Clean chrome plated. How to clean chrome car parts - various ways to restore the appearance at home. How to remove rust from chrome parts

In everyday life, we often encounter the problem of rust on various materials. In this article we will tell you how to remove rust from chrome and nickel plated surfaces. There is an opinion that chrome parts are less likely to corrode. But this is not so - chrome becomes covered with red spots no worse than ordinary iron.

What is chrome plating and why does it rust?

Chrome plating is a technology for coating metal surfaces with a thin layer of chromium. The most common method of chrome plating is the galvanic method. The essence of this process is the deposition of chromium from the electrolyte onto a metal part under the influence of an electric current. Such actions significantly increase the strength of the material in products, make it more resistant to corrosion and allow the treated metal to be used for decorative purposes.

As a rule, chrome-plated metal is used in plumbing and mechanical engineering. Unfortunately, the beautiful, shiny chrome surface eventually develops small scratches that reveal the metal underneath the chrome. Under the influence of oxygen, an oxidation reaction occurs, as a result of which rust appears on the surface, which, as it turns out, is not easy to clean.

Important! The best way to get rid of rust is to prevent it from occurring.

Recommendations regarding the care of chrome elements of the car

To prevent any damage to the chrome surfaces of your car, you should first of all take care of them:

When washing a car with chrome elements, it is advisable to use warm soapy water. It is necessary to wipe all chrome parts with a soft cloth or sponge immediately after washing.
It is better to wipe the chrome-plated bumper with a cloth moistened with warm water to make it soft.

Important! When treated with rough materials, chrome parts become covered with a network of micro-scratches and quickly become dull.

To reliably protect the bumper from corrosion, after cleaning it with any rust remover, it is necessary to generously lubricate the inside of the lining with “Lithol”.
For the durability of chrome-plated parts, exposure to strong temperature changes and high humidity should be avoided.

Important! In summer, after washing, it is better to place the car in the shade. In winter, it is recommended to use special protective sprays.

The water pressure during cleaning should be low. This will allow you to gently clean delicate surfaces.

Important! It is not recommended to leave the garage with traces of moisture on chrome parts. Wipe them dry before riding or wait until the drops dry naturally.

From time to time, you can wipe the chrome parts with kerosene, then rinse it off with warm water. It is necessary to ensure that kerosene, gasoline or white spirit never remains on the surface of the parts. Kerosene is also used to degrease chrome before polishing.

Important! Keep baking soda and mineral oil away from chrome surfaces.

To protect chrome parts, you can use a special varnish or technical Vaseline. These substances provide good corrosion protection, but may slightly degrade the appearance of chrome.

Important! This protection must be updated once every 2-3 months.

To remove traces of stains and grease, use cleaners.
For effective and high-quality protection, it is better to use products specifically designed for this purpose.

How to remove rust from a chrome surface at home?

How to clean a chrome bathroom shelf and other products? If stains of corrosion do appear, the first step is to localize the source of its spread, clean and remove the rusted area. After this, coat the surface with oil varnish. To remove rust from a chrome surface, you can do without special expensive cleaners. You can find the substances necessary for this at home.

Baking soda

It is necessary to use this product with great care, as soda can cause small scratches. But if you apply it correctly, you will be able to remove rust from a chrome surface without damaging it. For this:

Mix baking soda with water to form a paste.
Apply the mixture to the damaged surface and leave for a few minutes.
Remove baking soda and dirt with a damp soft cloth.

Important! Make sure the baking soda doesn't dry out. Do not leave the paste on the surface for a long time.

Ground chalk or tooth powder:

A similar fine abrasive substance is applied to a flannel cloth and the surface is treated.
After cleaning the rust stains, remove any remaining powder and rust with a damp soft cloth.

Coca-Cola + foil

For this method of removing corrosion, you can use not only Coca-Cola. Pepsi and other similar drinks can easily cope with rust on chrome surfaces:

Wipe all chrome surfaces with a soft cloth to remove dust and dirt.
Wash the parts with warm water.
Take regular food foil, moisten it with Coca-Cola and sand the chrome parts, removing rust stains.
It is advisable to polish the surface with felt or a soft cloth after treatment.

