Chrome radiators are an ultra-modern choice for most UK homes as they stand out against modern interior décor and are different from the traditional aesthetic of white radiators. Although they are a popular style, they accumulate dust and dirt just like any other radiator and so need to be properly maintained so that they do not rust. The highly polished and luxurious look of chrome radiators is their biggest selling point, so you want to ensure they are kept in tip-top condition. Read on to learn the best way to clean a chrome radiator and also how to clean rust off a chrome radiator.
Best Way to Clean Chrome Radiators
For general maintenance of your radiators, it’s important to clean your radiators regularly to remove any build-up of dust and debris. When cleaning your radiator, you may need certain items to help including a radiator brush or microfibre cloth for cleaning, a cleaning solution that is suitable for chrome plating, and a separate microfibre cloth for drying.
The more you keep on top of cleaning your chrome radiators, the more beautiful and sparkly they will be in the long run. Once a week is an optimal time to clean your radiators using our method below, so take a look at our ‘how to clean a chrome radiator’ guide below for each step you need to take.
Step 1: Turn off the heating
Any radiator related task requires your heating to be turned off and cooled down to avoid any accidents. The same goes for cleaning your metal radiators. A cool radiator means you will not get burned and helps you be able to clean properly.
Step 2: Remove any dust and debris
Before you start using any cleaning solution to clean your chrome towel radiator or standard radiator, it’s important to remove any dust with a radiator brush or a dry microfibre cloth to get that sparkly, polished chrome look that you originally fell in love with. A radiator brush is great for chrome panelled radiators or ladder towel rails to remove the trapped dust in between the gaps. However, a microfibre cloth does a great job to remove dust and fingerprints due to their fine texture if you don’t have a radiator brush to hand.
Step 3: Clean your chrome towel radiator with your cleaning solution
Grab a new microfibre cloth and a cleaning solution of your choice as this is the best way to clean chrome radiators. One of the most effective solutions includes a simple 50:50 solution of water and white vinegar as the acidity of the vinegar is great for getting rid of hard water stains. However, if you don’t have vinegar or are not a fan of the smell, you can always use soapy water, baking soda and lemon juice, anti-bacterial wipes and even cola to help clean your chrome towel radiator!
Take this opportunity to play around with different cleaning products to see which works best for you and which you love the fragrance of the most. Some people even like to cut a lemon in half and rub this over their chrome radiators to remove stains and leave a citrusy scent! If you want to add extra shine to your radiator, try adding a small amount of baby oil to boost the sheen!
Dry and buff your chrome radiator
Once you’ve cleaned your radiator and removed all of the stains, the next thing you need to do is to dry the surface with another microfibre cloth as this will ensure there aren’t any drip marks or smudges leftover from the cleaning solution. Then the final step in our ‘how to clean a chrome radiator’ guide is to buff the radiator with another dry cloth in circular motions to buff the surface and create an incredible shine.
What not to do
Chrome is very hard-wearing, but you should remember to stay away from harsh materials and cleaners that could damage the surface. Items like steel wool, scouring powder and abrasive detergents containing alcohol or harsh chemicals that could affect the surface.
How to Clean Rust off a Chrome Radiator
A chrome radiator is a beautiful feature in any modern home. However, over time, leaks, condensation, or a lack of maintenance can cause rust to form on the surface, which dulls the super shiny effect of the chrome that you fell in love. This can give your designer radiators a much less stylish look than when you first had them.
If the rust hasn’t gone deep into the steel, then it’s quite easy to clean rust off a chrome radiator.
White Vinegar
Just like white vinegar in a solution can help keep your chrome radiator super clean and shiny, it can also be used to clean rust off chrome radiators as the acidity helps to eat the rust that’s built up. Simply add a small amount of white vinegar to a cloth and rub it onto the chrome to start seeing almost immediate results.
Clean the Chrome
Now you’ve learned how to clean rust off a chrome radiator and have followed all of the steps, you may find a brownish streak left behind from where the rust once was. You can follow the steps above for how to clean a chrome radiator to remove these streaks and bring your radiator up gleaming.
