Living in Southwest Florida has demonstrated that there is no such thing as "stainless steel" on a boat. What is the best thing to use to remove minor tarnishing on rails, etc?
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Here is one superb, cheap, effective product
Tom, I would marvel at how tarnished, oily and dim the brass handrails were in our Corporate Center...only to find them gleaming again the next day. Commercial building cleaners can't afford West Marine metal polish, so I tracked down the product multiple vendors use in our area (Tampa/St. Pete). It's Easy Dab, a product made by National Chemical Labs in Phila, PA. You will find this at cleaning supply stores (their customers are the businesses operating cleaning services), it's a light greenish cream that won't hurt your hands, and I purchase it for $7 for a quart. It lasts a l-o-n-g time. When someone's helped us out or we want to say 'thanks' for some reason, I show up at their boat and start making corroded stainless fittings instantly polished and shiny...and with no work on my part; it's quite amazing. When they gawk and then get excited, I hand them the quarter container and tell 'em to have fun.<g> To find who sells it in your area, call 800 NAT CHEM. Jack
Tom, I would marvel at how tarnished, oily and dim the brass handrails were in our Corporate Center...only to find them gleaming again the next day. Commercial building cleaners can't afford West Marine metal polish, so I tracked down the product multiple vendors use in our area (Tampa/St. Pete). It's Easy Dab, a product made by National Chemical Labs in Phila, PA. You will find this at cleaning supply stores (their customers are the businesses operating cleaning services), it's a light greenish cream that won't hurt your hands, and I purchase it for $7 for a quart. It lasts a l-o-n-g time. When someone's helped us out or we want to say 'thanks' for some reason, I show up at their boat and start making corroded stainless fittings instantly polished and shiny...and with no work on my part; it's quite amazing. When they gawk and then get excited, I hand them the quarter container and tell 'em to have fun.<g> To find who sells it in your area, call 800 NAT CHEM. Jack
Clraning SS or Chrome
Tom: I use Never Dull which a very inexpensive impregnated wadding you can buy in your local hardware store. VERY easy to use. Bud Cook
Tom: I use Never Dull which a very inexpensive impregnated wadding you can buy in your local hardware store. VERY easy to use. Bud Cook
Cleaning SS or Chrome
Tom: I use Never Dull which a very inexpensive impregnated wadding you can buy in your local hardware store. VERY easy to use. Bud Cook
Tom: I use Never Dull which a very inexpensive impregnated wadding you can buy in your local hardware store. VERY easy to use. Bud Cook
Barkeeper Friend
This is a powdered cleaner found in most supermarkets. Works great to clean rust from SS stanchions without much work.
This is a powdered cleaner found in most supermarkets. Works great to clean rust from SS stanchions without much work.
I just ordered two quarts of the stuff Jack
suggested. It should be here next week. I'll test it on some old stuff outback and report here. Jack, you don't work for those guys, do you?
suggested. It should be here next week. I'll test it on some old stuff outback and report here. Jack, you don't work for those guys, do you?
There are many effective choices...
...as the oxidizing associated with most high-end forms of stainless is very much on the surface. OTOH I had a custom 1/4" 304 stainless plate made up, which I thru-bolted onto both caprails and the stem of my boat and on which I mounted a windlass. As everyone knows, 304 stainless corrodes more easily and, if left unpolished, the surface of 304 plate can be somewhat porous and rough, making cleaning quite difficult. Easy Dab cleans it up 100%, again without effort, but it does take a bit more on the rag and longer application. (And no, Fred - just a satisified customer). I'm guessing many of us who've used Never Dull got started in the military (we used it everywhere on the subs I was on). It's better on brass than Easy Dab (altho' more work, physically) but doesn't compare on stainless, IME. Jack
...as the oxidizing associated with most high-end forms of stainless is very much on the surface. OTOH I had a custom 1/4" 304 stainless plate made up, which I thru-bolted onto both caprails and the stem of my boat and on which I mounted a windlass. As everyone knows, 304 stainless corrodes more easily and, if left unpolished, the surface of 304 plate can be somewhat porous and rough, making cleaning quite difficult. Easy Dab cleans it up 100%, again without effort, but it does take a bit more on the rag and longer application. (And no, Fred - just a satisified customer). I'm guessing many of us who've used Never Dull got started in the military (we used it everywhere on the subs I was on). It's better on brass than Easy Dab (altho' more work, physically) but doesn't compare on stainless, IME. Jack
Second Barkeepers Friend
The stuff is wonderful. It was recommended to us as the best way to remove tarnish etc. from our All-Clad stainless kitchen pots and pans. Performs wonders there. From there we moved it to the boat. I understand the principal ingredient is oxalic acid.
The stuff is wonderful. It was recommended to us as the best way to remove tarnish etc. from our All-Clad stainless kitchen pots and pans. Performs wonders there. From there we moved it to the boat. I understand the principal ingredient is oxalic acid.
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