ok this is amazing!! I went to walmart yesterday n bought a bottle of the super clean got home and picked out some parts from a model im building, Revells Ford T Street Rod, like exhaust pipes, wheels, & intake manifold. put those parts in a dish and poured some super clean in with them, swished it around a bit, and yeah it works just like you show in your video!!! thank you!! you have no idea how much that just helped my modeling! I HATE chrome but could never figure out how to get rid of it! my models will look SO much better and realistic now thanx to you that's amazing! thank you so much I greatly appreciate this tip and will recommend this video to everybody
Chromed plastics are actually a coating of aluminum. “Dechroming” with oven cleaner is a chemical process. Oven cleaner is a base containing sodium hydroxide (NaOH) sodiumhydroxide reacts with aluminum to form Al(OH)3 or aluminum(III)hydroxide. The aluminum hydroxide is now dissolved into the solution of oven cleaner. I suggest you do not reuse this solution for cleaning surfaces that come in contact with consumables. Because Aluminumhydroxide only dissolves in Alkalis and acids it’s likely that rests are left behind after cleaning with the solution that won’t easily wash away with water.
Ok so you know your stuff👍.. I'm soaking plastic chrome plated car emblem letters "separately" in Zep purple industrial degreaser, Bleach & wallmart purple degreaser and nothing is working at all like it's all a cruel joke, what would you recommend please?
Can you please share with us the active ingredients? I don't have this thing sold around where I live, and I would love to see what the alternatives are
I've worked extensively with super clean, and others such as "simple green". you don't need to worry about getting it on your skin. it's not an acid, so it will NOT "eat your skin". unless you are allergic, of course. BUT, the one thing you do want to be very careful with is the fumes. I was cleaning an oven with simple green (same fumes) and inhaled some, I ended having to go to the emergency room. I was feeling VERY, VERY BAD for at least a week. I highly recommend taking it outside, or in the garage. opening windows doesn't help that much. now you wouldn't use as much for stripping chrome, as I did for cleaning the oven. but you do need to keep it in mind
In the name of safety, strong bases are typically MORE dangerous than strong acids when it comes to skin contact, with the exception of hydrofluoric acid.
I was restoring some rims for my car. I used a rust converter metal primer on them. The rust turned black and as it was drying, I sprayed this stuff on them, and I had clean bare metal. No more rust.
Would be nice to know the active ingredient as brand names mean nothing if one doesn’t live/shop where you do. I tried using an oven cleaner / degreaser and it did absolutely nothing. It was purple, though, so it looked good trying.
WHAAATTTT, thats crazy. Im in the process of Blacking out all the plastic chrome on my motorcycle (actual motorcycle not a model). I was about to sand the chrome, which would take hrs, then hit it with primer, paint, clear. But now im just going to soak them in this stuff and save me a lot of trouble and the paint will adhere better also. Thanks for this post.
Does your method actually "removes" chrome finish or oxidizes chrome to a black finish which means the chrome finish is still there but a different surface color.
I just wanted to thank you for your timely responce, I will definitely try it, and upon the completion I will post again with the results, thank you again for you advice.
Yeap, I guessed that it was caustic when I started watching and sure enough, when you showed the lable on the back of the bottle, it said sodium hydroxide, (chemical formula NaOH). That's Lye you American chappies and caustic soda to us Brits. Heh, it works quickly even as a dilute solution like this, it just shows how incredibly thin that chrome actually is.
Excellent observation. I have only just discovered this video and your comment. I find the cost of "Purple Power" Prohibitive . Where did you obtain your bottle of "Super Clean" here in the UK. And is it cheap enough to merit buying by a simple hobbyist? Or should I stick with my toothbrush and Sonic Bath?
That stuff is the best carburetor cleaner there is. It will free up clogged jets like nothing else will. Rinse in hot water and don't leave parts in it too long, though, it may change dimensions.
