Suggestions for Chrome and Metal Cleaners and Polishes

L

Lonnie

Active member
In my feeble attempt for a 2021 resolution to keep this forum detailing-centered, I am starting this thread about chrome and metal cleaners and polishes and and asking for your suggestions for specific products, equipment, and methodologies dealing with this detailing task.

One of the "problems" with this detailing task is that there really is not a lot of true-chromed metal on vehicles being manufactured today. There is chromed plastic, polished stainless steel trim, brushed stainless steel trim, some billet-machined polished aluminum, polished cast aluminum, and yes, even some clear-coated chrome. All of these metal types and chrome present challenges for there specific care and detailing. Getting chrome "perfect" is difficult enough and this very true if you have a vintage 1950`s or 60`s USA car that had acres of chrome on it as an integral design feature, like Cadillac or Lincoln.

If you are like me, you probably have a number of different chrome and metal polishes is your detailing product arsenal. Here is what i have:
1) SimiChrome- great polish (but not cleaner) from a Harley-Davidson shop for chrome and metal.
2) MAAS Metal Polish- my current go-to for metals and some chrome
3) Optimum Polymer Technology Metal Polish- good all-around mental and chrome polish, but it does have a "limited` shelf-life
4) Blue Magic Metal Polish- good "inexpensive" metal polish
5) Turtle Wax Chrome Cleaner- vintage pre-VOC regulation formulation for cleaning chrome
6) Simonize Chrome Cleaner- vintage rocks-in-a-can abrasive chrome cleaner (great for truck door step and brush tube or inner exhaust pipe tips)
7) Meg`s M105 Compound- OK, this really is intended for clear-coat correction, but my early-release formulation dusts SOOO bad, it has been demoted to cleaning chromed metal, which it does fairly well

I used to have the ubiquitous Mother`s Metal and Mag Polish, but that was supplanted by the OPT Metal Polish.
And Flitz Metal Polish was supplanted by MAAS
I have not used Mother`s Billet Aluminum Polish, which is THE standard for billet-machined aluminum wheels.
Nor have I used White Diamond Aluminum Polish, which is great for aluminum tread`diamond plate on truck tool boxes or fire engines.
AND I have never tried the also-ubiquitous Eagle One Never-Dull Metal Polish Wadding.

As far as application and removal of a polish or cleaner, I have used flannel cotton for chrome and cotton diaper for wipe-off on chromed metal. On other metals or chromed plastic, I`ve used flannel/chamois type short nap microfiber cloths for both application and wipe-off. This has always been done by hand. I have never used a Dremel tool with felt geometric-shaped bobs, or a small buffer like a Rupe`s I-brid or a GG G6 with appropriate foam pads, because I do not have such tools in my detailing arsenal as a budget-minded (AKA cheapskate) hobbyist.

I also know there are a host of metal-reconditioning/restoration products, like jeweler`s rouge (Wenol?) for grinder-motor driven wool buffing wheels, but that is little beyond the scope of this thread topic

So, I`d like to hear from my fellow Autopians of suggestions how you clean and polish chrome and metal, including your preference of products, , applicators and wipe-off cloths, equipment, and methodologies. Like the many manufacturer`s of car waxes of old (or now, if that is still your preferred Last-Step Product, like me) there are myriad of chrome and metal products available for the Autopian detailer. Finding those select few products for specific metals and chrome that are the best-of-the-best is my quest for this thread. THANKS in advance.

One caveat that I have found in dealing with chrome wheels is that that there is such a thing as clear-coated chrome. A friend of mine had some after-market NOS chromed Cragar mags ordered direct from Cragar for his vintage `68 Chevy 454 Chevelle. They came with an optional clear-coating. I did not know that this was available. Had I used a chrome cleaner on them it would have scratched and dulled them. I used Klasse-All-In-One one them and they looked great. Sometimes you just need to ask the owner of the vehicle what is on their car.
 
Nice post. I have an old container of Mequiar’s Mag and Aluminum polish but I don’t have much to use it on. I just purchased Pinnacle Exhaust Cleaner and Brightener and it did well but didn’t blow me away with how quick it worked but I don’t have much to compare it to. It cleaned the exhaust tips on my 2012 Acura TL that I bought used and likely had never been polished in their life. I’m a Collinite fan so I also recently purchased Collinite 850 Metal Wax for a little protection though my exhaust tips did get dirty on the bottom soon after I polished them so the jury is still out there. I’ll have to polish with the 850 more to see if I can build up some protection to “coat” them and make them quicker and easier to clean.
 
I`ve never found a huge diff in the efficacy of Chrome Polishes. IME once Chrome is marred, it stays marred. I`ve worn through all the way to the underlying layers of plating while never removing one bit of the marring on the top layer of chrome (e.g., on the doorhandles of my Jag :o ).

Never got around to trying anything on the marred up stainless A-pillar covers on that car either...since they were always like that I didn`t realized they were (severely) damaged pre-delivery, thought they were supposed to be a "brushed finish" or something! The guys who built my shop spent *forever* (not just six or eight hours) PCing a stainless vanity top that got similarly marred (.."no, I`m not paying for that unless it`s fixed and I`m not paying for the time to do that either") and that taught me that life`s too short to care about such stuff.

