Rust. Whether it's a car, boat, bike, or piece of garden furniture, it's a corrosive scar, the sight of which is enough to make your heart sink.
Technically, rust is iron oxide and occurs when iron, or a compound containing iron is exposed to oxygen over a long period. Moisture, usually water, accelerates the process; to see how quickly water can speed up the rusting process, run a piece of steel wool under a tap for a few seconds and watch.
Not only is rust unsightly, it's damaging to the metal. The longer you leave it, the more it corrodes until eventually it's eaten it away completely.
Here are six ways to remove it.
1. Use vinegar
Acid, specifically citric acid or acetic acid, is a great way to remove rust, particularly if it has formed on parts which can be easily removed and soaked. If, say, you want to remove rust from screws, remove the screws and soak them in vinegar. Take a half-litre plastic bottle, and put the screws inside. Pour in enough white vinegar (some say that apple cider vinegar works best, but any white vinegar should work – keep the malt vinegar for your chips) so that it's about an inch above the screws. Put the lid on and shake the bottle. Soak the screws in the vinegar for a day or so, and then pour the vinegar out – use a colander or sieve so you don't lose any screws.
Your screws should now be shiny and free from rust. If they're not, try again and leave them for a bit longer so the acid gets more of a chance to do its work.
2. Try a lemon
If you can't easily remove the rusty components, you'll need to use a little elbow grease to do the job. Before resorting to the DIY store, though, raid the kitchen again for a few more items that might help. First, try a lemon or a lime and some salt (you won't need the tequila). Rub the salt all over the rusted area and, when it's thoroughly coated, squeeze the lemon or lime juice onto the salt. Squeeze out as much as you can, then leave it to work its magic for two or three hours.
Now you need to scrub it off. You could use a scourer, or even some steel wool. But to avoid damaging the metal any further, it's best to use the rind of the lemon or lime. It's abrasive enough to remove the rust after its soaked in the juice and salt mixture for a while, and won't do any more damage to the metal.
3. Head to the bathroom
If you don't have a lemon or lime to hand, you can try baking soda and a toothbrush. Pour some baking soda into a dish or bowl and add enough water to form a paste. You'll need to use your own judgement here. The paste should be thick enough that it doesn't run, but not crumbly. Once you've made up the paste, apply it to the rusted area, leave it to set for a couple of hours, and then scrub it off with the toothbrush.
While you're in the bathroom, you could also try using soap – the kind that sits in a dish on the side of the bath. You'll also need a potato (you probably won't find that in the bathroom). Cut the potato in half, and rub the inner bit on the soap until it's coated. Place the coated end of the potato on the rust for a couple of hours, then brush off the soap.
4. Time to get tough
If none of these methods work, you'll need to roll up your sleeves and employ some serious elbow grease. Rust can be removed from metal by scraping it off. Clearly this is easiest where the rust covers a large and easily accessible area. Spokes on a bike, for example, are more difficult to scrape.
First you'll need to decide what to use as a scraper. This will depend on how bad the rust is. If it's thick, you could use a paint scraper or even a screwdriver to get rid of the worst of it. Steel wool also works well, as does sandpaper – particularly if you can get at it with a power sander. Start with a rough grain paper and as you clean the rust away, switch to a finer grain. The idea being that you don't want to scrape or damage the underlying metal any more than the rust has already done.
5. Get rid of rust stains
Rust doesn't just affect the metal it's formed from. It can stain clothing, brick work, and just about anything else it touches.
If you find rust stains on clothing, try some lemon juice. Rub the lemon juice into the affected area, being careful not to spread the stain any further. Rinse the lemon juice off with water, then wash the clothing as as normal. If the fabric is thick, and the rust stain particularly bad, add some salt to the lemon juice.
To remove rust stains from a wall, drive or patio, use a stiff wire brush and a hose. Wet the stain with the hose and then brush the stain firmly. If the stain is particularly stubborn, try using a cleaning product which contains oxalic acid, such as Bar Keeper's Friend Stain Remover.
6. Use the power of electricity
If none of the above work, you'll have to use a little physics. Electrolysis is an excellent way to remove iron oxide from iron or iron compounds. You'll need a car battery charger, a basin of water large enough to hold whatever you need to remove rust from, a piece of 'sacrificial' metal with iron in it, and some washing (not baking) soda.
Put both pieces of metal in the water and add the soda. Make sure the charger is unplugged and connect the negative terminal to the rusty piece and the positive terminal to the 'sacrificial' metal. Make sure the positive terminal connector is above the water.
Plug the charger in, switch it on, and wait. After an hour or so, you'll see the electrolysis start to work. Leave the whole lot overnight, and in the morning, unplug the charger, disconnect the terminals and have a look at the result. If the rust hasn't fully gone, re-connect the charger, switch it back on and leave it a little longer.
Liked this? Why not read 40 Weird and Wonderful Uses for WD-40
Words: Kenny Hemphill