I have a Tacoma MANUAL transmission with 2 very small interior chrome pieces left from a chrome delete project. The center console cup holder trim and the shifter knob collar. Is the chrome application on a hot wheels similar, to the interior Toyota trim? Is this method ACTUALLY removing the chrome ? Or changing it black
THIS IS NOT CHROME. It is an aluminum PVD coating. Real chrome coatings are HARD and if you are trying to strip a bumper (or other car parts) or chrome-plated metals you need a harsher chemical. Soaking in muriatic acid or bleach (at least 10% sodium hypochlorite) for a couple days will do the trick. Make sure you choose the right chemical for your project or you can end up dissolving one of your parts. There are videos that go in depth on how to do this procedure properly.
I tried to use acetone to remove the chrome plating on some old plastic model parts from the 80s, and it melted the plastic, completely ruined the parts. I read online that others used acetone with good results, maybe it works on newer models? But I'd advice to never use acetone for this.
It wouldn't do anything. Model cars aren't coated with real chrome, which is why such a mild cleaning chemical removes that shiny coating in this video.
8-1-24 : Your tip,your time and your trouble lives on…. I will be trying this on my Kia as the front grill trim, at the right angle of the sun will blast light at buildings and rearview mirrors and the back of peoples cars and I hate it. I’ll get back to you. Thank you.
Some chrome plastics were base-coated before vacuum chroming... this got rid of the aluminum, but any idea how to get rid of the base coat after the chrome is gone?
As you explained how to remove chrome from a toy, will this decreaser remove a clear coat finish from a plastic custom grill off an F-250, any feedback or advice you could share with me would be most appreciated, thank you in an advance, Kyle
+Kyle Greening If you could find a large enough basin and let it sit long enough it probably would. Keep in mind, it has to soak in there. I would probably try a mild paint stripper, it would be cheaper.
Have you ever tryed this on chrome motorcycle parts? Any info would be awsome! I bought a VTX and has tons of chromed plastic parts i want them black! I have condemd the chrome!!!
Nice video, Is there a way to remove black dye from plastic I have been looking but have not found a way? Even if it makes the plastic a shade of gray color I will be ok with it.
I need to remove chrome from my RC truck wheels. So if I drop entire wheel with tire (rubber with form) will it affect the rubber.? or This chemical is reacting with only plastic parts.?
+Ravindu Srinath Yes, as our main man said remove the tires if you can. If they have a foam/sponge 'donut' inside it will absorb lots of the solution! If they are glued with cyanoacrylate, try putting them in boiling water for a couple of minutes first, that should soften the superglue. Don't forget to wear two pairs of rubber gloves!
+Ravindu Srinath How did that work out for you ? I plan on doing the same then dyeing them black or spraying them with plasti-dip. Cann't go wrong with stock wheels then you know you got the right off-set. The chrome just looks date now everbodys going for the plasti-dip look.
I wonder if this will remove the chrome on my plastic grill on my truck? I guess it would take longer, maybe do it a few times. What do you think, any ideas??
Did this truly remove the chrome, or just oxidize it? I'm removing all the plastic chrome pieces from my truck (window vent visors, grill cover, door handle covers, mirror caps) and I'm going to scotch brite them, prime and paint them to match the black truck. If this purple stuff basically etched the chrome I'd be really happy. If it oxidized it, I'm not sure I like it.
If you haven’t found your answer by now, this only works on aluminum, or fake chrome. To remove actual chrome, you have to use bleach. And you have to be patient, it is going to take near a week, with daily bleach changes. You will begin to see the effects about 12 hours in, as the bleach begins to turn black.
Wish this worked as well for me! I've tried this a few times now, and it does take *some* of the chrome off. But no matter how long I leave it in, it never takes it all off. Oh well, better than nothing!
No, this will only take off the sort of aluminum fake chrome that's common on models, some interior auto parts, etc. Sorry, but if you're doing a grille, that is legitimately chromed plastic. If you're looking to ditch the chrome and paint it body color or something like that, you're going to have to bust out the sandpaper. If you look around on YT, there are quite a few good vids on the process.
Does this work because that is cheaply coated with chrome? I wonder how well it would work on motorcycle chromed ABS parts. If it works and I can find this in Canada, it would save me a lot of time and money! Nice video, thanks.
I'm looking for a product to do just the opposite of this. I do not want to remove the chrome paint from the plastic. I want to vinyl wrap chrome painted trim pieces in my new Porsche Boxter to match the exterior color (Guards Red), but not damage the underlying chrome painted plastic if/when we decide to remove the wrap/film. I'm concerned about damaging the surface when removing the adhesive. Does anyone have any ideas of what would work?
