To clean exhaust tips, let them go cold, break down the soot with a degreaser such as Infinity Wax Super De-Greaser, rinse and dry, then polish bare stainless steel with Mothers Mag and Aluminium Polish and a soft cloth or drill cone. Check the finish first, as chrome and coated tips need cleaning only. See our metal polishing range.
What is the best thing to clean exhaust tips with?
A degreaser for the soot and a metal polish for the shine, used on cold metal. The degreaser breaks down the oily black carbon so it rinses away, and the polish then removes the dull oxidised layer from bare metal. On chrome-plated, painted or ceramic-coated tips, stop after the degreaser and a normal wash.
Why do exhaust tips turn black?
Every engine pushes soot, unburnt fuel and moisture out through the tailpipe, and some of it settles inside and around the tip. Heat bakes it on, road dirt sticks to it, and in winter salt spray adds a dull white crust on top. Left long enough, the soot stains the metal and the shine goes, so a quick clean every few washes saves a long polish later.
Which exhaust tip finish do you have?
Find out before you polish, because a metal polish made for bare metal can damage a plated or coated finish.
Bare stainless steel looks bright silver with fine polishing lines and is the one that responds to metal polish. Chrome-plated tips have a deep mirror shine like a chrome bumper. Black, painted and ceramic-coated tips have a coloured or satin finish. If you are not sure, check the car or exhaust maker's details, or ask us.
What do you need to clean exhaust tips?
A degreaser, a metal polish, something to apply it with and gloves.
A sprayable, water-based gel for grease too heavy for an all purpose cleaner. It clings and dwells for up to 20 minutes while it breaks the grime down, and you can use it neat with a brush or diluted in a pump sprayer.
Mothers Mag and Aluminium Polish
Brings bare aluminium, brass, alloys and other bare metal up to a bright shine and helps protect it from rust and corrosion. Apply it by hand with a clean cloth and buff off. It is not for gold plating, chrome, anodised, painted or coated metal, and it comes in a 10oz size.
ShineMate Foam Polishing Cones
Cone-shaped foam polishers that fit a regular drill, in grades from yellow heavy cutting to red soft finishing. The shape reaches inside exhaust tips, and with a metal polish they restore metal far quicker than by hand.
ShineMate Drill Polishing Ball
A 77mm open-cell foam ball for a standard drill, for buffing exhaust tips and other hard-to-reach areas with a metal polish, in a choice of foam densities.
Chemical-resistant, powder-free nitrile gloves with a fish-scale grip, which keep soot and polish off your hands.
How do you clean and polish exhaust tips step by step?
Do this at the end of a wash, with the engine off and the exhaust completely cold.
- Let it cool: never work on an exhaust that is still hot from a drive. Give it at least an hour.
- Protect the bumper: tuck a microfibre towel round the tip or mask the bumper edge, so degreaser and polish stay off the paint.
- Degrease the soot: spray the degreaser onto the tip, inside and out, and let it dwell without drying.
- Agitate and rinse: work the inside with a brush or cloth, then rinse thoroughly and dry the tip.
- Polish bare metal: on bare stainless only, apply a small amount of metal polish with a cloth or a foam cone on a drill at low speed, working until the black residue stops coming off.
- Buff it clear: wipe away the residue with a clean, dry microfibre and check the bumper for any splashes.
Should you use a drill on exhaust tips?
A foam cone or ball on a drill saves a lot of effort on badly stained bare metal, especially inside the tip. Keep the speed low, keep the foam moving, and choose a softer grade on metal that only needs a refresh. Stop and check often, and keep the spinning foam away from the paint and the bumper edge.
Can you use metal polish on chrome exhaust tips?
Not with Mothers Mag and Aluminium Polish, which is made for bare metal and not for chrome, plated, painted or coated finishes. Clean chrome and coated tips with the degreaser and your normal wash, dry them well and leave the polish for bare stainless steel and aluminium.
Common questions
How often should you clean exhaust tips?
Wipe them every time you wash the car and give them a proper degrease and polish every few months, more often in winter when salt dulls them quickly.
Is it safe to clean an exhaust straight after driving?
No. Exhaust tips get hot enough to burn skin and to bake product onto the metal. Wait until they are completely cold.
How do you keep exhaust tips shiny for longer?
Clean them little and often so the soot never bakes on, and buff them dry after every wash. Mothers Mag and Aluminium Polish also helps protect bare metal from rust and corrosion.
Heavy grease elsewhere on the car is covered in how to clean an engine bay, and our pick of the best microfibre cloths helps with the buffing. The rest of the wash follows how to wash your car safely.
Need help choosing?
Tell our team what your exhaust tips are made of and how stained they are, and we will match the cleaner and polish. You can also browse the ShineMate and Mothers ranges.
