What's the latest recommendation for removing corrosion stains from road salt?

[canyoncarver]

I have my CT now for just over a month and the weather here is cold. It is also snowing a fair amount and magnesium chloride is used liberally on the roads to keep them from freezing.

Finally got warm enough to take the CT to a wash stall and pressure wash all the grime off.

Lots of noticeable corrosion stains from the mag chloride all over the truck.

Is barkeeper's friend still the fastest/least painful way to clean it up? Do I need to use a blue scotch bright pad to work the spots off?

This doesn't look like it will be particularly labor intensive and I know this has been discussed a bunch but I would like to get the most up to date information... it won't be until probably late March that it will be warm enough to immediately give the truck a rinse after driving it on salt covered roads.

Thanks

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[Coagulation]

I just washed mine with a bunch of winter road salt all over it. It didn’t look like this.

Nonetheless, for any sort of spotting, spray away glass cleaner has worked really well for me with a microfiber cloth. Have you tried that yet?

 

[REM]

BKF is a polish; I would highly advise that you do not polish this truck.

You need to passivate the steel. If you want to do much less work to restore it, consider using a metal specific ceramic coating.

 

[canyoncarver]

I just washed mine with a bunch of winter road salt all over it. It didn’t look like this.

Nonetheless, for any sort of spotting, spray away glass cleaner has worked really well for me with a microfiber cloth. Have you tried that yet?

The photo I showed is after using spray away. Perhaps the salt they are using here is much heavier duty than what is being used in New England.

 

[dalton108]

The photo I showed is after using spray away. Perhaps the salt they are using here is much heavier duty than what is being used in New England.

@REM is correct and maybe he knows more about this than I do in terms of what the grit level is in this foam, but the paste is like using Ajax. This doesn’t feel gritty at all and doesn’t in my experience seem to polish the truck at all like the regular BKF does.

https://a.co/d/g33BfoX

Well, ChatGPT was able to clear that up real quick for me. The foam spray is not abrasive at all which was what I experienced. Here’s a summary:

Bar Keepers Friend offers various formulations, each with distinct abrasive properties tailored for specific cleaning tasks.

Powdered Cleanser:
• Abrasiveness: Contains a higher concentration of abrasive particles, providing substantial scrubbing power for tough stains and deep-cleaning needs.
• Usage: Ideal for restorative cleaning on durable surfaces, such as removing rust, mineral deposits, and heavy grime.

Soft Cleanser:
• Abrasiveness: Features a lower concentration of abrasives compared to the powder, making it gentler on surfaces while still effective.
• Usage: Suitable for routine cleaning and for use on more delicate surfaces where a less abrasive touch is beneficial.

MORE Spray + Foam:
• Abrasiveness: This formulation is non-abrasive, containing no abrasive particles, ensuring it won’t scratch sensitive surfaces.
• Usage: Designed for light cleaning tasks, particularly on vertical surfaces like shower doors, where its clinging foam can effectively remove soap scum and grime without the risk of abrasion.

In summary, the Powdered Cleanser offers the highest level of abrasiveness for challenging cleaning jobs, the Soft Cleanser provides a balanced, less abrasive option for everyday use, and the MORE Spray + Foam delivers a non-abrasive solution for gentle cleaning on delicate surfaces.



 

[Coagulation]

The photo I showed is after using spray away. Perhaps the salt they are using here is much heavier duty than what is being used in New England.

Potentially time based difference. I only let it fester for about a week.

 

[canyoncarver]

Potentially time based difference. I only let it fester for about a week.

It was about that amount of time it was on mine but could have been more like 10 days.

That photo doesn't even show the really bad spots, there are probably about 20 spots you can see when there's more light that are about the size of a nickel and look pretty bad.

I know it can be fixed with a little bit of effort I just want to know what other people who have their non-wrapped trucks in these conditions are using to get them off.

I have a 2nd service appointment (oil leaking from new front drive unit) next Monday, so I will also ask the service team what they are doing to clean them up. I know Tesla sells a kit for the truck but I'm not sure what's in it or if they are using something else in the shop for their demo trucks that are driving on the salt all winter long.