Hot wheels must use a better chrome process because I've let my interior on a 70 charger sit for a day so far with no results. You did say let plastic sit longer, but I guess time will tell how long.
Definitely came here looking for how to do this on a full sized car and was surprised when you held a tiny car in the video at first.
Me too, buddy 😂. Me too... 😂
Same 💀
Curious if I can do this with the chrome strips on my 10th gen civic
Same need to dechrome a front grill
@@TheCooler93 did it work?
ok this is amazing!! I went to walmart yesterday n bought a bottle of the super clean got home and picked out some parts from a model im building, Revells Ford T Street Rod, like exhaust pipes, wheels, & intake manifold. put those parts in a dish and poured some super clean in with them, swished it around a bit, and yeah it works just like you show in your video!!! thank you!! you have no idea how much that just helped my modeling! I HATE chrome but could never figure out how to get rid of it! my models will look SO much better and realistic now thanx to you that's amazing! thank you so much I greatly appreciate this tip and will recommend this video to everybody
Oven cleaner is a little more harsh in the end and can melt the plastic. Some chrome will be harder to get off and may take a little longer.
This is amazing 👌 before I would just paint over the chrome but loose details. This is a game changer! No more detail lose
Chromed plastics are actually a coating of aluminum. “Dechroming” with oven cleaner is a chemical process. Oven cleaner is a base containing sodium hydroxide (NaOH) sodiumhydroxide reacts with aluminum to form Al(OH)3 or aluminum(III)hydroxide. The aluminum hydroxide is now dissolved into the solution of oven cleaner. I suggest you do not reuse this solution for cleaning surfaces that come in contact with consumables. Because Aluminumhydroxide only dissolves in Alkalis and acids it’s likely that rests are left behind after cleaning with the solution that won’t easily wash away with water.
Ok so you know your stuff👍.. I'm soaking plastic chrome plated car emblem letters "separately" in Zep purple industrial degreaser, Bleach & wallmart purple degreaser and nothing is working at all like it's all a cruel joke, what would you recommend please?
@@seatime674I know this was 10 months ago but did you ever find anything that worked. Im trying to strip the chrome from plastic bbs center caps
@@bergster.b962 I believe I used Clorox bleach and let it soak for a few days and it started to come off
Can you please share with us the active ingredients? I don't have this thing sold around where I live, and I would love to see what the alternatives are
Posted one a few days ago, should have more this week!
Thank You, I bought an expensive model that was poorly painted in gold chrome. Now I can strip it all off and do my own custom paint job!
Sweet!
I used the steel wool - 00 grade.
Works great, no scratches...
Great tip!
I've worked extensively with super clean, and others such as "simple green". you don't need to worry about getting it on your skin. it's not an acid, so it will NOT "eat your skin". unless you are allergic, of course. BUT, the one thing you do want to be very careful with is the fumes. I was cleaning an oven with simple green (same fumes) and inhaled some, I ended having to go to the emergency room. I was feeling VERY, VERY BAD for at least a week. I highly recommend taking it outside, or in the garage. opening windows doesn't help that much. now you wouldn't use as much for stripping chrome, as I did for cleaning the oven. but you do need to keep it in mind
In the name of safety, strong bases are typically MORE dangerous than strong acids when it comes to skin contact, with the exception of hydrofluoric acid.
I was restoring some rims for my car. I used a rust converter metal primer on them. The rust turned black and as it was drying, I sprayed this stuff on them, and I had clean bare metal. No more rust.
Yeah, this is less harsh. Oven cleaner can melt plastic if left on too long.
Would be nice to know the active ingredient as brand names mean nothing if one doesn’t live/shop where you do. I tried using an oven cleaner / degreaser and it did absolutely nothing. It was purple, though, so it looked good trying.
Bleach or this would work just bleach takes a few days
WHAAATTTT, thats crazy. Im in the process of Blacking out all the plastic chrome on my motorcycle (actual motorcycle not a model). I was about to sand the chrome, which would take hrs, then hit it with primer, paint, clear. But now im just going to soak them in this stuff and save me a lot of trouble and the paint will adhere better also. Thanks for this post.
