How to Clean and Polish Exhaust Tips Like a Pro (Mar 2026)

This sounds obvious, but make sure the car hasn't been running for at least an hour. I once saw a bloke try to clean a hot tip with a synthetic sponge, it melted instantly and he spent the next three hours scraping burnt plastic off his chrome. Not a mistake you want to make.

If it's a stinking hot March afternoon, get the car in the shade. You don't want your cleaners drying out on the metal before you've had a chance to work them.

Give the tips a good blast with the hose to get rid of loose dirt, salt, or mud. No point rubbing sand into the metal.

Spray your wheel cleaner or APC liberally over the outside and just inside the lip of the tip. Let it dwell for a minute, but don't let it dry. This breaks down the greasy soot.

Take your brush and give it a good scrub. You're trying to get the bulk of the 'easy' dirt off now so you can see what you're actually dealing with.

Use a rag to dry the metal. You can't polish wet metal effectively, the water just dilutes the product and makes a mess.

Look for pitting (little black dots) or heavy carbon crust. If it's just lightly dull, a cloth is fine. If it's proper filthy, reach for the steel wool.

Chuck a dollop of polish onto your 0000 steel wool or a microfibre. Don't go overboard; a little bit goes a long way.

Work the polish in circular motions. Focus on the bottom edge of the tip, as that's where the most carbon collects. You'll see the polish turn jet black, that's a good sign, it means it's working.

Don't forget the inside edge! I usually go about an inch or two deep into the pipe. It makes a massive difference to the final look.

Take a clean section of your microfibre and buff off the residue. If it's still looking a bit cloudy, go again with a fresh bit of polish on just the cloth this time.

Give it one last vigorous buff with a clean cloth until it's squeaky clean and shiny.