How To Polish Your Car’s Stainless Steel Trim And Make It Shine

When it comes to detailing your car, stainless steel trim can be a bit tricky to get right. When polished the right way, stainless steel provides a mirror-like finish. However, that mirror finish can also unintentionally expose blemishes like fine scratches, heat marks and even rust depending on the climate where you reside. So what’s a fellow to do if your stainless steel trim is looking a bit rough these days?

Polish it the right way! Before you go busting out your polish of choice, spend a few extra minutes preparing for the job. Inspect the trim itself and identify those pesky problem areas and make mental notes along the way. Make sure you have the right tools from the get go as well, such as a non-abrasive scrubbing pad, a few microfiber cloths, #0000-grade steel wool, and a non-abrasive stainless steel specific polish. Sealant wax compatible with stainless steel can also go a long way for keeping that shine.

Whether you’re a Tesla Cybertruck owner looking to avoid those dreaded orange rust spots or you own a classic car with a healthy amount of stainless steel trim, we’ve put together a handful of tips to spot those trouble areas and make that stainless steel trim shine once more.

First, do a visual inspection of the stainless steel trim itself. What are the visible problem areas? Problems like water spots, pitting, fine scratches, and oxidation can be addressed with just a few easy steps. 

Start by wiping down the entire area with a microfiber cloth to remove any loose debris. Next, you’ll want to whip up a quick cleaning solution. For this step, you can use a bucket of water and your favorite car wash soap. After cleaning the entire area with the soap mixture, wipe down the area with a microfiber cloth again and confirm the stainless steel trim is completely dry. For light scratches, a non-abrasive scrubbing pad can go a long way. 

For stainless steel exhaust tips, you’ll need to follow the same steps above while also using a degreaser of your choice. It’s no secret stainless steel exhaust tips are prone to baked-on carbon deposits, so using a combination of degreaser and some #0000-grade steel wool should do the trick. We recommend letting the degreaser sit for at least ten to fifteen minutes before using the steel wool. As a reminder, use gentle yet firm hand motions when cleaning and polishing any stainless steel surface.

Start the polishing process by choosing a non-abrasive stainless steel specific metal polish. It’s important to use a stainless steel specific polish as these polishes are designed specifically for use on stainless steel applications. As the saying goes, there’s a million ways to skin a cat. So for this segment, we’ll assume you’re just another gearhead in your garage looking to polish your stainless steel trim without much drama.

If you’re applying your polish by hand, use a microfiber cloth and begin working the stainless steel polish in steady and even strokes across the surface of the metal. Be careful not to overwork the area too hard, as it may leave undesired swirl marks in the final product. Just like applying any sort of polish or wax, you’ll want to remove the excess as it begins to haze over. For this step, you’ll want to use a completely separate (and dry) microfiber cloth. To keep it shining for longer, use a stainless steel friendly sealant wax across the surface of the trim using the same application steps as described above.

Although rust cars are cool in their own right, the mirror-like shine of freshly polished stainless steel trim is certainly unmatched. With a little bit of patience, the right tools and some elbow grease, that stainless steel trim will shine again in no time.