How did that work out for you I'm ready to take some Chrome off my motorcycle parts too😂😂
It will also remove tampoes and paint from plastic and metal but it takes a bit longer. The question I have though - is were did the chrome go!
Does your method actually "removes" chrome finish or oxidizes chrome to a black finish which means the chrome finish is still there but a different surface color.
I just wanted to thank you for your timely responce, I will definitely try it, and upon the completion I will post again with the results, thank you again for you advice.
Yeap, I guessed that it was caustic when I started watching and sure enough, when you showed the lable on the back of the bottle, it said sodium hydroxide, (chemical formula NaOH). That's Lye you American chappies and caustic soda to us Brits.
Heh, it works quickly even as a dilute solution like this, it just shows how incredibly thin that chrome actually is.
+wordreet Ahh!
Excellent observation. I have only just discovered this video and your comment. I find the cost of "Purple Power" Prohibitive . Where did you obtain your bottle of "Super Clean" here in the UK. And is it cheap enough to merit buying by a simple hobbyist? Or should I stick with my toothbrush and Sonic Bath?
That stuff is the best carburetor cleaner there is. It will free up clogged jets like nothing else will. Rinse in hot water and don't leave parts in it too long, though, it may change dimensions.
Good to know!
Yeah, I was amazed.
Great tip, I'm going to do this to all my chrome parts. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks and good luck with it!
This might be a stupid question to some ppl but Will it work on car parts as long as it’s plastic ?
Yeah, makes it easy!
I'm learning so much from your channel; thumbs up all the way.
Thanks, I appreciate you watching!
I have a Tacoma MANUAL transmission with 2 very small interior chrome pieces left from a chrome delete project.
The center console cup holder trim and the shifter knob collar. Is the chrome application on a hot wheels similar, to the interior Toyota trim? Is this method ACTUALLY removing the chrome ? Or changing it black
Im trying it on my Audi interior chrome, and so far after an hour of soaking nothing is being removed
Thanks for this. I just started some customizing and was wondering how to get chrome off
kevin jones Cool!
Let me know how it goes!
Yeah, I wasn't sure. Hot Wheels chrome is probably a lot thinner than what you tried.
I tried this on a RC4WD grill for a Gelande 2 cruiser body. It failed. The parts came out clean and shiny, that chrome looked bright.
THIS IS NOT CHROME. It is an aluminum PVD coating. Real chrome coatings are HARD and if you are trying to strip a bumper (or other car parts) or chrome-plated metals you need a harsher chemical. Soaking in muriatic acid or bleach (at least 10% sodium hypochlorite) for a couple days will do the trick. Make sure you choose the right chemical for your project or you can end up dissolving one of your parts. There are videos that go in depth on how to do this procedure properly.
sweet! I'm looking to do this with a model kit. thanks for sharing!
I tried to use acetone to remove the chrome plating on some old plastic model parts from the 80s, and it melted the plastic, completely ruined the parts. I read online that others used acetone with good results, maybe it works on newer models? But I'd advice to never use acetone for this.
Any idea how to strip paint off chromed plastic?
Fantastic tip! Thanks. Now i can do my customs easy. Some chrome i really need to change to black, this is awsome! thanks
Great video. How do I I do the reverse and chrome a part?
Absolutely amazing
Excellent tip !
Oops though, imagine louts walking around with this stuff, randomly spraying peoples chromed wheels and running away lol
It wouldn't do anything. Model cars aren't coated with real chrome, which is why such a mild cleaning chemical removes that shiny coating in this video.
Only on plastic chrome plating. Doesn't remove paint.
Great Vid! Do you know if Super Clean will remove chrome from ABS plastic that's been triple plated? Thanks!
Really cool. I wounder if you put Vaseline or something on the bumpers if they would keep there chrome?
Is the black color the color of the plastic, or the chrome that has changed color to black?
I've been using oven cleaner for quite some time. And it doesn't work that quick. Thanks for the tip.
Whats in it that takes off the chrome, is the chrome desolved in the solution?
Let me know how it works for you!
Thanks!
How do you Re-chrome it, if you want to?
