cleaning rust off chrome plated steel and stainless steel (how do you do it?)

[ozziweb]

Im having a bugger of a time keeping my boat clean mainly around the bimini poles that seem to be chrome plated steel

Tried CLR clear didnt do anything, hoping one of you guys know of a better chemical that will take surface rust stains off before they turn into something more serious?

Cheers
richard

[Noelm]

If it is stainless steel, there is lots of proprietary products that will take the rust off, but most require some elbow grease to clean, I kind of doubt it's chrome plated steel?

[Ducksnutz]

Hey Richard,

i use metal polish liquid made by Autosol readily available from those big franchise automotive stores. Good gear to clean and protect.

[blacklab]

Not knowing the exact make up of the metals....
go and get some 0000 steel wool, it must be 0000 though.
you can safely use that, I use it for cleaning down glass, polishing the chrome on my classic Brit bike, it wont scratch it.
You can soak it in something, the liquid also stops a lot of the filings coming off and dropping, which will rust things it comes in contact with after a while.
It will remove your rust stain with ease.....look for something to coat or protect the surface, or its probably going to re occur......

[Blackened]

G'day

Here's my suggestions....

I highly doubt your bimini poles are chrome plated steel - most likely stainless, chrome plated brass or anodized alloy (doesn't explain the rust, if that's what it is) of sorts.

For removing rust stains from stainless with little effort, the best product I've found is clean a shine rust off gel. essentially a gel like vaseline with phosphoric acid in it. Simply brush on and rinse off.

In order to help prevent the stainless from rusting, then polish it with any good quality metal polish. Autosol is very good.

Dave

[ozziweb]

Great idea guys I didnt think of steel wool, I will go get some from bunnings tomorrow.

Dave - I will go and get some of that cleanashine, I know there must have been a better product than what I am using

How can you tell if its stainless or chrome plated steel? Seems to be a lot of surface rust especially where the welds are and hands grab frequently?

[inveratta]

stainless steel...well a good grade of stainless is not magnetic......steel is.If an inappropriate grade of stainless was used it,or it wasnt finished properly post manufacture, it would explain the reappearing surface rust..

Im not familiar with using steel wool to clean stainless.Is 0000 stainless wool or not?If its not I would think twice about using it.Generally its better to avoid contaminating stainless surface with non stainless product.Gels and polish are safer.Although steel wool might be quick and give you a visual result ,it introduces steel onto the surface of the stainless which simply speeds up the next round of rust.

[Fed]

Put up some good hi def pictures of it ozziweb.

[blacklab]

That's true inveratter, you've got to be really careful of the bits of steel wool don't drop or sit anywhere, as they will rust.

But Its a great product for removing stains and the like, then put a protective polish or the likes afterwards.

As mentioned, 0000 only ! I periodically clean down all the chrome on my old Brit bikes, with a lot of frame steel all round it, as long as you

make sure any filings are blown or washed off, nothing will clean up chrome or stainless faster.

One of my bikes back chrome guards has rust pit markes all over it, so I removed it thinking I was up for a re chrome, I soaked the 0000 in some wd40

and went to work on it, you have to look real close at it to only see tiny pit holes, it completely removed all traces of rust, I coated it with a good polish, autosol,

That was 4 years ago, she's as good as the day I did it, not a trace of any rust re appearing.
Like all things, just got to be aware of potential pit falls and do it right.............

[blacklab]

Oh, I will note, a guy I new didn't take head to advice about the small filings that do occur, he cleaned up his S/S bait board on the boat
and didn't hose off, a few weeks later the small filings had rusted all the top of his engine well area !!! it did cut off with fibre glass cut and polish, but it can make
a mess if you don't clean up afterwards...........

[randell]

Try out of the square, rub the rust with aluminium foil. My mate who has motorbikes told me about it. It works....
But it doesn't solve the problem.............
randell

[Noelm]

You don't need steel wool, you can buy nylon scourer pads made for the job, along with special liquid polish made just for stainless, even plain old dish washing nylon scourers will be better than steel wool!

[blacklab]

You don't need steel wool, you can buy nylon scourer pads made for the job, along with special liquid polish made just for stainless, even plain old dish washing nylon scourers will be better than steel wool!

Have you ever used 0000 steel wool Noel ????
comparing a plain old dish washing nylon scourer as better than 0000 is some what of a stretch !
Call into a re chromer some time and ask them how they polish re chromed products up and remove staining,
bet the answer isnt " with a product" or a plain old dish washing scourer !
but each to his own
good luck removing the stain anyways ozziwebb.
C

[Noelm]

Not saying to use a dish scourer( well I did say they are OK) but you can buy special nylon pads for stainless, I got some given to me by the company that made my stainless balcony rails, and after 2 years, I have only used one pad and about half a bottle of the polish, steel wool works a treat, but, you do need to clean ALL the small bits off later, if the welds are rusting, they may not have been treated (pickled) when new?

[blacklab]

Yeah I agree, the trick I use and the manufacturer recommends, is, with stainless wool, soak it in kerosene, I actually use wd40, this seems to contain
most of the fibres, but you must hose off afterwards.
Funnily enough, I was given a " natural" method which a few people have sworn by, which is vinager and baking soda, its suppose to literally melt rust stains off,
Well, wasn't to keen on putting something to near fibre glass or a new 2 pack paint job on a bike that I'd just spent 6 months concoursing, if it takes rust out easily
I couldn't imagine what it would do to those surfaces, or I wasn't prepared to take a risk. But, it supposedly works a treat.
We have a lady come on to a local radio programme down here, who says she can lift stains from anything, be it mould, ink stains, on any surface or fabric, she was a painting restorer for years. Have tried a lot of her concoctions for various stains on the home front, with amazing results. bi carb and vinegar seems to be her go to as well, very interesting,,,,, Her lastest one was mould or fungi removal off driveways !!! I would waterblast, supposedly that's wrong, a copper based product sprinkled over the mould growth completely destroys it !, we live and learn as I always say......... albeit off topic a tad..........

[wirlybird]

Coke and aluminium foil could do the trick


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[Cobbo1]

Can't offer too much more help on the cleaning as everyone has already given some pretty solid suggestions, but as far as keeping it looking good, I use rainex (little yellow bottle from supercheap, meant for windscreens) squirt onto a rag, wipe rag all over chrome/stainless and let it dry, it will go all cloudy, once it's dry just wipe off with a clean, dry rag, reapply every 3 or 4 trips, when you get home from a trip you will see how easy the salt spray washes off.