There used to be a time when chrome was featured on pretty much every car and a bottle of chrome cleaner could be found on just about every garage shelf. Even the lowliest of city cars could be specified with a fair amount of brightwork to keep even the keenest of car polishers occupied. While chrome has fallen out of fashion in previous years, squint and you’ll see it affixed to a fair few cars.
The reflective properties of a chrome finish add a look of luxury, perhaps even elegance and sophistication, to a car, reflecting the halcyon days of car design when many of what we now consider to be classics featured extensive chrome detailing, which to this day evokes a sense of classic styling.
If you have chrome trim on your car you may be aware that the one downside is that it requires a specialised cleaner to keep that chrome sparkling – regular products can leave swirl marks and streaks. To get the best results make sure you use a high-quality microfibre cloth to do that final shine. Chrome can look stunning when it’s looked after which is why we’ve found the best chrome cleaners currently on sale.
The best chrome cleaners at a glance:
Editor’s choice: Autosol Liquid Chrome Cleaner – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best all-rounder: Autoglym Metal Polish – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best for tough marks: 3M Chrome and Metal Polish – Buy now from Amazon UK
The best chrome cleaners
Editor's choice
Pros
- Great results
- Trusted brand
Cons
- Not so good on heavy rust patches
Best for all polishable metals
Pros
- Great all-rounder
- Leaves a protective layer
Cons
- Not so good for stubborn marks
Best for heavily tarnished chrome
Pros
- Tough on rust
- You don't need to use too much
Cons
- No protective properties
Best chrome cleaner for light cleaning
Pros
- Good for everyday cleaning
- Easy to use
Cons
- Not good on rust
Best budget chrome cleaner
Pros
- Great value
- Good everyday all-rounder
Cons
- Not good on tough marks
What if my chrome is too far gone?
If even the most abrasive of cleaners aren’t cutting through the worst rust, or the finish is starting to pit or flake away, there are still a couple of options for restoring the lost shine without needing to find the part number and shell out on a new part.
One option is using a stiff brush (a good nylon brush should be enough) to scratch away the worst of the rust and hope an abrasive chrome cleaner will be enough to bring it back, even if it’s a little duller.
The other option is to head to a specialist and pay for it to be re-chromed. The cost will depend on how large the piece is (a door handle will cost less than a bumper) but will have the chrome looking as good as new.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers and CAR, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. With an MA in Automotive Journalism, when he’s not testing buckets he can be found looking at old Porsches.
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