How to Refinish Chrome Hub Caps

Restore the shine to chrome hubcaps with metal polish.

Refinishing the chrome hubcaps on your car makes them look new whether the car is only a couple of years old or a vintage classic. Restoring the shine helps disguise the dull appearance caused by road debris, scratching the hubcaps on a curve or salt residue in the winter. Just a bit of elbow grease, the right products and about an hour of your time transforms the look of this car feature.

Things You'll Need

• Mild dishwashing soap
• Plastic bucket
• Sponges
• Garden hose
• Baking soda or calcium carbonate
• Soft, dry towels
• Metal polish formulated for chrome
• Cleaning cloth

Instructions

1. Swish warm water and a squirt of mild dishwashing soap into a plastic bucket to create suds.

2. Wash the chrome hubcaps with a soapy sponge and rinse them well with a garden hose.

3. Dampen a clean sponge with water and then sprinkle baking soda on it. Calcium carbonate is another effective cleaner to polish and brighten chrome. It is sometimes sold under the name whiting. Test it on a hidden area first. Rub it in one direction only, since it is mildly abrasive.

4. Rub the baking soda and sponge over the chrome hubcaps. The product is non-abrasive and won't scratch the chrome. Rinse the hubcaps well and dry with a towel. Sometimes this is all that is necessary to restore the shine to the chrome.

5. Dip a soft cleaning cloth into metal polish formulated for chrome.

6. Polish the chrome using a circular motion. The polish turns dull, but if you continue to buff the area it restores the finish and shine of the chrome.

7. Add more metal polish to a clean section of the cloth and refinish the other areas of the hubcap. The polish leaves a coating that helps protect it from further damage.

Tips & Warnings

• Combine one teaspoon salt and one cup white distilled vinegar to make an inexpensive, homemade metal polish. Stir in enough white flour to form a thick paste. Apply the paste onto the chrome hubcaps and let it dry. Leave the mixture on the hubcaps for about 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse the hubcaps with a garden hose and dry them with a soft cloth.

References

• Michigan State University Extension: Cleaning Chrome
• Washington State University Cooperative Extension: Back to Basics Creative Cleaning
• Galveston County Master Gardeners: Mix It Yourself Cleaning Kit