Russ.............
Chrome plating is only a few Microns thick at the best of times.
ANY abrasive cleaner will thin out this layer very quickly and only exacerbate the problem.
Old chrome is thick and heavy with a good layer of base metals under the chrome top layer.These will handle a bit of polish, but over time will still degrade to a thin coppery color as the chrome layer is polished away.
The best way to protect chromework is with a good wax/polish cleaner.
The idea is to protect the very thin top layer of chrome from the elements by a layer of wax.
This gets deep into the outer layer and prevents the underlying metals from contamination.
Unfortunatly, if you have newer, cheap chrome, not much can be done to prevent this process from happening.
Good Luck!
