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Thread: How to get your stainless to shine

  1. #1
    Senior Member sadeeky's Avatar
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    How to get your stainless to shine

    I have been using all kinds of household stainless shine and I can't find one that really shines really good. Does any one know what it takes to have a really good shine? Is there some kind of sealant that people use to cut down on fingerprints?

  2. #2
    Certified Stainless!! Chris Burns's Avatar
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    Bar Keepers friend is a good product for the heavy cleaning. Although extra buffing is required as it will leave a powdery residue.

    Windex and Simple Green stainless cleaner is good for the light touch ups.

  3. #3
    Motors about after dark Michael's Avatar
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    If you want your car to be it's best and brightest, BKP is hard to beat. It removes all the steel and dirt left in the grain from blending and really brings it to it's best...but it won't stay that way for long.

    In a few days after cleaning, the oxide layer will form on the surface which will dull the stainless slightly. The only way to make your car shine better is to improve the factory grain, which can only be done with abrasives and a lot of elbow grease. A few people have done this to their cars and it looks pretty good, the mirror polished cars are definately a show stopper, but over the top for me.
    http://dmctalk.org/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=90&dateline=161808992  9

  4. #4
    Senior Member sadeeky's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Burns View Post
    Bar Keepers friend is a good product for the heavy cleaning. Although extra buffing is required as it will leave a powdery residue.

    Windex and Simple Green stainless cleaner is good for the light touch ups.
    Ok cool! The Bar keepers friend do I get the powder or the soft cleanser? Where can I get it? And how many cans do I buy for the whole car? How do you apply it?

    Sorry for all the questions I figured you probably know more than me

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    Quote Originally Posted by sadeeky View Post
    Ok cool! The Bar keepers friend do I get the powder or the soft cleanser? Where can I get it? And how many cans do I buy for the whole car? How do you apply it?

    Sorry for all the questions I figured you probably know more than me
    Here's a good link Damian:

    http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/where-to-buy/Florida

    I personally bought a small container of both the liquid and the powder, and have still never even opened the liquid. I like the powder.

    Follow these general steps:

    1) Wet the whole car down, heck, maybe even wash it all ahead of time like you would a normal car with soap and water.
    2) Then on one small section at a time, like a door, or quarter panel, or the hood, get it fairly wet with your garden hose.
    3) Put a little bit of the BKF powder on a scrubber (scotch brite pad, or likewise, but not steel wool)
    4) With straight strokes going the direction of the grain, push the scrub pad along the stainless, repeating a few times on each little strip. If your scrub pad is 5" wide, then you do a strip 5" wide at a time, then move over or up to the next strip. Try to do this sort of thing systematically.
    5) Now make sure you rinse off your little section you were working on fairly quickly. This is key, because as others have mentioned, the powder can leave a white residue behind. So wet the area, push with moderate pressure on your scrub pad with a little powder on it in straight strips with the grain, rinse off, repeat.
    6) Once you have a whole quarter panel done, rinse it off well, paying close attention to the black areas of the car for residue like around the windshield.
    7) Finish all sections of the car, then for good measure, wash it again with soap and water if you'd like to ensure no residue is left.

    Now you're done, get your car show stuff ready and head off to the cruise night!


    Sept. 81, auto, black interior

  6. #6
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    LOL, nice, just saw this on their car care section of the BKF's website:

    “I am restoring a 1981 DeLorean. This car was manufactured with a stainless steel skin. I’ve been trying to find the right polishing compound to bring the original glow back to the stainless steel. I found Bar Keepers Friend and it has worked wonders – much better than any paste type metal cleaners and a little goes a long way, and it takes a lot less elbow grease.” – Bob in Greely, Ontario


    Sept. 81, auto, black interior

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    Senior Member QuadcityDMC's Avatar
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    I used aircraft polish and the DMC cleaning kit. I washed the car over and over and then used the brush pad, and washed again.

    Before:


    After:



    I did find a product that helps keep finger prints off pertty good. Its called "Ice" I kinda like rainx for wax.

    I wash my car ALL the time!

  8. #8
    Certified Stainless!! Chris Burns's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sadeeky View Post
    Ok cool! The Bar keepers friend do I get the powder or the soft cleanser? Where can I get it? And how many cans do I buy for the whole car? How do you apply it?

    Sorry for all the questions I figured you probably know more than me
    I used the liquid kind and it worked great! It was like $2,50 a bottle when I bought it. Usually grocery stores carry it. You only need one bottle.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Jimmyvonviggle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by QuadcityDMC View Post
    I used aircraft polish and the DMC cleaning kit. I washed the car over and over and then used the brush pad, and washed again.

    Before:


    After:



    I did find a product that helps keep finger prints off pertty good. Its called "Ice" I kinda like rainx for wax.

    I wash my car ALL the time!
    Where do you get aircraft polish?

  10. #10
    Senior Member sadeeky's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan View Post
    Here's a good link Damian:

    http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/where-to-buy/Florida

    I personally bought a small container of both the liquid and the powder, and have still never even opened the liquid. I like the powder.

    Follow these general steps:

    1) Wet the whole car down, heck, maybe even wash it all ahead of time like you would a normal car with soap and water.
    2) Then on one small section at a time, like a door, or quarter panel, or the hood, get it fairly wet with your garden hose.
    3) Put a little bit of the BKF powder on a scrubber (scotch brite pad, or likewise, but not steel wool)
    4) With straight strokes going the direction of the grain, push the scrub pad along the stainless, repeating a few times on each little strip. If your scrub pad is 5" wide, then you do a strip 5" wide at a time, then move over or up to the next strip. Try to do this sort of thing systematically.
    5) Now make sure you rinse off your little section you were working on fairly quickly. This is key, because as others have mentioned, the powder can leave a white residue behind. So wet the area, push with moderate pressure on your scrub pad with a little powder on it in straight strips with the grain, rinse off, repeat.
    6) Once you have a whole quarter panel done, rinse it off well, paying close attention to the black areas of the car for residue like around the windshield.
    7) Finish all sections of the car, then for good measure, wash it again with soap and water if you'd like to ensure no residue is left.

    Now you're done, get your car show stuff ready and head off to the cruise night!
    OH WOW THANKS JONATHAN for the step by step. So scratch pad means green pad right? By doing after you wash the residue off it gets pretty shinny? So basically wet the car put some powder on a scrap pad. Scrub with the grain. How much do I scrub the sections. then hose off. Is that in a nutshell?

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