Important! The aluminum foil method works by transferring electrons between metals, reversing the corrosion process. This method must first be tested on a small, inconspicuous area to make sure that such an action will not damage the surface.

Table vinegar:

Fill a plastic bag with vinegar.
Secure the bag over the pieces with a rubber band and leave for several hours or overnight. Small parts can be thrown inside the bag.

Important! The amount of time the vinegar remains on the surface is determined by the degree of rust damage.

Salt and lemon juice:

Mix lemon juice and salt in equal proportions.
Use a soft cloth soaked in the mixture to treat the damaged surface.

GOI paste + motor oil:

Dilute GOI paste with two drops of motor oil.
Using a piece of felt soaked in the resulting product, treat the rusty surface.
Carefully remove any remaining rye and product using a clean, damp cloth.

Important! This method must be used carefully, since the paste is usually coarse-grained. But this particular product gives excellent results, even if you need to remove rust from a chrome surface with a large area of damage.

Potatoes and laundry soap:

Cut the potatoes into two parts.
Rub each part in the cut area thoroughly with laundry soap.
Place the potatoes on the rusty spots for several hours.
Remove any remaining corrosion after a while with a damp soft cloth.

Copper sulfate and hydrochloric acid:

Mix 200 grams of copper sulfate and 50 grams of strong hydrochloric acid in 1 liter of water.
Dip a swab into the resulting solution and blot all rust stains with it.
Afterwards, you need to wipe everything with a weak solution of baking soda, rinse with warm water and dry.

Important! Be sure to carry out this entire procedure only with rubber gloves. Be careful not to get the solution on your skin or clothing.

Dry cement

Using such a fine abrasive will help not only remove rust from the chrome surface, but also polish it:

Apply dry cement using a soft cloth or felt to the damaged areas of chrome metal. Rub them lightly.
Wipe with a dry cloth and degrease the metal.
Place the soft cloth in a metal jar with melted medical wax (paraffin).
When the fabric is soaked, remove it from the jar, wait until it cools and beat off the excess wax.
Rub the surface with a wax cloth until it shines.

WD-40

In case of severe corrosion, as a last resort, you can use the common product WD-40. It is applied like this:

Spray generously and leave for at least 15 minutes.

Important! The optimal processing time to obtain the best result is 1 hour.

After time has passed, wipe the parts well.

The chrome will shine like new.

Removing rust from chrome surfaces of plumbing fixtures and kitchen items

We come across chrome surfaces all the time in our daily lives. Initially, they delight us with their brilliance and radiance in the bathroom and kitchen. Soap scum, mold on plumbing fixtures, dust and dirt in any form play a big role in the loss of the beautiful appearance of such elements. Regular cleaning and maintenance of chrome components is essential to maintaining a clean, shiny appearance. To do this, you can use the following tools:

Multifunctional cleaning products, as well as glass washing liquids (“Mr. Muscle”, “Help”, “Clin” and others). Clean chrome with a soft cloth.
Baking soda and carbonated water are natural alternatives to commercial detergents.
Traces of soap scum from chrome parts of plumbing fixtures can be removed using antistatic wipes or cooking spray.
To remove soap scum, you can mix baking soda with water, apply it to the surface and leave for a few minutes. After this, wipe the surface with a soft damp cloth.

Helpful tips for removing rust from chrome surfaces:

If rust has eaten through the chrome coating, mechanical treatment is necessary. The grit level of the sanding materials is determined by how deeply the parts are damaged by corrosion. In some cases, fine sandpaper is sufficient, in others, coarser grains are needed.

Important! Carefully select the material with which you will apply the cleanser. Sandpaper of any grit is absolutely not suitable for these purposes, as it can cause scratches. Remember that each new scratch is an additional access of oxygen to the metal, it intensifies the rusting process.

