I had some success today using an automotive product for removing the hazy tarnish from my polished nickel knobs and hinges. I use 3M "Perfect it III Machine Glaze" and it polished up the hardware without leaving any scratches, residue or affecting the cabinet wood.

This stuff is supposed to be the final polish given to a newly-painted car before waxing, and I have had a qt. of it since I owned a black pickup (to remove scratches). I knew that it was the very finest abrasive I had come across, so it occurred to me to try it on my kitchen hardware, which, over the course of the last 3 1/2 years, had begun to lose its luster.

Here is a result:

I applied a very small amount with cotton t-shirt scrap and wiped it clean with a microfiber cloth.

Since this compound contains no petrochemical, wax or silicone, it basically is odorless.

I was not abrasive enough to get rid of the white spots that were evident in one or two places (like on the handle of a Kohler P/N faucet), but it totally removed the hazy tarnish.

One caveat: if you have low-gloss varnish or paint on your cabinets, take care- this stuff will make the flattest finish glossy in shot order.

Casey

Here is a link that might be useful: Perfect-it Machine Glaze