How to Remove Blue Stains on Exhaust Pipes
Over time, your automobile or motorcycle's exhaust pipes begin to discolor due to gases from the engine and moisture interacting with air in and outside of the pipes, known as oxidation. Oxidation stains the pipes with a blue coloring that builds up in layers and can permanently stain your vehicle's exhaust pipes. When removing the blue stains, it is important to use a cleaning method that doesn't scratch or damage the exhaust pipes but still removes the oxidation.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 soft cloths or towels
- Work gloves
- Soft scrub pad: white
- Cold water
- Chrome polish
- 000 steel wool (optional)
Instructions
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1
Park your vehicle on a level, flat surface --- driveway, parking lot or other area. Let the vehicle cool completely to keep from getting burned by a hot exhaust pipe(s).
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2
Wipe your vehicle's exhaust pipe(s) with a clean soft cloth or towel to remove any loose dust and dirt from the pipe(s)s. Wear work gloves to keep debris off of your hands.
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3
Wet a soft, white scrub pad with cold water then wring out excess water. Using a dyed scrub pad will transfer the color of the pad onto your pipe's finish. White scrub pads are also softer and non-abrasive.
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4
Apply 2 to 3 tbsp. of chrome polish to the wet scrub pad. The water activates the polish. Rub the polish onto the blue stain in a back and fourth motion as hard as you can. Do not rub the blue stain in a circular motion --- this will not break up the oxidation. Repeat step until the blue stain is gone.
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5
Wipe the exhaust pipe with a clean, soft cloth or towel to remove excess chrome polish and debris.
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6
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each blue stain present on your vehicle's pipes. Only wet the scrub pad if it becomes completely dry --- too much water will cause the chrome polish to not work properly.
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Tips & Warnings
You may have to complete the steps in this article multiple times to remove blue stains from the exhaust pipes if the buildup is heavy or full of grime and debris.
If your vehicle's pipes are corroded, scrub the corrosion with medium to hard pressure with a piece of 000 steel wool to remove the corrosion then complete steps 2 through 7 in this article.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