If mechanical friction removes a significant amount of metal, it is necessary to protect it by applying primer to weld seams and other areas.
The use of acids is possible only if they are immediately removed from the surface of the parts after processing.
Polish can be used if the damage is shallow. The presence of acid or anhydrous ammonia in the composition of polishes is not allowed.
To remove rust from chrome surfaces without damaging them, you can use steel wool. For particularly stubborn rust, metal wool can be combined with other cleaning products.
You can apply a protective layer of chrome polish, rust spray or deep penetrating lubricant like Prolong, NANOPROTECH, Nordtech, etc. Although these products are quite expensive, they are cost effective in the long run because they The wear of surfaces will be significantly reduced, which will save you from expensive rust removal procedures.
It is best to restore chrome parts damaged by corrosion using specialized compounds that can be purchased at automotive stores.

Removing rust from metal

It's not just chrome surfaces that can be cleaned using home remedies. Almost all of the above methods are quite effective in removing traces of rust on ordinary metal. In addition to them, you can also use the following tools to get the desired result faster:

You can remove rust from metal as quickly as possible using chemicals. As a rule, they contain phosphoric or oxalic acid. Under the influence of acid, rust is completely dissolved.

Important! Such products are very toxic, so you need to wear rubber gloves and a respirator when working with them.

You can also remove rust from metal by using rust converters, which will stop the rust from spreading. The products are in the form of aerosols and are applied to the iron in a light layer.

Important! Such products are used mainly for further painting of metal. In this case, the converters also act as a primer.

You can remove rust from metal using abrasive tools. For this purpose, steel brushes and grinding machines are used. Be prepared for the fact that this process will require significant physical effort from you.

Video material

As you can see, you can remove rust from chrome surfaces and metal using simple products that are found in every home, or using special chemicals. Regularly wash the chrome parts of your home plumbing fixtures to maintain the beauty of your surroundings. With a little effort, the results will delight you with shine and shine for a long time.

Chrome parts appeared with the first cars and are used today. They give the car sophistication and beauty, but, unfortunately, they cannot resist time and the aggressive external environment. It is sometimes difficult to restore chrome parts to their former beauty, but it is possible.

1 Plaque - how to restore the original appearance

The first signs of rust are noticeable as a coating on a shiny surface. Before they turn into strong hot spots, you should clean the chrome parts of your car. Practitioners do not recommend using household chemicals for this purpose, which give a matte and dull appearance. It is better to take ordinary substances that everyone can find at home. The effect will be no worse than the most expensive cleaners. What to choose is up to you.

A very popular cleaning product is Coca-Cola and foil. They easily cope with rust on chrome. First, clean the part from dust with a soft cloth and wash it with warm water. We take ordinary food foil, crumple it into a ball, moisten it with Coca-Cola and three places with traces of plaque and rust. After processing, polish using felt or a soft cloth.

To use the method, you need foil, not a rag: the method is based on the exchange of electrons between metals and reversing the rusting process.

You can clean it with fine abrasive substances, each separately: soda, crushed chalk or tooth powder, fine salt and lemon juice. We make a paste of water and a fine abrasive (for salt - lemon juice), apply it to a flannel cloth and process the part. To remove residual product and rust, wipe with a damp cloth and wipe dry until shiny.

2 Rust on chrome parts - how to remove

We remove obvious traces of corrosion using methods, the use of which depends on the degree of damage. We remove rust that covers a large area with GOI paste. We apply it to a piece of felt and process the part, then wipe it, removing any remaining paste and rust. The paste has quite strong abrasive properties and should be used carefully.

A good effect from using chemicals prepared at home. We take a small bag of copper sulfate (sold in 200 g packets) and 50 ml of hydrochloric acid, dilute it in 1 liter of water. We put on rubber gloves - we work with acid - and dip a swab into the solution. Wipe off the rust and let it sit for a few minutes. Neutralize the acid with a weak soda solution and wipe dry.

Severe corrosion, when nothing else helps, we remove it with the well-known product WD-40. Spray it on the rust spots and leave it for a while. A minimum of 15 minutes is required, but the best effect is achieved after an hour of exposure. Wipe well with a soft dry cloth.

The listed methods are good if corrosion has not damaged the metal to a great depth. Otherwise, more radical measures will be needed. We use hand tools or power tools. We use metal brushes, sandpaper, hard drill bits and even a grinder to remove heavy rust. Clean until pure metal appears. Remains of rust in the recesses can be removed with anti-rust.

