I was pretty harsh in my previous post, but not without reason.

Now that I've scared you, I think I can offer a bit of comfort. IF your metallic plating is in good condition (intact and completely covering iron or steel) your cleaned parts stand an excellent chance of suffering no ill effects and will probably be brighter, much faster than you've ever seen before. You just gotta be very, very careful that very high pH chemicals don't get under the plating. Just rinse like crazy and you'll probably do no harm.

Oh, and for goodness sake, don't mix-up your own chemical brew unless you made pretty good grades in HS chemistry and remember all about acid-base (redox) reactions. If you choose to mix your own brew, for God's sake, do it outside, wear safety goggles, and do your business away from anybody you love. You can kill yourself and your family, etch glass, burn-down your garage and basically ruin your life with many combinations of common household and industrial cleaners.

If you have stuff like that, you can do yourself a big favor by storing bleach-containing chemicals and other oxidizers in a completely separate area from drain cleaners, polishes, paints, thinners, fuels and lubricants. If you're a shop owner, read the MSDS. If you have questions, call the number.

If you want details, don't ask me.