Best thing you can do with chrome is be gentle. It is not like it was on a '57 Chev bumper. Chrome itself is lower quality due partly to us wanting to live longer (epa) and the material under it is softer (alum). Just wash it with lots of soapy water, dry with a micro fiber cloth that is designed to dry without a lot of rubbing and polish ONLY when the wheel is completely clean with a clean soft applicator and a mild chrome polish. You don't "wax" chrome, you polish the surface and clean it to prevent foreign substances from penetrating the outer layer.
You scratch it by wiping them after a ride when they have brake dust on them (Metallic particles) and that scratch has opened an area for penetration to start and eventually separation or lifting of the chrome which we call peeling.
I don't have problems with chrome, but I also take time to maintain it. Spent over and hour yesterday cleaning and polishing the chrome wheels on my wife's SUV. Pain, but they look like new even living close to the beach and salt water.