Highly polished aluminum can look just like chrome if it does not have a clear coat on it. OEM polished aluminum wheels will always have a clear coat on them, but aftermarket wheels generally don't. One of the most common phone calls our Customer Care Center receives if from people who used our Hot Rims Chrome Wheel Cleaner on polished aluminum wheels believing they were chrome - it will stain a bare, high polished aluminum wheel white almost instantly. We must get this call at least once a week.

There is an easy and safe way to determine if your wheels are polished aluminum or chrome: clean them thoroughly first so there's no brake dust, regular dust or other dirt on the surface. Using a light metal polish and a white applicator pad (a clean terry cloth towel is fine for this) rub the polish onto the surface for several seconds with light to moderate pressure. If the wheel is chrome the applicator will still be white and clean (other than a slight discoloration due to the coloring in the polish itself) but if the wheel is bare, highly polished aluminum then the white applicator will turn black as soot very quickly.