I believe super clean is biodegradable also
Yes, I believe so.
You think i can use on my Car parts that they have Chrome
You could use this for making chrome wheels black?
rubbing alcohol works too
4 years later good luck finding enougg
Loved the video that was quick in removing the chrome but I am in the UK so can I get that product in the UK THANKS
Did you ever find anything to replace this. I also live in the uk. Did you try drain cleaner, mr muscle or something.
I’d also like to know.. trying to de chrome some parts of a barbers pole..
Bob Wareham hi mate, dunno if you still need this.. but common household thick bleach works the same.. 👍🏻
8-1-24 : Your tip,your time and your trouble lives on…. I will be trying this on my Kia as the front grill trim, at the right angle of the sun will blast light at buildings and rearview mirrors and the back of peoples cars and I hate it. I’ll get back to you. Thank you.
Yeah as long as the base plastic is black.
Does this work for getting paint off of plastic?
good to know. I heard about the oven cleaner but this is easier
Wow! I need to get this stuff now!
Some chrome plastics were base-coated before vacuum chroming... this got rid of the aluminum, but any idea how to get rid of the base coat after the chrome is gone?
Have you ever tried this trick on anything with a thicker plating? Like car or motorcycle parts?
+Mark Smoker No just because it has to soak so you'd have to get a lot of it :(
@Tiny Restorations is this good to use on trapset parts like if the crhome gets rusted and you wanna leave it to remove ?
As you explained how to remove chrome from a toy, will this decreaser remove a clear coat finish from a plastic custom grill off an F-250, any feedback or advice you could share with me would be most appreciated, thank you in an advance,
Kyle
+Kyle Greening If you could find a large enough basin and let it sit long enough it probably would. Keep in mind, it has to soak in there. I would probably try a mild paint stripper, it would be cheaper.
or just sand it off or buy one that's flat black without chrome
Have you ever tryed this on chrome motorcycle parts? Any info would be awsome! I bought a VTX and has tons of chromed plastic parts i want them black! I have condemd the chrome!!!
Will this work on the chrome plastics moldings on a car ?
Hope it works.
I tried this on a chrome Ford Mustang emblem. No luck. Any specific time I need to let soak?
You mention at the end of the video you plan on using to clean your motorcycle--are you not worried about getting it close to chromed ABS parts?
+David M Nah, I don't let it sit too long.
If super clean or purple degreaser doesn't work. Try oven cleaner.
Does not work for removing chrome from plastic CB knobs. Left them in for over 10 minutes, and it cleaned them really well
I have chrome plastic inserts for my rims and was wondering would this work on them?
+pugzly77 It actually may. Wouldn't hurt to try.
Nice video, Is there a way to remove black dye from plastic I have been looking but have not found a way? Even if it makes the plastic a shade of gray color I will be ok with it.
Hmm. I’m not sure.
Best method I've seen so far, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
I need to remove chrome from my RC truck wheels. So if I drop entire wheel with tire (rubber with form) will it affect the rubber.? or This chemical is reacting with only plastic parts.?
+Ravindu Srinath I would take them off just in case. Regardless, it will probably eat the glue holding the rubber on.
+WheelsNThangs Oh....I forgot about tire glue. Thanks a lot.
+Ravindu Srinath Yes, as our main man said remove the tires if you can. If they have a foam/sponge 'donut' inside it will absorb lots of the solution! If they are glued with cyanoacrylate, try putting them in boiling water for a couple of minutes first, that should soften the superglue. Don't forget to wear two pairs of rubber gloves!
+Ravindu Srinath How did that work out for you ? I plan on doing the same then dyeing them black or spraying them with plasti-dip. Cann't go wrong with stock wheels then you know you got the right off-set. The chrome just looks date now everbodys going for the plasti-dip look.
+natemorte Actually I put the whole wheel with tire and it affected the tire glues...so anyway once I remove chrome from the wheels I re glued them.
I wonder if this will remove the chrome on my plastic grill on my truck? I guess it would take longer, maybe do it a few times. What do you think, any ideas??
I doubt it. When I had my F150, I rough sanded the chrome, primed and painted. Turned out pretty nice.
