Do it all the time.
Compared to polishing, it is easier. But the surface is not gonna be all that smooth, so it will hold dirt and look dirty quicker.
I scothbrite lots of parts on the lathe, and by hand I usually use soapy water and a green scotch pad. If I have a huge surface area to get over, I use a 90 die grinder with a 3M scotch pad on it...
Sometimes i mix the finishes on the bikes, too much of 1 thing always looks funky. My last bike, I scotched the forks, polished the side covers and valve covers, and scotched the hubs but polished the rims....
Or sometimes I just bead blast the parts too...