If you have hand tools for your home or garden, chances are you’ve fought a battle with rust a time or two. Maybe you accidentally left your tools out and it rained. Maybe your basement or shed flooded. Whatever caused the rust to invade, you’ll be happy to know that cleaning it away isn’t too difficult. Here’s a great DIY rust remover that will easily save all of your tools!
1. Vinegar
It might seem counter-intuitive, but vinegar can actually remove rust from metal. All you need to do is give them a bath! Immerse the item in white vinegar and let it stay there overnight. In the morning, dump out the vinegar and give your tool a good scrape with steel wool or a metal-bristled brush. If your tool is something you can’t immerse in the vinegar, then soak some rags with vinegar and wrap the affected area overnight. Follow the same scraping procedure in the morning.
2. Baking Soda
First, rinse off that trowel (or whatever it is) and shake off the excess water. Dust it with baking soda and allow it to stick to the moisture. Just make sure all the rusty areas are covered with the baking soda. Let it sit for about an hour, then rub it vigorously with a metal brush or steel wool to remove the rust completely. Rinse and dry with a towel.
3. Potato & Salt
Did you know a plain old potato will actually get rid of rust? The organic compounds in potatoes are super effective at dissolving that oxidation. Just grab a potato and some table salt. Cut the potato in half, and tip the cut surface into the salt so it’s well covered. Then, use firm pressure to rub the salty potato over the rust. As needed, slice the surface of the potato off and re-coat with the salt. Scrub this way until the rust disappears, and voila! Wasn’t this DIY rust remover recipe easy?
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