Polishing Chrome
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 507
Likes: 5
From: Florida
Carnuba wax or car polish with carnuba. Learned that years ago from a chrome plating shop I used for restoration work. The final step the chrome shop did after chroming a piece and right before wrapping it up was to coat it with car polish.
For rust stains, Turtle Wax chrome polish works best.
Like someone else mentioned, chroming is a thin cover and will scratch, even rubbed off if you're not careful in its maintenance.
For quick wipe downs, quick detail spray works great too.
BTW, Flitz paste wax is the best aluminum polish I have used. Even occassionally use it on nickel plated revolvers and semi-autos (sparingly since nickel plating is similar to chrome plating and is also easily scratched). Good luck!
For rust stains, Turtle Wax chrome polish works best.
Like someone else mentioned, chroming is a thin cover and will scratch, even rubbed off if you're not careful in its maintenance.
For quick wipe downs, quick detail spray works great too.
BTW, Flitz paste wax is the best aluminum polish I have used. Even occassionally use it on nickel plated revolvers and semi-autos (sparingly since nickel plating is similar to chrome plating and is also easily scratched). Good luck!
Supporter
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,419
Likes: 89
From: Vermont
ARGH!! One of those things most of us hate to do. Polish the chrome on our scooters!!!! The best "shine" I have accomplished on chrome has been using products from http://www.chemicalguys.com When I start seeing fine scratchs and swirls I will use their product "Metal Wax". It contains a very fine polish. After I get the scratches polished out, I use another of their products called "Wheel Guard". That really seems to bring out the shine and protects the chrome, making it easier to clean the next time.
I know the easiest way to shine chrome is to get the OL to do it for you.
Looking for other ideas on how y'all keep your chrome shiny!
I know the easiest way to shine chrome is to get the OL to do it for you.
Looking for other ideas on how y'all keep your chrome shiny!
My method of polishing chrome is with as little contact as necessary. Wash and blow dry bike and wipe any water spots left on chrome with windex and a microfiber towel, very lightly... A coat of wax annually although as soon as the heat is on...the wax is off! lol..I've personally never found or seen anything that can remove scratches in chrome, not even micro marring which occurs no matter how careful you are? Even when looking at those million dollar show bikes, look close enough and there is some micro marring on chrome. If you wipe or polish chrome, it will happen.
Last edited by Rickr01; Nov 21, 2012 at 08:37 AM.
Road Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 762
Likes: 14
From: Bellevue, NE
Like a couple of others, I used to use the Turtle Wax Chrome Polish for those tough blemishes caused by my Wife's boots...Grrrrrrrrrr..but otherwise, just wash, no wax. But since I got rid of my true duals for my D&D Fatcat, surprise! No more boot marks, even from me, because they mount differently than my TD's did. 
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,034
Likes: 127
Thanks for the idea.
As long as guys remember that chrome is simply a thin plating.....all you really do with it is gently clean it.....if you try to polish it like you would aluminum, you will scratch the crap out of it.
I have always used windex and then NevRDull and buff it out, and the overspray of Lemon pledge on it, and that seems to work.
~Joe
As long as guys remember that chrome is simply a thin plating.....all you really do with it is gently clean it.....if you try to polish it like you would aluminum, you will scratch the crap out of it.
I have always used windex and then NevRDull and buff it out, and the overspray of Lemon pledge on it, and that seems to work.
~Joe
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,221
Likes: 4
From: Annemasse (border of Geneva-Switzerland) facing Mt-Blanc.
Clay in the cleaning preparation is trendy over here:
http://3mcollision.com/3m-perfect-it...070-200-g.html
Wife uses this for the induction range as well
http://3mcollision.com/3m-perfect-it...070-200-g.html
Wife uses this for the induction range as well
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,005
Likes: 4
From: Alabama
+1, I only use windex 99% of the time.
If you regularly use polish on chrome you will shorten its life considerably. Chrome is a very, very thin coating.
I was told by a chrome plater years ago to never use wax products on chrome. The chrome plating needs to breathe, wax seals it and traps moisture in the plating.
If you regularly use polish on chrome you will shorten its life considerably. Chrome is a very, very thin coating.
I was told by a chrome plater years ago to never use wax products on chrome. The chrome plating needs to breathe, wax seals it and traps moisture in the plating.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 56,052
Likes: 87,482
From: Western South Dakota
ARGH!! One of those things most of us hate to do. Polish the chrome on our scooters!!!! The best "shine" I have accomplished on chrome has been using products from http://www.chemicalguys.com When I start seeing fine scratchs and swirls I will use their product "Metal Wax". It contains a very fine polish. After I get the scratches polished out, I use another of their products called "Wheel Guard". That really seems to bring out the shine and protects the chrome, making it easier to clean the next time.
I know the easiest way to shine chrome is to get the OL to do it for you.
Looking for other ideas on how y'all keep your chrome shiny!
I know the easiest way to shine chrome is to get the OL to do it for you.
Looking for other ideas on how y'all keep your chrome shiny!
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,602
Likes: 3
From: Southeastern Michigan
Any pure wax will do for me, if I do it at all. The main reason for chroming is no maintenance.
And as others have said, if you use anything with abrasives in it, polish, paste, etc, the chrome will be compromised. Even light abrasives. Turtle wax is the worst!
Proper chroming is: polish part, copper, nickel, chrome. Zinc is used first for aluminum. Liberal use of abrasives will wear through all of them eventually.
The actual chrome layer is ultra thin, and is responsible for the brightness associated with it. It also gives a blue hue.
Nickel has a greyish or yellowish hue.
As for touching up polished aluminum, Mothers Billet Polish is the best I've used to date.
And as others have said, if you use anything with abrasives in it, polish, paste, etc, the chrome will be compromised. Even light abrasives. Turtle wax is the worst!
Proper chroming is: polish part, copper, nickel, chrome. Zinc is used first for aluminum. Liberal use of abrasives will wear through all of them eventually.
The actual chrome layer is ultra thin, and is responsible for the brightness associated with it. It also gives a blue hue.
Nickel has a greyish or yellowish hue.
As for touching up polished aluminum, Mothers Billet Polish is the best I've used to date.