cleaning wood (cook) stoves

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Any suggestions to clean and shine the chrome/nickel on a wood stove that is in good shape (nearly new reproduction) but badly stained. SOS pads work but I am afraid of scratching the surface. Stains are of uncertain origon but generally have a tarnished film appearence.

-- Howard Bender (millsite@magma.ca), November 23, 2001

Answers

Response to cleaning wood stoves

Chrome polish is available at motorcycle shops that is for exhaust pipes, I do not know about the fumes in an enclosed area.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 23, 2001.

Response to cleaning wood stoves

It's probably overheated chrome. Chrome polish will brighten it, but it will reoccur.

-- Ed (smikula@bellsouth.net), November 23, 2001.

Response to cleaning wood stoves

Hi Howard,

We've used an old-fashioned metal polish called Flitz. We couldn't find it in the hardware stores but found it in a little mom & pop corner store and it was covered with dust. As previously posted, the chrome will tarnish again, but it does look wonderful when polished.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), November 23, 2001.


Response to cleaning wood stoves

When I worked at a metals plating shop, the plating guys would sometimes do little jobs on the side-- maybe you could get a metals plater to rechrome it for you?

-- Dawn (olsoncln@ecenet.com), November 23, 2001.

Response to cleaning wood stoves

Try a good rubbing with aluminum foil. Charlie

-- charlie (charliesap@pldi.net), November 23, 2001.


Also cleaning chrome with an acid based cleaner (CLR, x-14, vanish liquid) will give chrome a brownish tarnished appearance as the acid reacts with the chrome. Don't use that stuff. You can polish off the coating though.

-- Ed (smikula@bellsouth.net), November 24, 2001.

While looking for something else, I came across a product mentioned above, Flitz metal polish at fireplacestuff.com/catalog/accessories.htm

-- bluetick (coonhound@mindspring.com), November 25, 2001.

You can purchase FLITZ at www.lehmans.com for about $10.00 a tube.

-- W. Friesen (will__freez@hotmail.com), December 27, 2001.

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