Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 5: Household resources
• Method 2 of 5: Mixtures
• Method 3 of 5: Mechanical rust removers
• Method 4 of 5: Electrolysis
• Method 5 of 5: Commercial applications
• Tips
• Warnings

Rust is the result of iron oxidation. A common cause of rust is prolonged exposure to water. Any metal containing iron, including steel, will bond with the oxygen atoms in water. This creates a layer of iron oxide, which we call rust. Rust accelerates the corrosion process, so it is important to treat rust on time. Fortunately, it is not difficult to remove rust. In this article we will tell you how.

To step

Method 1 of 5: Household resources

1. Soak the rusted metal in vinegar. Household vinegar is non-toxic and it works very well against rust. Place the piece of metal in the household vinegar overnight and scrape the rust off the metal in the morning.
   • Apple cider vinegar works better than white vinegar. Both work, but apple cider vinegar is more effective.
   • Vinegar is an effective remedy, but at the same time very mild. It could be that one night of weeks is not enough, just leave it for 24 hours. You can try to remove the rust after soaking with a crumpled piece of aluminum foil dipped in the vinegar.
2. Try another household item with a high acid content such as lime or lemon juice. Lime or lemon juice works really well for removing rust stains from clothes anyway, but it can also be very effective on rusty metal if you let it soak long enough. Sprinkle some salt over the rusty part, soak it in the lime or lemon juice and scrape off the rust with a piece of aluminum foil.
3. Tackle it scientifically by using phosphoric or hydrochloric acid. The names of these acids may sound a bit scary, but they are just cheap household products that work well against rust.
   • Phosphoric acid is actually a "rust converter", it converts rust from iron oxide to iron phosphate. Soak the rusted metal in phosphoric acid overnight. Then let it dry. Once the surface has dried completely, scrape the iron phosphate off the metal. You can find phosphoric acid in cola or syrup, for example.
   • Hydrochloric acid is used in the steel industry to remove rust. Hydrochloric acid can be found in some cleaning products, such as toilet cleaners.
   • Hydrochloric acid continues to work even after rinsing and drying. The fumes can corrode and discolor other polished and metal objects in the room. One way to avoid this is to heat the treated object in an oven or fire. Another way is to use a neutralizing paste of chalk or lime.
4. Use a potato. By applying the acids that naturally occur in a potato to rust, you can remove rust. This method works especially well on small, rusted parts, such as knives. There are two ways you can use a potato to remove rust:
   • Stick the rusted knife into the potato and wait a day. Remove the blade and scrape the rust off the blade.
   • Cut a potato in half, coat the inside of the potato with baking soda and brush the rusted surface with the potato. Then you wipe it with some steel wool.
5. See if you have any other resources at home. You can often make your own rust remover without leaving your kitchen. All agents with a high acid content will detach iron oxide from metals. These household items work especially well with smaller objects.
   • The active ingredient in most chemical rust removers is some form of acid, usually phosphoric or hydrochloric acid. Many resources you already have at home do exactly the same.
   • If you are unsure whether you can use a particular drug, do a quick search on the internet. Especially if you are going to combine certain resources, it is good to check what will happen when you combine the resources.
6. Remove rust with carbonated cola. Place the rusty object in a glass or can filled with cola. Let it stand or dip it in. Check every half hour to see if there is any progress. The Coke should do the job.

Method 2 of 5: Mixtures

1. Make a baking soda paste. Mix enough water and baking soda to make a paste that is just a bit thicker than toothpaste. To achieve that, you need just a little more baking soda than water. Once you've mixed the paste, apply it to the rust, then use some steel wool or a toothbrush to get it to penetrate into the rust. Wipe it clean and see the result.
   • You will probably have to repeat this step several times to get good results, but the process will work eventually.
2. Make a paste of hydrogen peroxide and tartar. This paste should also be slightly thicker than toothpaste, use slightly more tartar than hydrogen peroxide. Apply it to the rusted metal and work it in with some steel wool. Wipe it clean to see if the rust is gone.
   • If you don't have hydrogen peroxide, you can also mix water with tartar. This will have about the same effect, because the agent that removes the rust is tartar.

Method 3 of 5: Mechanical rust removers

1. Buy or borrow a grinder if you don't already have one. You can find these devices at any DIY store, but they can be quite expensive. Renting can be a cheaper alternative. A grinder works especially well for removing rust from large surfaces such as rusty cars.
2. Start with the coarsest disc you can find. You can replace the discs with a grinder. Ask your hardware store for advice on what kind of discs are best against rust. Then choose a coarse disc of that type.
   • Starting with a coarse disc will immediately remove the worst of the rust and prevent you from wearing down finer discs quickly.
3. Secure the material you are going to machine with the grinder so that it cannot move when you are sanding. If the material is not heavy enough not to move, use a decent clamp.
4. Turn on the grinder and wipe the rotating disc gently but firmly against the rust. Keep the grinder moving to avoid damaging the metal.
5. Use a sander to finish the job. If there is still some rust left over, it is best to use a sander. It works the same, but the difference is that no disc is rotating; a sander just vibrates.
   • Use a special sander to get to difficult spots and to work uneven surfaces.

