The festive season is here!! Dear grandmother of yours must have kept those stainless-steel utensils right at their places. However, just one mistake – they were left uncovered, and you find them junked up with rust! Clearly, googling is the way out, and your search on how to remove rust from stainless steel has brought you to this page. Welcome – here’s your know-it-all guide on removing rust from steel. Read it up first and go to apply next – after all, there’s a lot more work left.
Scroll down and get the ingredients –
Table of Contents
The homely way to answer how to remove rust from stainless steel
Before you cry out for help, check if the ingredients to remove the rust are at your home. After all, it’s just a brownish reddish flaky coating that dulls the look of your stainless-steel products. For starters –
1. The lime-salt combo can help bring back the magic
Lime is a product that you have in your kitchen. Cut the required amount and bring it back with the salt jar.
The process: Sprinkle a handfull amount of salt on the rusted area. After that squeeze out the lime juice completely and pour it over that area. Please wait for a minimum of 3 hours to 4 hours, and then scrub it off. It is seen that – the concerned area is cleaned, restored to its previous version and does not damage the metal.
Review– Tried and Applied – a sure shot theory to answer how to remove rust from stainless steel.
2. Lemon Juice and Baking soda is the alternative
Mix an equal amount of baking soda and lemon juice and make a thick paste.
The process: Put this paste finely on areas where there is rust. Then wait for a minimum of 30-minutes. Take a damp sponge and wipe away the mix. If it does not work completely in the first half-hour, keep it up to 1 hour and then repeat the process.
Review– In case the gunk does not go (chances are negligible) – repeat the process
3. White Vinegar – the magic juice
If you wish to use this – then one can do it by 2 methods: Either dip the product in the juice or leave it for 4-5 – hours.
Starting with the first one – Pour the vinegar on the stainless-steel product and keep it for some time. Also, if that is not feasible – soak a cloth in vinegar and wipe the steel product and let it rest for 5 – hours. In either of the cases, the rust goes away in the second wiping.
The second mode is – to dip an aluminium foil into the vinegar and wipe the product with the same. Scrub well in both cases to ensure that the rust goes.
4. Baking Soda paste
If it’s just rust accumulated from a small period, then this method is best.
The process: Combination of a fistful of baking soda and 2 cups of water. Use a cloth to clean the rust with this mixture.
Review – Mostly works well with newly formed rust coating
5. Potato and Dish soap combination is also helpful
This comes from an old text from grandmother – when nothing is available at home!
The process: Cut a potato in half and apply dish-soap to its end. Now scrub the rusted area with this end and leave for an hour or two (based on the condition of rust). If this is not enough, cut down another potato and repeat the process.
Review – So far So good.
Get some external help
Have you tried all the natural procedures that could answer – how to remove rust from stainless steel? Still, having problems? In that case, take some external help –
There are multiple steel brush wheels available in the shop to choose from. They are abrasive in nature and can help to remove the rust in a fine manner.
Available in the market are – abrasive buff wheels whose coarse body works singularly to remove rust from the body. Priced at comparatively lower rates, a maximum of two times brushing – and the rust is gone!!
Radial polishing discs – the twisted types are also a great machine to remove rust. Unmounted or mounted, its 3-mm pin is a great rust removal pointer.
How to save your stainless-steel products from rust?
Powder coating and galvanizing are the most common alternatives. However, what if you wish to store the utensils – how do you do that? Some of the most common techniques are
Before storing the stainless-steel product, cover them tightly with a cloth or pack them in a bag. This will prevent air movement and store it without any rust accumulation.
When you store the steel products, use desiccant drying agents to prevent the rust from forming
The most important step – store it in a humid-free place or a place where one can control the humidity levels. Using a humidifier is a good idea!
All set to start the hard labour? Wish you strength and luck. Just in case you find anyone else struggling with this query on how to remove rust from stainless steel – do update him or her on the same. Keep posted!