Of course, after such stringent measures, the part must be restored. We use putty if the depth of the damaged area is small, or even welding in case of significant damage, including through ones. Only after giving the part a flat, smooth surface do we proceed to restoring the chrome coating.

3 Polishing - the use of industrial and folk remedies

When the chrome on parts simply fades and loses its shine, it is not difficult to return it to its original appearance. The chrome layer is very thin, so care must be taken when cleaning and polishing.

We choose one of the cleaning products, apply it to a napkin and wipe the chrome surfaces. Wash off the residue with water and wipe dry. When it is noticeable that the chrome has tarnished, cut the lemon, leaving only the skin, which we use to wipe the part. Rinse again with water, dry and rub with a soft cloth until shiny.

Let's start polishing. GOI paste gives a good effect - it not only restores the shiny surface, but also removes minor scratches. Depending on the size of the abrasive, it is produced under different numbers:

4 – the roughest, removes oxides, polishes deep scratches;
3 – medium, gives the surface a smooth matte finish;
1.2 – finishing, returns original quality.

To restore chrome on a car, numbers 3, 2, 1 in that order are enough. For convenient work, use a few drops of oil. The bumper, radiator grille and other external parts, except door handles, are not cleaned of oil after polishing. Its thin layer will create a good protective film, invisible to the eye, and protect against salt on the roads in winter.

You can use special polishes for chrome. We manually polish with a cotton cloth or microfiber with an applied compound, wiping until shiny. High-quality polishing is carried out using a polishing machine or polishing wheels using an electric drill. We carry it out in two stages. First, we use a felt circle and turn on the tool at medium speed. For final processing we use a felt or foam rubber circle, the speed is also medium.

It is important not to overheat the parts! We do not linger in one place; we moisten the part with water.

4 Vinyl film - gluing technology

In some cases, restoration of chrome plating is impossible - the damage to the surface is too great. You can restore the original appearance by using vinyl film, or rather, one of its varieties: chrome-plated. Decorating with regular film is easier than with chrome-look film. It has its own characteristics, the process is not so difficult as it requires accuracy.

We remove the part from the car, remove the entire layer of chrome and clean the metal. Next is cleaning: wash thoroughly and degrease with an aqueous solution of white spirit. We apply the film to the part without tearing off the backing. We choose a placement and outline the boundaries, trim off the excess, but with a margin. We definitely invite an assistant - we can’t cope further alone.

Spray the part with soapy water, sparing it. Remove the backing from the film and apply it to the part, fixing it with your fingers in the corners. We heat the film with a hair dryer, while simultaneously running the squeegee from the middle to the edges. We ensure that the film adheres tightly to the part, following its contours.

The film must be heated to an almost critical temperature - up to 200 °. If you heat it up at one point for more than 10 seconds, the film will not shine in that place.

Use a squeegee to squeeze out air bubbles and soap solution. We trim the film with a margin of 5 mm. For gluing we use special glue Primer 94, follow the instructions for use. Wipe with a napkin and leave to dry. It takes a week for it to dry completely. It is important at this time to maintain the temperature that was during pasting, without washing. The film is very thin; further washing should be done carefully with a soft, damp cloth.

5 Imitation chrome – paint application

Truly chrome plating using electroplating at home is very difficult and impractical, and seeking services from specialized workshops is expensive. The solution could be painting that imitates chrome plating. Even with high-quality paints, light reflection does not exceed 95%; the protective properties are also incomparable with galvanic coating. But, nevertheless, such a budget option has the right to life.

Paints with a chrome plating effect belong to one of the categories: in cans and cans. It seems like there is no difference, but in fact it is significant. The contents of the cans are more expensive, after application they do not have a high-quality reflective effect; they vaguely resemble chrome. In cans, the paint is intended for professionals, aesthetically closer to chrome surfaces.

Metallic paints are available in one- and two-component versions. The latter have an acrylic or epoxy base. Preparing for use will take time - we mix the base with the hardener, but the quality will be high.

Dyeing technology:

Apply several layers of black primer to the carefully prepared, degreased part;
after drying, apply a layer of ceramic varnish, dry for one hour at 60°;
keep for three days at normal temperature, then paint with chrome paint in 4 layers;
dry for 24 hours at 20° or 1 hour at 60°;
cover with protective varnish.