Did this truly remove the chrome, or just oxidize it? I'm removing all the plastic chrome pieces from my truck (window vent visors, grill cover, door handle covers, mirror caps) and I'm going to scotch brite them, prime and paint them to match the black truck. If this purple stuff basically etched the chrome I'd be really happy. If it oxidized it, I'm not sure I like it.
I doubt it will work on a real vehicle. It's mostly for chrome plastic on toys or other small parts.
Tried your method: I works perfectly! Thank you very much for sharing! However presently I am not succeeding with a base by MC Toy, any suggestion?
If you haven’t found your answer by now, this only works on aluminum, or fake chrome.
To remove actual chrome, you have to use bleach. And you have to be patient, it is going to take near a week, with daily bleach changes. You will begin to see the effects about 12 hours in, as the bleach begins to turn black.
Wish this worked as well for me! I've tried this a few times now, and it does take *some* of the chrome off. But no matter how long I leave it in, it never takes it all off.
Oh well, better than nothing!
+blfry That stinks :(
WheelsNThangs Haha... Update: I let it soak over night, and most of it did come off. So it worked out eventually.
Thanks!
just Sand it by hand with 300+ grit sandpaper. don't be lazy
Leon Springs Boys TV You have no idea what you are talking about, do you?
blfry lol sorry I thought this was a vid for auto parts.. Not hot wheels lol. My bad
I'm just starting myself really. Lots of good vids here on TH-cam though.
So ordinary household cleaner?
Interesting...
Will this work for chrome on plastic auto parts? Specifically grills.
I don't believe so. Might be worth a try though!
No, this will only take off the sort of aluminum fake chrome that's common on models, some interior auto parts, etc. Sorry, but if you're doing a grille, that is legitimately chromed plastic. If you're looking to ditch the chrome and paint it body color or something like that, you're going to have to bust out the sandpaper. If you look around on YT, there are quite a few good vids on the process.
Im doing a bigger plastic peice with the fake chrome on it, can I just spray it on the peice or how would I go about doing it
Shawn Horton You could try but I think it really needs to be soaked in it.
huh ok thanks
would this work for a truck grille? and do you have to soak it or can u just spray on and let sit for a while?
+Jonny W I doubt it, mostly works for toys with chrome.
is there a product like this in the UK?
FoxConvoy I'm not sure..
Can you use it on a full toy car?
Does this also remove the binding agent for the chrome?
+Jayee I don't believe so.
Thank you for your videos, I am new to customizing and your channel is a great reference :)
Thanks!
Sir, will it be able to remove chrome plating on abs plastic....
Does this work because that is cheaply coated with chrome? I wonder how well it would work on motorcycle chromed ABS parts. If it works and I can find this in Canada, it would save me a lot of time and money! Nice video, thanks.
+David M I'm not entirely sure but some other viewers have used it on other products with success.
Does it actually remove the chrome? Or just make the chrome turn black?
Thanks for sure will try tomorow!!
Will this work on chrome plated automotive emblems?
I'm trying to figure that out too did you use anything that worked?
Guessing will take 10x longer on a grill as the chrome is thicker?? And only spraying onto grill
I'm looking for a product to do just the opposite of this. I do not want to remove the chrome paint from the plastic. I want to vinyl wrap chrome painted trim pieces in my new Porsche Boxter to match the exterior color (Guards Red), but not damage the underlying chrome painted plastic if/when we decide to remove the wrap/film. I'm concerned about damaging the surface when removing the adhesive. Does anyone have any ideas of what would work?
Wish I knew, not sure :(
Do you think this would work on a truck grill?
+Ira Henderson No
doesn't work on automotive chromed plastic letters either. been soaking a half hour and no changes.
did you end up finding something to do that? im looking to take the chrome off mine and re spray
Would this work on the chrome housing in car headlights?
Hmm.. I doubt it but you could try.
Hi Do you have a link for this cleaner? Greetz from germany
It should be available at most Home Improvement stores or Walmart. Not sure where in Germany :(
Hot wheels must use a better chrome process because I've let my interior on a 70 charger sit for a day so far with no results. You did say let plastic sit longer, but I guess time will tell how long.
how u pait chome on plastic
Fantastic works
will it remove paint ?