What happened to my chrome??

[alw6589]

Hey I washed my truck at a DIY car wash booth with a pressure washer hose that had various options like mixing soap / wax into the stream. Now my chrome pieces have a faded white substance forming almost like calcium deposits in a shower

Was this caused by the water/wax, pressure hose, or maybe driving in freezing temps after getting the truck washed? Should I use CLR or what’s the best way to get the spots off? Thanks

[TroyScherer]

Its hard to tell just based on your description. Pictures would help.

Your at a DIY car wash. When you were cleaning did you use the DI spotless rinse? Many of those places use less than ideal water for the main wash processes including even the “wax” portion. The spotless wash would help but you need to make sure you get through all the other was water when you switch over. many times you can see how much is left in the system when you switch from the soap wash to the rinse. It usually takes awhile.

also if it’s calcium water spots it would be best to actually dry the vehicle before you leave and let it air dry / freeze.

[Stokdgs]

Hey I washed my truck at a DIY car wash booth with a pressure washer hose that had various options like mixing soap / wax into the stream. Now my chrome pieces have a faded white substance forming almost like calcium deposits in a shower

Was this caused by the water/wax, pressure hose, or maybe driving in freezing temps after getting the truck washed? Should I use CLR or what’s the best way to get the spots off? Thanks

I would rewash the chrome with known clean water, even hot water if its like freezing where you live now..
Dry it and see if the substance is still on the chrome..
Dan F

[yamabob]

Agree. Sounds too much like a residue of some sort. For actual damage to be done to the chrome would/should take more than a one time event.

[Lonnie]

One of the problems at a DIY wash bay is the soap itself that may have been used OR the water. If the water source has a lot of mineral deposits in it, like calcium OR if the wash place uses recycled water (Yes it happens in areas that may have water restrictions that rinse water is recycled by filtering it to remove the dirt particles, BUT the minerals dissolved & suspended in the water are much more difficult to remove without special equipment and processing, something most wash places simply cannot afford to do), it may be that when the water evaporates. that mineral residue is left behind. The soap part may be a very high alkaline soap used to clean extremely dirty vehicles that may leave its residue behind.
I am guessing.
Did you try using a chrome cleaner on a test spot to see if that cleaned up the residue??

One suggestion if it is mineral deposits is to take a water spot remover to a test spot and see if that removed the milky residue/film. The Redneck version of this is to take some white vinegar and WARM water mixed at One (1) part vinegar to three (3) parts water and wash a test area so see if that removed the residue.

I agree that discoloring chrome is pretty difficult to do, since chrome is a very hard material. That said, I`ve see grasshopper bug guts "burn" or etch chrome when left to sit on a chromed bumper for a while (like 2 or 3 weeks before cleaning it off) due to the acid-forming chemical reaction between the grasshopper splatter (gotta be their digestive juices) and humidity (water) in the air. It ain`t pretty and even heavy-duty chrome cleaner will not remove the etching that takes place.

[Dan]

I think these days almost all modern car washes use recycled water for everything except the spot free rinse.

Clear coated chrome seems to be most impacted. KAIO works wonders for me on it.

[Lonnie]

Dan:
It never occurred to me that alw6589 truck chrome may be clear coated, just like paint. That seems to be a more-common standard manufacturing process for today`s modern vehicles.

I also like the fact that you mentioned Klasse All-In-One (KAIO) as a cleaner for this clear coated chrome. I do not think that KAIO gets enough attention or "respect", and hence, usage by many Autopians for a number of hard surface cleaning/detailing tasks. It has its place in my detailing product arsenal.
And yes, I have used it on clear coated chrome on special-order Cragar mag wheels on a friend`s `68 Chevy Chevelle. He ordered them that way from the factory and had he not told me I would have scuffed them up with chrome cleaner. THAT would have been a big mistake. The KAIO really set them off and made them look, well, shiny chrome-like.

[Desertnate]

Lots of good advice, but my question is: Are the surfaces actually chrome, or some other material that looks like chrome? Often trim pieces which looks like chrome are actually painted plastic or something else. Not actually chrome.

Before going with anything abrasive, I`d try spot cleaning a little area with a gentle APC, waterless wash, or even a QD spray. It might remove whatever is causing the surface to haze up. You can adjust based on the results.

[Lonnie]

Desertnate:
You are correct about trim pieces being chromed plastic. Found this out on Ram Truck. The wheel inserts (Hubcaps) were NOT chromed metal, but plastic. The owner told me so, but I did not believe it. A small magnet proved me wrong.
Even a magnet from a refrigerator door decoration or advertisement placard or business card with a magnetic back is worth carrying around in your detailing tool box/collection to verify if a trim piece is chromed plastic or real ferrous metal of some sort if unsure.