Method 4 of 5: Electrolysis

1. Build an electrolytic installation. It sounds difficult, but that is really not so bad. Fill a plastic bucket with enough water to submerge the rusted piece of metal and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda per gallon of water. Mix well until dissolved.
2. Use another piece of steel as an anode. The electrolysis process removes the rust from the rusted metal, after which the rust will adhere to the second piece of metal. The piece of metal you are going to sacrifice should be big enough to be half way above the water, which is the side you are going to attach the positive pole to. That is very important.
   • A steel can can work well as an anode, as long as it is large enough to partially protrude above the water's surface.
   • Make sure the piece of metal you will be using is magnetic. Then you can be sure that you do not accidentally use an aluminum can. You can no use aluminum or stainless steel as an anode in electrolysis.
3. Connect a negative pole (black) of a battery charger to a stainless part of the object where you want to remove the rust. You may have to scrape off some rust first to get a rust-free piece. Submerge the object completely under water, making sure to keep as much wire out of the water as possible.
   • Caution: Make sure the rusted object is the anode not , because then you get a short circuit.
4. Connect the positive pole (red) of the battery charger to the anode, the sacrificed piece of metal. Remember: the anode must partially protrude above the water, because the connection between the anode and the battery charger must remain dry.
   • If the anode metal is completely submerged, you can use another wire between the metal and the connection of the battery charger to keep the connection dry.
5. Plug in the battery charger and turn on the charger. The electrolysis process will now start, the rust will slowly disappear from the rusted object. Let it run for 12-20 hours.
   • Caution: If at any time you want to check the rust condition, first turn off the battery charger and unplug the charger from the wall outlet. You will see bubbles rising to the surface and over time a layer of brown sludge will appear on the surface. That is normal.
6. Turn off the battery charger, unplug the power cord and remove the clamps from the metal objects. The piece of metal should now be rust-free, but it still needs cleaning. Use some steel wool to remove any leftover residue and a wire brush to get into hard-to-reach areas.

Method 5 of 5: Commercial applications

1. Buy a chemical rust remover. Usually the main ingredient is a type of acid that can produce toxic fumes. Buy the rust removers from the hardware store.
   • An example is WD-40.
   • Wear protective clothing when working with chemical rust removers. Don't forget to wear gloves, protect your eyes with safety goggles and a good face mask to purify the air.
2. Apply the product to the rusted surface. Give the rust remover enough time to do its job. You can do this in several ways:
   • Some chemicals are in an aerosol can. Spray lightly and precisely on the rust and let it soak overnight if necessary.
   • Other means should be applied with a brush. First scrape off as much rust as possible from the object and then apply the agent evenly. Let it work overnight.
   • Another method is to completely submerge the object in the rust remover. This is of course only possible if the object is small enough. Take a plastic container, put the object in it and fill the container completely with the rust remover. Wait another night.
3. Clean it with water and dry it. Try to remove as much rust remover as possible. Dry the object with a hair dryer to make sure it is completely dry and the rust will not return quickly.
4. Scrape off the remaining rust. Most of the rust will have come off overnight and come off easily.
5. Repeat the process if necessary. How long you have to wait depends on how badly the object is rusted and how well it works. Sometimes you have to repeat it a few times before all the rust has been removed.

Tips

• Once the rust has been removed, it can always rust again. Prevent this by greasing or oiling metal tools. You can use a primer with other objects. If you want to paint the piece of metal, treat it with primer before painting it so that it is well protected against rust.

Warnings

• Be very careful when you are going to use the electrolysis method. You work with dangerous amperages. Make sure you use a non-conductive container or bucket (preferably plastic), use rubber gloves and make sure the negative pole never touches the positive pole.
• First, try to determine the exact metal you will be treating. All metals corrode, but in different ways. Some of the methods described above, such as electrolysis, are specially designed for rust and cannot be used to clean other metals.
• Avoid inhaling strong acid fumes. Make sure the room in which you work is well ventilated. You can irritate your throat and lungs, especially if you have an asthmatic condition or weak lungs. Always protect your eyes and wear a mouth mask. Use gloves when using store-bought rust removers.
• Grinding and sanding rusty metal can damage the metal itself. If you want to remove rust from a precious object, consider using a chemical or electrolysis first.