cleaning spokes

My front wheel is laced with stainless spokes by Buchanan's and it's lovely. The rear wheel is stock and the spokes have turned almost black with time. I can clean the hub effectively but I've resisted using anything abrasive on the spokes in fear of removing whatever plating might be on there. With all the modern cleaners out there, has anyone found something that does a good job with that?

I use oxalic acid in a ultra sonic bath to clean zinc plated hardware of rust, the ultra sonic bit just accelerates the action. Oxalic acid eats rust slowly but leaves chrome and steel untouched, plus from what I have seen also zinc. But what it depends on in your case is what is that black deposit, zinc oxide is white so its not that.

I use baleing twine on my spokes, simply wrap a piece of twine around the spoke and polish away. The roughness of the twine removes dirt and grime easily.
Twine from straw bales.

I spray on a wheel cleaner that says it is safe for chrome, then power wash. If that seems to do very little, I try WD40 and a brass brush. It depends on what is on them which will work. The WD40 and brass brush does wonders for Chrome rims that have a tiny amount of rust and no matter what I do the rim that way when done with the spokes.

The spokes are probably not Zinc plated, they are probably Cadmium plated but either way they will cleanup the same.

S-100 spray on - hose off with reg. house hold water pressure no pressure washers for my bikes/cars ever .... usually spray the S-100 on spokes then give them a go with green scotch brite pad then put the water to them does a great job .... I use wax on chain and usually let it set up overnight before riding virtually no fling off which really helps to keep rear wheel clean

Craig said:

S-100 spray on - hose off with reg. house hold water pressure no pressure washers for my bikes/cars ever .... usually spray the S-100 on spokes then give them a go with green scotch brite pad then put the water to them does a great job .... I use wax on chain and usually let it set up overnight before riding virtually no fling off which really helps to keep rear wheel clean

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Thanks. I just got a can of that - I'll have to give it a shot.