After drying, the part should be polished, and we get, although not real chrome plating, but a better look than with a damaged coating.

There are quite a lot of chrome-plated products in modern homes. These are faucets, heated towel rails, shower heads, hooks and rods for hanging things and even the housings of some household appliances. All these items look great and can be used even in very humid environments for many years without corrosion. Of course, over time, chrome loses its shine and beauty, and it no longer looks so impressive. Stains on the surface appear very easily, but if you regularly clean the chrome product, there will be no problems. But it also happens that you don’t get around to maintaining a shiny thing and the idea to clean it comes only when it starts to look untidy. What should you do to restore the shine to a chrome-plated item?

Main pollution factors

Before you start cleaning a chrome-plated item, it is worth understanding what the main factors of contamination are. Everyone is well aware of the low quality of tap water. It is the substances contained in it that are the main enemies of chrome shine. Water can contain more than 1,000 different components, many of which can create a permanent coating on objects. The most unpleasant of all is limescale deposits - it appears quite quickly and, unfortunately, it will not be possible to get rid of it with ordinary detergents.

They also affect chrome-plated products and other substances. In the kitchen, most often, grease deposits can be found on chrome surfaces. Despite the fact that it is not comparable in durability to lime, in advanced cases you will have to tinker with cleaning, even if you have a good detergent to combat grease.

Water and soap

As trivial as it may sound, the most effective way to return chrome-plated items to their original shine is ordinary soap. The type and type of this detergent is not at all important, although more concentrated formulations make cleaning faster. In this regard, we can recommend using laundry soap, which is ground on a fine grater and dissolved in warm water. Liquid soap for hands and face is also suitable, and in extreme cases, shampoo or shower gel. The exact proportions of the detergent composition are not important, but it is better that the soap concentration is as high as possible.

The soap solution is applied to the chrome plated object using a soft cloth. After the entire surface to be cleaned is covered with the composition, you need to wait a few minutes and only then begin to wipe off the dirt. We often have to deal with chrome-plated products of complex shape, such as faucets. It is not easy to clean these items properly due to their complex shape. To make the task easier, use an old toothbrush to clean, which will allow you to get into the most secluded corners.

Vinegar

If grease can be defeated with soap, then in order to fight limescale, you will have to use “heavier artillery”. It is known that lime is destroyed in an acidic environment, so the ideal remedy to combat it is ordinary table vinegar. When working with this liquid, you need to take certain precautions - avoid contact with eyes and, preferably, on exposed skin. Vinegar, like a soap solution, is applied to chrome surfaces using a soft cloth or household spray. This substance begins to act immediately after application - the plaque literally dissolves before our eyes and all that remains is to wash it off from the item being cleaned with warm water.

Chrome polishes

Chrome, free of impurities, shines and is pleasing to the eye. But there are ways to give the surface a real mirror shine. To do this, you will have to purchase special polishes for chrome-plated products, which today are widely represented on the home care market and in auto chemical stores. Each of these compositions has its own technology of use, which is described in detail in the instructions or on the label, but they all give a magnificent effect that you and your loved ones will surely appreciate.

What you should never do

Even though chrome is a metal, it is quite easy to damage. This is due to the fact that, firstly, chromium is a rather soft metal, and secondly, the coating applied by manufacturers to products is designed only for corrosion protection and an aesthetic effect, so its thickness is a fraction of a millimeter. A chrome-plated product can be scratched even with a hard dishwashing sponge, therefore, despite the temptation to do the job faster and better, under no circumstances should you use abrasive products and substances for cleaning. Chromium can also be destroyed by certain chemicals. Because of this, if you are going to use commercial cleaners for the job, make sure that they can be used to clean chrome, otherwise you risk permanently damaging the shiny surface.

A real headache for many housewives is the usual rust that occurs on chrome products in the bathroom and kitchen. Despite the widespread belief that chrome is immune to corrosion, red spots often appear on plumbing fixtures, shelves, holders and other metal products.

Chrome faucets are in high demand due to their durability and aesthetic appearance.