BUT...if anybody finds a Metal Polish that *will* work efficiently on stainless, I`d sure like to hear about it! (M105 and my Chrome Polishes do *NOTHING* for me on stainless, complete waste of time). But of course it`d have to be something neat and tidy for the same reasons I won`t use an aggressive Glass Polish lest some of it get on my paint.
 
dgage said:
Nice post. I have an old container of Mequiar’s Mag and Aluminum polish but I don’t have much to use it on. I just purchased Pinnacle Exhaust Cleaner and Brightener and it did well but didn’t blow me away with how quick it worked but I don’t have much to compare it to. It cleaned the exhaust tips on my 2012 Acura TL that I bought used and likely had never been polished in their life. I’m a Collinite fan so I also recently purchased Collinite 850 Metal Wax for a little protection though my exhaust tips did get dirty on the bottom soon after I polished them so the jury is still out there. I’ll have to polish with the 850 more to see if I can build up some protection to “coat” them and make them quicker and easier to clean.
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Well, there is one metal polish I NEVER thought about: Collinite 850 Metal Polish. I, too, am a Collinite wax fan as well.

Another metal polish that piques my interest is Scholl Concepts Premium Metal Polish after seeing it used by Merlin on a Bentley Arnage with LOTS of chrome.
(reference: https://www.autopia.org/forums/clic...ck-miracle-detailing-merlin-concours-wax.html)
 
I use Collinite 850 Metal Polish on my exhaust system successfully. It removes the tarnish that appears from general use of the car.
 
Best I’ve use is Britemax they have a metal heavy cut and final polish I used the heavy cut for everything it’s had the best cut for me it actually gritty when you use it.
 
William_Wallace said:
Best I’ve use is Britemax they have a metal heavy cut and final polish I used the heavy cut for everything it’s had the best cut for me it actually gritty when you use it.
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Do you really want to use something gritty on chrome? Once you scratch chrome, you will never get it out.
 
Maybe gritty is not right word I have should have used instead maybe high solids or heavy abrasive type. It cut on metal more that all other I tried it still finished fine. I also use on headlights and get quick results.
 
I got a little tub of the Mother`s and tried it out on an AL wheel with good results using a MF towel. A couple of years later, you could still note the section of the wheel that was polished. No LSP ever applied on it.

I`ve also tried Poorboy`s metal/chrome polish. I think it`s the Heavy Duty version, and with the limited time I had with it (sampled a small test section) it was a bit more aggressive than the Mother`s. But then, I also used one of those wool pads that attach to a drill.

The 3D Metal polish seemed decent too. I used it on an older VW bug`s bumper to remove light surface junk and such. here`s a video of that...

 
I don`t have nearly the experience of most here with metal polishing or the products. I`ve only had a couple vehicles with tailpipes capable of being polished and never owned a car with any metallic bright work.

I started years ago with the Mother`s and the Nevr-Dull and I`m still using the same tubs! They worked well so I didn`t go anywhere else.

When I encounter tailpipes needing polishing I`ll always start with the Nevr-Dull. If I get nowhere with that I`ll try the mothers on either a ratty old MF towel or a terry cloth towel. Final test is 0000 steel wool. If I go to with steel wool, I`ll usually follow up with more polish and a softer fabric to get the best shine possible.

On the polished stainless steel pipes on my GTI, the 0000 steel wool and the Mothers worked great as-is and didn`t take much follow up at all. Likewise the aluminum caps on the the stainless steel exhaust on two of my vehicles Nevr-Dull works like a champ and I don`t need anything stronger.
 
Be carefu lwith Never-Dull as it can damage some surfaces that I thought it`d certainly be OK on. (not hating on the stuff, just sayin`)
 
Accumulator said:
Be carefu lwith Never-Dull as it can damage some surfaces that I thought it`d certainly be OK on. (not hating on the stuff, just sayin`)
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Which types of surfaces? I`ve only used it on bare aluminum, stainless steel, and even sterling silver once with no issues.
 
Desertnate said:
Which types of surfaces? I`ve only used it on bare aluminum, stainless steel, and even sterling silver once with no issues.
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It has marred brass for me, much to my surprise. Note that was ages ago when I was in Marching Band. A bit more recently it diminished the shine I had on some bare aluminum...which was like a [freakin`] mirror before I used the stuff on it :(

Hey, maybe it was my "old stuff", or something else specific to me, but that`s why I urge a little caution.

OTOH, I`ve used it OK on silver *plate*, and that`s a real no-no :o

So IMO it`s just something to be a bit careful with.

EDIT: Of course, I`m *assuming* we all know not to use it on lacquered brass/etc. surfaces, right? Learned *that* the hard way back when I was in Band too :o
 
I like the old metal polishes - no longer made. It was extremely heavy on the solvent. Seem to cut through the oxidation without grit and it came in 3 abrasive levels as well. Haven`t picked up newer metal polishes since using that ....as it that good for me
 
I am still waiting for comments on specific microfiber makes and types OR cotton cloths Autopians are using with their chrome and metal cleaners and polishes for wipe-off or applicators that you may be using with them as well.
I ask because, as in glass cleaning, the cloth or microfiber type can (and will) determine the "acceptable-Autopian-standard" final appearance of cleaning or polishing chrome or metals.
 
I may not be a true Autopian based on this answer, but I`ll typically use MF towels on their last legs that are still soft or rags I`ve made from worn out T-shirts. I`ve found polishing exhausts to be really dirty work whether due to exhaust soot or polishing byproducts and the metal polish itself. Rags/cloths are never the same again and I usually toss them. For the 0000 steel wool I use, there are probably multiple brands which are suitable.

If I was polishing out chrome trim or wheels, I`m sure I`d look at it completely different.
 
I use a “wheel” microfiber for polishing metal and if it’s exhaust, I’ll start with the Lake Country Exhaust Polishing Sponge.
 
Just a little nostalgia...

ChromePolish.jpg
 
Chrome and stainless are so hard that I never worry much about what the product-application media are...cotton, MF, foam...doesn`t seem to make a diff.
 
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