How to clean metal?

[spwath]

So im trying to restore some old headphones, and the metal isnt very shiny and is tarnished. The inside is nice and shiny, outside isnt.

What can I do to clean/shine it up?

[ALwin]

Different metals have different cleaning solutions and compounds.  You should go to a hardware store and ask what they carry for cleaning the types of metals on the headset.

[ismma99]

alcohol  ? maby idk i might be wrong dont Quote me on this one

[Quinnbeast]

If the discoloration is a kind of rust/tarnish, then I'd try some white vinegar on a cloth before anything else. I've tried it on old brass door handles and some slightly rusted tools - works pretty nicely.

[Leonard]

Brasso make sure to use good gloves because the sent can stay on your hands for a long long time. 

[W-L]

17 minutes ago, spwath said:

So im trying to restore some old headphones, and the metal isnt very shiny and is tarnished. The inside is nice and shiny, outside isnt.

What can I do to clean/shine it up?

If it's solid metal and not metalized plastic I would recommend a non-abrasive metal polish, it would clean it up quite well, go easy on it if it's plated stuff depending on the thickness of the plating. 

[Rosabonita]

Depends on the metal. If its chrome finish, there are chrome polishes with rust remover. I prefer Turtle Wax brand. Otherwise, brasso is good. Despite its name, it services a wide variety of metals. If these dont work, the last thing I would recommend is Barkeeper's Friend. It has a tendency to be harsher than the others, which is great for stubborn projects, but can leave scratches in the surface of the metal. To mitigate this, I use a polishing cloth like an old glasses or antistatic cloth.

[spwath]

On 2/28/2016 at 3:39 PM, W-L said:

If it's solid metal and not metalized plastic I would recommend a non-abrasive metal polish, it would clean it up quite well, go easy on it if it's plated stuff depending on the thickness of the plating. 

I'm guessing silver polish would not work as its not silver? I have some on hand

[W-L]

2 hours ago, spwath said:

I'm guessing silver polish would not work as its not silver? I have some on hand

It might have some stuff in it that wouldn't work as well, but you could try it in a inconspicuous spot, as long as it's a non abrasive metal polish it shouldn't mind too much. 

[spwath]

2 hours ago, W-L said:

It might have some stuff in it that wouldn't work as well, but you could try it in a inconspicuous spot, as long as it's a non abrasive metal polish it shouldn't mind too much. 

Seemed to work, but not that well. Ordered some brasso