Chrome plating is the coating of metal products with a thin layer of chromium. Thanks to this procedure, the strength of the material increases and its aesthetic qualities increase. However, unfortunately, such a coating does not protect against rust. This kind of trouble occurs due to the appearance of small scratches on the surface of the chrome. Ordinary metal, which is under the coating, oxidizes under the influence of oxygen, resulting in a problem such as rust. In addition, in everyday life, a chrome surface is exposed to soap scum, mold and dust - all these factors make the shiny surface cloudy, completely destroying the feeling of comfort and cleanliness. Luckily, removing dirt and rust from a chrome surface isn't that difficult.

How to remove rust from chrome parts

You can clean the surface from rust using special means, or by resorting to folk recipes. Today, manufacturers offer a lot of tools for quickly and efficiently removing rust stains. However, there are several methods of cleansing using available products.

What you can use to combat corrosion:

soft fabric;
regular baking soda;
liquids containing acid (vinegar, lemon juice or regular Coca-Cola);
salt;
tin foil;
metal wool.

How to clean chrome - folk recipes

How to clean chrome with professional products

There are professional compositions for removing rust from chrome - as a rule, there are markings on the packaging of the product indicating the possibility of cleaning, polishing and protecting. In particular, we can highlight Doctor Wax and Metal Polish. The cost of such products is justified: the cost of high-quality chrome care will be minimal - as a rule, weekly treatment is enough.

It is better to use professional compounds in a well-ventilated area and keep children and pets away from the freshly treated surface.

How to prevent corrosion

To care for a chrome surface, use only gentle products - this will help keep the appearance in perfect condition for a long time.

Regular cleaning and maintenance of chrome surfaces will help prevent damage to the coating and subsequent oxidation of the metal. It must be remembered that any processing of chrome-plated products must be carried out with due care to avoid any damage to the coating.

Various multi-functional cleaners, such as Cillit Bang, Mister Muscle, etc., do an excellent job of removing dirt and do not harm chrome. After cleaning, wipe the shiny surface with a soft cloth.
Old soap scum can be removed from plumbing fixtures using cooking spray or using wipes with an antistatic effect. Chrome stained with soap should be treated with a spray and wiped with a cloth.
Strictly monitor the materials and products used to clean metal products. Compositions containing abrasive particles should be excluded - they lead to additional damage to the chrome plated product and only aggravate the problem of rust. Also, do not try to remove stains with sandpaper - deep scratches increase the access of oxygen to the metal, provoking its oxidation. Gentle products, fabric and metal wool will help keep the chrome coating in its original condition for a long time.

Caring for chrome products

A protective layer of special polishing will help reduce natural surface wear and prevent corrosion. There are also anti-rust sprays and lubricants that protect the chrome from damage.

If the chrome surface has suffered significant damage, you can use spray paint, which refreshes the coating and helps prevent further rust stains.

You can purchase similar products at hardware stores. In addition to the color that imitates a metal coating, this paint has a wide palette, so painting can revive a boring interior. Coating the surface with paint will protect the product from subsequent “attacks” of rust.

Rust on home plumbing is not such a terrible problem. Thanks to simple steps, the chrome surface will serve faithfully for a long time to the delight of its owners.

Technologies are developing, the automotive industry is moving forward by leaps and bounds, but one detail is present on equipment of any generation. Restoring chrome car parts is a problem so old that at first it seems surprising why something hasn’t been invented for it yet. Just like half a century ago, drivers face the same task.

Today the driver does not have to, simple restoration can be carried out in the garage. However, it is more logical to prevent the problem, so first we will look at how to care for a chrome surface.

Prevention

Scratches and dullness

Chrome parts give the car a special look. They sparkle in the sun and reflect like a mirror in cloudy weather. It is the reflectivity of chrome that requires constant maintenance. Treating your car well is not enough, since such a surface is easily covered with small scratches and becomes dull over time.
Contrary to popular belief, chrome rusts no worse than regular metal. Therefore, caring for chrome parts is extremely important. Pay attention to the cars. It is advisable to use soapy warm water. You need to wipe with a soft cloth or soft foam sponge. From rough material, smooth metal begins to dull over time due to a network of microscopic scratches. Before cleaning the chrome bumper with a rag, dampen it in water.

