cleaning chrome trim?

J

jedovaty

New member
Hi,



What's the best way to clean chrome trim on wheels?



My alloy, matte wheels have this shiny chrome trim ring surrounding them. A wheel cleaner (unknown make/model, presented by the detailer) was used a couple weeks ago to clean up the wheels real nice, BUT, after driving home, some of the liquid between the cracks leeked out with the brake dust and left streaks on the rings. Washing them or using a qd or wheel cleaner isn't working. I have "Blue Magic" chrome polish which I tried on a small part, which appeared to have worked, however.. I dunno, something about it's "as seen on tv" aspect is a little concerning.



Thank you for your time,

John
 
If it's real chrome it should be OK to use a metal polish (chromium is pretty tough stuff). You could always get a chrome polish that you'd have more confidence in (e.g., Meg's NXT metal polish, Griot's, English, etc.) if the stuff you have now makes you wonder. After you get the chrome all cleaned up, I'd apply a good wax/etc. to help keep it that way.
 
Just learned it's polished stainless steel. Assuming it's okay to use this cleaner/polish .. unless someone here says, NO! :)
 
Generally, IME stainless steel isn't as hard as straight chrome plating. Stainless can cover a wide range of steel formulas in a wide range of hardnesses so it's risky to generalize, but I'd be more gentle with it than with chrome.



IIRC the Meguiar's NXT metal polish (they spell it weirdly, forget just how...) is OK for all sorts of metals. I'd be sure to use something that's OK on stainless.



The windshield surround on my Jag/s A-pillars is stainless, and before (new car) delivery it got scratched up something *AWFUL*. I've never fixed it, and I sure wouldn't want your stainless to end up looking like that.
 
Yah, especially after I spent $450 replacement per ring on these 20" bbs detroits for my xkr :) Hello, fellow jag owner! Got mine used, and the prior owner curbed up the rings something nasty, so I just had to have them replaced. Hence my hesitancy here.. funny how no one seems to recognize blue magic? It seems very common here in my area.
 
jedovaty- Ah, an XKR :D Yeah, you'll want to take good care of those BBSs.



Seems like there are quite a few metal polishes with regional familliarity. Around here everyone uses Maas, on other areas everybody uses Flitz. Blue Magic *does* sound sorta familiar now that I think about it, but I don't really know from OTC products.
 
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