? Those pieces on my truck have been out in the elements for some time and they kind of got tarnished. I used a chrome cleaner and it did brighten them up some, but I think they should clean up better. What's some ideas? Thanks
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,157
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If your grille surround and moulding is OEM it's not chrome. It's annodized aluminum. It cant be polished without removing the annodizing. Then if you remove the annodizing you will have to keep polishing it every 3 months or so. Removing annodizing takes oven cleaner or other caustic material and a lot of sanding and polishing it to get it to really shine.
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 93
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From: Newmarket, Ontario Canada
Wenol and plain old Windex, it works better than you can imagine. I got turned onto this combination when I had my car in ISCA shows. You apply the metal polish first, then after you wipe that off spray the Windex on. I know it sounds wierd but the Windex over top the polish magnifies the shine and clarity.
Since I don't compete with the car anymore, I can give away some secrets now
Since I don't compete with the car anymore, I can give away some secrets now
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 457
Likes: 7
From: Decatur, AL
Wenol and plain old Windex, it works better than you can imagine. I got turned onto this combination when I had my car in ISCA shows. You apply the metal polish first, then after you wipe that off spray the Windex on. I know it sounds wierd but the Windex over top the polish magnifies the shine and clarity.
Since I don't compete with the car anymore, I can give away some secrets now
Since I don't compete with the car anymore, I can give away some secrets now
Love Wenol and Windex myself.
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Junior User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 93
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From: Newmarket, Ontario Canada
HaHa! I had a feeling somebody would know exactly what i was talking about 
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2010
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windex seems to work wonders for everything....i know i'm off topic but try it on the carpet and upholstery stains in your daily driver or anything...brings out red clay good ol tennessee mud from the tan carpet in my cavalier.
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Berry, that's EXACTLY what my headliner trim looks like! I hope I can get as good of results as you did. Did it take a bunch of coats of that turtle-wax?
Also, it is OEM anodized aluminum, so I'm gonna have to try to de-anodize it and go from there. It's going to be years until I'm in a position to finish my truck, but I'm just doing little things here and there in the mean time. I want to get all the trim and aluminum pieces polished up and then put them in storage in plastic bags so when I'm ready for them, I can just bolt them on. Do you think it's a bad idea to de-anodize the aluminum and then put them in storage? Or should I wait until I'm ready to put it on the truck to de-anodize it and polish it?
Also, it is OEM anodized aluminum, so I'm gonna have to try to de-anodize it and go from there. It's going to be years until I'm in a position to finish my truck, but I'm just doing little things here and there in the mean time. I want to get all the trim and aluminum pieces polished up and then put them in storage in plastic bags so when I'm ready for them, I can just bolt them on. Do you think it's a bad idea to de-anodize the aluminum and then put them in storage? Or should I wait until I'm ready to put it on the truck to de-anodize it and polish it?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,056
Likes: 10
From: Indiana, PA
Did you have to clearcoat that so the rust would stop coming through the pinholes in the chrome left from before? Im Working on doing the same thing on my truck right now.