Use low water pressure. Avoid temperature changes in both summer and winter. In warm weather, after washing the car, it is enough to put the car in the shade, and in winter it is better to use protective sprays with an oil base and do not leave the garage if there is moisture on the chrome surface.

From time to time you can wipe the part with kerosene and carefully rinse it off with warm water. Under no circumstances should substances such as kerosene, gasoline or white spirit be left on the surface, and it is better to avoid contact with soda or mineral oil altogether. However, before polishing the part, you need to degrease it, and here kerosene is perfect.

Rust

A little mechanical protection would not harm a chrome bumper, because it is not for nothing that manufacturers are increasingly using steel thrust bars that increase the strength and protection of bumpers. However, the main danger for chromium is corrosion. This is especially true on Russian roads, where a car cannot avoid encountering aggressive road agents.

Sometimes the situation allows for the application of varnish over a chrome surface. He doesn't last long, and he doesn't look his best, but he copes with the task of protection.

It is best to protect the part in advance by covering it with a special compound. Salt water can cause even high-quality products to become stained with rust. Repair of chrome parts in this case begins with localizing the source of corrosion - removing the rusted area mechanically and treating it with oil varnish. If the chrome layer has not been touched, it is enough to polish the damage with WD-40.

At home, you can find something to polish chrome without going to the store. They use soda, but it may be too hard. Unnoticeable traces are removed with soft powder or chalk, ground and applied to a flannel cloth.

Polishing with your own hands is possible, but here it is better not to use your hands, but to use special compounds for polishing chrome. You can buy them at any auto store. If there is severe corrosion, you will have to use WD-40, although this is a last resort. Depending on the severity of the damage, you will have to perform some of the operations described below.

Before cleaning, remove the part and move it to a place protected from extreme temperatures.
When rust eats right through the chrome plating, mechanical cleaning is required. Everything is determined by the depth of the damage. In some cases, it is necessary to use rough grinding with coarse abrasive.
If a significant area of metal has been removed, care must be taken to protect it, apply a primer to the welds, and so on. If the cleaning plan is not restoration, but painting, then two types of primer will be required - acidic and basic.
Chrome plating at home is impossible. A car service center will tell you how to restore such a part, but as an alternative, you can consider covering the part with a metallized film, painting the part, and galvanic silvering. For metachrome plating, you will need to carry out a silver reduction reaction from inorganic salt at home. This is quite possible, but silver wears out easily and is not suitable as a coating for external parts.
Use the cleaner to remove traces of grease and stains. It is acceptable to use substances containing acids, but the solution must be removed from the part immediately. Anhydrous ammonia and acids are not allowed in polishes.
For shallow damage, you will need either polish or regular chalk (tooth powder). The polish can be replaced with GOI paste diluted with a couple of drops of engine oil. The paste is coarse - be careful! A folk remedy is foil soaked in Coca-Cola.
For strong polishing, you can use felt. Otherwise, it is better to choose a soft cloth.

Video showing rust removal from a chrome bumper:

Paint over chrome

Chrome is an extremely hard metal and a thorough surface treatment will be required before painting a chrome part. It is necessary to bring it to a matte state - small scratches will improve the adhesion of the material. Then you should remove dust from the surface, degrease and successively apply several layers of primer:

acidic primer, which provides rigid adhesion to the surface, since tenths of a micron are eaten into the metal;
primary (main) primer to protect the part from corrosion and adhesion to paint;
filler primer - necessary if you need to level the surface.

A phosphating primer is sold specifically for metal surfaces. The substance is a mixture of acid and basic primer. It can be used instead of oxidation and phosphating; the main goal is to protect the metal for a long time. After preliminary degreasing, paint is applied to the last layer of primer.

Conclusion

If the question of how to restore a chrome part is relevant to you, then the corrosion process has probably already gone too far. To ensure that the part does not lose its attractiveness over time, you need to handle it carefully. Attentiveness and caring attitude towards chrome are the main ways to fight for its appearance.

A part that has not been protected in a timely manner is difficult to restore. However, you should not give up. A little patience, good theoretical preparation, and your bumper will shine like new.