According to _ :
I put my anodized parts in a naoh ("Drano") solution

You mean NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide)? Without the proper mix of
case, it is just puzzling (although the "Drano" did clear it up for me.)

to get rid of the
existing anodizing and it looks as though now I'll need to desmut then as
they are a nice dark grey, not white at all. Will the stuff used for PCB
etchant (ferric chloride) work?

I don't know. Try wiping them with a cotton swab first. Or
stirring the NaOH solution, if you have a magnetic stirrer. (You may
need a fresh batch, if what you have is contaminated with the dye from
the original anodizing.)

Good Luck,
DoN.

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