E30 Zone

Felt compelled to share this in case it wasn't common knowledge. Use aluminium foil and a drop of water to polish chrome bumpers. Use the dull side of the foil, it creates a fine paste of aluminium oxide that shines the bumpers up a treat.

Very easy very quick...have to say the results are astounding. Only issue is that I have now spotted several rust spots on the underside of the panels above the bumpers reflected in the bumpers of my chromie!

I'm intrigued.. I need to try this!

Let me know how it goes. I found it very quick. Two bumpers took less than 5 minutes to go from dull to absolutely gleaming.

I've never tried it but I've heard off this before but using coke instead of water!

Oooo, I've got to give this a try!

I've used coke and aluminum foil, removed surface rust quite easily too without scratching the surface.

Aluminium oxide is abrasive, and will ultimately remove the chrome!

I'm not worried with the abrasion it's very mild IMO, doesn't take scratches out so can't be going deep

why not just used a proper product?

Kos wrote:why not just used a proper product?

Because this could be more effective!
I haven't tried it yet but its certainly worth a go don't you think. Anything that could save time and energy.
Granted, the only thing I've used before is Autosol so that is what I would be comparing it to.

Rodderz wrote:Aluminium oxide is abrasive, and will ultimately remove the chrome!

All polishes are abrasive, that's how they work!

Polishing chrome destroys it, autosol is not for use on chrome!

Unless your trying to shine up rusty old shite of course

I always thought that chrome plating is hard and resilient?
Obviously its better to polish and then protect it properly so it doesn't need doing again, but a buff up once or twice a year cant hurt?
Do you think Autosol is too abrasive?

Yes, like I said, chrome plating is not for polishing! The steel itself is polished before the copper/nickel/chrome goes on, the process underneath is what gives it the shine, the chrome is the thin protective top layer only

Carmo13 wrote:

Kos wrote:why not just used a proper product?

Because this could be more effective!
I haven't tried it yet but its certainly worth a go don't you think. Anything that could save time and energy.
Granted, the only thing I've used before is Autosol so that is what I would be comparing it to.

As Dan said autosol is very abrasive and shouldn't be used on chrome

A dedicated product like britemax fine metal polish is designed to do a job without damaging the chrome.

You'll certainly save time & energy by using a proper product rather than a cheapskate idea off YouTube

Carmo13 wrote:

Rodderz wrote:Aluminium oxide is abrasive, and will ultimately remove the chrome!

All polishes are abrasive, that's how they work!

Not all

Kos wrote:

Carmo13 wrote:

Kos wrote:why not just used a proper product?

Because this could be more effective!
I haven't tried it yet but its certainly worth a go don't you think. Anything that could save time and energy.
Granted, the only thing I've used before is Autosol so that is what I would be comparing it to.

As Dan said autosol is very abrasive and shouldn't be used on chrome

A dedicated product like britemax fine metal polish is designed to do a job without damaging the chrome.

You'll certainly save time & energy by using a proper product rather than a cheapskate idea off YouTube

I will keep this in mind. I know you have experience on the cleaning/detailing side of things.

Britemax is also Aluminium oxide with solvents. So I imagine it's quite good.

But when you rub Aluminium foil on chrome you are rubbing it with Aluminium oxide, and because aluminium is much softer than chrome it won't scratch the chrome. But the reason I think the foil works so well is that the exposed aluminium after you rub the surface reacts with any iron oxide (rust) that's there and reduces it, so any minor rust spots get removed as well as the polishing effect.

Carmo13 wrote:

Rodderz wrote:Aluminium oxide is abrasive, and will ultimately remove the chrome!

All polishes are abrasive, that's how they work!

Really? Including wax?....

Chrome plating is only a thin layer, you shouldn't use anything abrasive on it!

Rodderz wrote:

Carmo13 wrote:

Rodderz wrote:Aluminium oxide is abrasive, and will ultimately remove the chrome!

All polishes are abrasive, that's how they work!

Really? Including wax?....

Chrome plating is only a thin layer, you shouldn't use anything abrasive on it!

The vast majority of polishes are abrasive all be it at different levels.
Wax isn't abrasive at all as far I'm aware but that's because it performs a different function.
Polish cuts into a surface to clean it and then wax is applied to protect it.

If your bumper has rust its f**ked anyway, so hit it with whatever takes your fancy

If you have good chrome, MER is a great product to use!