# Cleaning Light Reflectors



## JL15219 (Nov 10, 2008)

Just wondering if anyone had a good way to really bring out the shine in some old reflectors....I guess best way to clean them....they have lots of oxidization....Thanks in advance


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Never had to yet, maybe some chrome Polish?

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## samamorgan (Dec 31, 2011)

Try something like simple green or another detergent first, then move up from there to polishing compounds if the oxidation has ruined the finish.


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## northern_bee (Oct 15, 2011)

What kind of light are they for? 

If they ar MH you might be better off getting a new one.
They make some silver paint that good for touch up,if you wear though the reflector when cleaning it.

-Lee


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## JL15219 (Nov 10, 2008)

NWA-Planted said:


> Never had to yet, maybe some chrome Polish?
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk





samamorgan said:


> Try something like simple green or another detergent first, then move up from there to polishing compounds if the oxidation has ruined the finish.


Any particular polish you guys would recommend?



northern_bee said:


> What kind of light are they for?
> 
> If they ar MH you might be better off getting a new one.
> They make some silver paint that good for touch up,if you wear though the reflector when cleaning it.
> ...


Its for a HO T-5 Catalina fixture...


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## nokturnalkid (Apr 3, 2007)

I've used windex and a microfiber cloth to clean my catalina fixtures. Works great. The vinegar based windex works pretty good on hard water stains and the regular works fine for the rest of the time.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

I have never spent much effort cleaning reflectors. Most of the reflectance of polished aluminum, like Catalina uses, comes from it being aluminum. Even somewhat dull finished aluminum is an excellent reflector. The dullness just changes some of the reflected light from specular to diffuse reflection. If we used the reflector as a mirror, where we wanted to see every detail of every skin blemish we have, polishing would be a good idea. But, we just want 90+% of the light striking the reflector to head towards the water. I used shiny, but not at all polished aluminum for CFL reflectors and doubled the PAR from the bulbs, which is about all such a primitive reflector could ever do.

I think keeping the reflectors clean is important, but polishing them is a lot less so.


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## JL15219 (Nov 10, 2008)

nokturnalkid said:


> I've used windex and a microfiber cloth to clean my catalina fixtures. Works great. The vinegar based windex works pretty good on hard water stains and the regular works fine for the rest of the time.


Yeah I tried windex like suggested by Hoppy but didnt do much....it has spots that are really oxidized 



Hoppy said:


> I have never spent much effort cleaning reflectors. Most of the reflectance of polished aluminum, like Catalina uses, comes from it being aluminum. Even somewhat dull finished aluminum is an excellent reflector. The dullness just changes some of the reflected light from specular to diffuse reflection. If we used the reflector as a mirror, where we wanted to see every detail of every skin blemish we have, polishing would be a good idea. But, we just want 90+% of the light striking the reflector to head towards the water. I used shiny, but not at all polished aluminum for CFL reflectors and doubled the PAR from the bulbs, which is about all such a primitive reflector could ever do.
> 
> I think keeping the reflectors clean is important, but polishing them is a lot less so.


Yeah that is basically what I am trying to do I really am not going for a mirror finish or anything just like to have it as clean and nice as it was when I first got it or at least close to it as possible.....the reason it is in such bad shape is because I have had it on top of a tank that does not have a glass top so it gets water splashed on it quite a lot.....but how bad can it be that I can still get 90+% of the lighting striking the reflector to head towards the water?


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

If u used an airstone while the fixture was near it, it got stuff on it that wont come off and if it is aluminum or stainless steel
Then go to busch shine.com and grab their liquid stainless and chrome polish. Its the best stuff on the market as far as liquids go. It wont scratch if the reflectors are metal and it worked great on my reflectors.

If its really bad i polish metal on the side, ill sand it and get the true reflection u desire. We can work out a deal or trade if u like

( some of my work includes wheels and motorcycle frames)


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

JL15219 said:


> Yeah that is basically what I am trying to do I really am not going for a mirror finish or anything just like to have it as clean and nice as it was when I first got it or at least close to it as possible.....the reason it is in such bad shape is because I have had it on top of a tank that does not have a glass top so it gets water splashed on it quite a lot.....but how bad can it be that I can still get 90+% of the lighting striking the reflector to head towards the water?


I don't know of any data to support this, but I suspect that hard water deposits are not acceptable, but dull finish on the aluminum is acceptable. Others have noticed that when you use aluminum foil as a reflector it doesn't matter whether you use the shiny side or the dull side. And, my experience with aluminum sheet, with a shiny but scratched surface also supports that.

Years ago I did a lot of research on reflectivity, as part of my job, and learned that aluminum is highly reflective just because it is aluminum. Chrome, by contrast, no matter how highly polished, isn't a good reflector. It just makes a good mirror. The same is true of glass mirrors.


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## JL15219 (Nov 10, 2008)

I read on a website that you can use lemon and salt to clean the reflector has anyone tried this?


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Hoppy said:


> I don't know of any data to support this, but I suspect that hard water deposits are not acceptable, but dull finish on the aluminum is acceptable. Others have noticed that when you use aluminum foil as a reflector it doesn't matter whether you use the shiny side or the dull side. And, my experience with aluminum sheet, with a shiny but scratched surface also supports that.
> 
> Years ago I did a lot of research on reflectivity, as part of my job, and learned that aluminum is highly reflective just because it is aluminum. Chrome, by contrast, no matter how highly polished, isn't a good reflector. It just makes a good mirror. The same is true of glass mirrors.


thats actually really interesting... sorry to thread hijack but that really made me go huh really?

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## SPKehl (Feb 3, 2012)

Vinegar works and isn't toxic


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## JL15219 (Nov 10, 2008)

NWA-Planted said:


> thats actually really interesting... sorry to thread hijack but that really made me go huh really?
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


No no problem yeah it is pretty interesting and kind of glad it doesnt have to be super shiny! Hoppy is a pretty smart guy and usually post lots of interesting stuff.....He is a human encyclopedia LOL



SPKehl said:


> Vinegar works and isn't toxic


Hmmm not sure if I have tried that one or not maybe should try again to see if it works......


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