 

[canyoncarver]

@REM is correct and maybe he knows more about this than I do in terms of what the grit level is in this foam, but the paste is like using Ajax. This doesn’t feel gritty at all and doesn’t in my experience seem to polish the truck at all like the regular BKF does.

https://a.co/d/g33BfoX

Well, ChatGPT was able to clear that up real quick for me. The foam spray is not abrasive at all which was what I experienced. Here’s a summary:

Bar Keepers Friend offers various formulations, each with distinct abrasive properties tailored for specific cleaning tasks.

Powdered Cleanser:
• Abrasiveness: Contains a higher concentration of abrasive particles, providing substantial scrubbing power for tough stains and deep-cleaning needs.
• Usage: Ideal for restorative cleaning on durable surfaces, such as removing rust, mineral deposits, and heavy grime.

Soft Cleanser:
• Abrasiveness: Features a lower concentration of abrasives compared to the powder, making it gentler on surfaces while still effective.
• Usage: Suitable for routine cleaning and for use on more delicate surfaces where a less abrasive touch is beneficial.

MORE Spray + Foam:
• Abrasiveness: This formulation is non-abrasive, containing no abrasive particles, ensuring it won’t scratch sensitive surfaces.
• Usage: Designed for light cleaning tasks, particularly on vertical surfaces like shower doors, where its clinging foam can effectively remove soap scum and grime without the risk of abrasion.

In summary, the Powdered Cleanser offers the highest level of abrasiveness for challenging cleaning jobs, the Soft Cleanser provides a balanced, less abrasive option for everyday use, and the MORE Spray + Foam delivers a non-abrasive solution for gentle cleaning on delicate surfaces.



Thanks for the info. I have repeatedly seen Barkeeper's friend and some citrus cleaner recommended for these problems but most of the posts I see on that are from quite a while back and not sure what people have been running into now that there are a lot more trucks in these conditions this winter.

The entire truck looks like it's been nuked so I might have to break out my random orbital polisher in tandem with the soft cleanser to speed the job up.

No reason to do it before the weather turns so I guess it's going to look like this for at least a couple of months.

 

[canyoncarver]

I will also have to look at some kind of sealant application I can do over the stainless for next winter because even though I leased this truck (thank God for that decision) I don't relish the thought of doing this every time they salt the roads and I'm not able to immediately clean it off.

 

[smg]

Citrisurf 77 worked great for spots on my hood and tailgate, but now I have to do the whole truck because it really brightened up those panels.

 

[canyoncarver]

Citrisurf 77 worked great for spots on my hood and tailgate, but now I have to do the whole truck because it really brightened up those panels.

Have you also used barkeeper's friend? If so I'd love to hear a direct comparison between the two especially if you are dealing with road salt conditions.

I'm fine with buying the Citrisurf if it works better but it is a lot more expensive than Barkeeper's friend.

 

[REM]

I might have to break out my random orbital polisher in tandem with the soft cleanser to speed the job up.

Be aware that you will have to polish the entire truck evenly in order to prevent wild variance between the panels. Make sure you have several hours to dedicate.

highly not recommended for anyone completely new to polishing as well.

 

[smg]

Have you also used barkeeper's friend? If so I'd love to hear a direct comparison between the two especially if you are dealing with road salt conditions.

I'm fine with buying the Citrisurf if it works better but it is a lot more expensive than Barkeeper's friend.

I have not yet tried BKF. I went straight to Citrisurf because its pure liquid, no abrasives. I know there are many variants of BKF but I haven't had time yet to explore them.

 

[dalton108]

I have not yet tried BKF. I went straight to Citrisurf because its pure liquid, no abrasives. I know there are many variants of BKF but I haven't had time yet to explore them.

I’ll vouch for the foam BFK. It works great, does not polish - it’s basically wipe on wipe off.

 

[smg]

I’ll vouch for the foam BFK. It works great, does not polish - it’s basically wipe on wipe off.

Great to know. Thanks!

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