How To Remove Rust From Metal

Rust removers grouping of lemon, lime, salt and vinegar.

How to remove rust from metal? These four solutions can get rid of the rust on metal surfaces - stat.

  • Make a paste of baking soda and water
  • Dip the rusty metal in a vinegar bath
  • Scrub away rust buildup with lime and salt, or lemon and salt
  • Use naval jelly rust dissolver

How to remove rust: the first three methods above are effective on moderate rust build-up and are made from items you probably already have around the house. Below you'll find details for mixing and using each one.

The last remedy, naval jelly rust dissolver, is your final go-to product for really stubborn rust. It is a much stronger chemical that should be used as a last resort if the first three methods don't fully remove the rust from your metal surface.

How to Remove Rust with Baking Soda

  • Add water to dry baking soda until it has the texture of a paste thick enough for you to spread on the metal.
  • Allow the baking soda paste to sit on the rusted area of the metal for at least 30 minutes before scrubbing off with a toothbrush or other small brush. 

Remove Rust With White Vinegar

Acidic vinegar is another useful household staple for cleaning rust on items that can safely be soaked.

  • Submerge the rusty item in white vinegar. Allow the vinegar to work its rust-busting magic overnight, or at least eight hours.
  • Remove the item from the vinegar, and scrape away the rust using a metal brush or steel wool.

Break Out a Lime (or Lemon) and Salt

No, it's not margarita time. (Yet.) Instead, use these simple staples to provide both the acid and the abrasion needed to remove stubborn rust.

  • Rinse the rusty area so that it is wet enough for the salt to adhere.
  • Sprinkle salt liberally over the dampened rust area; allow the salt to sit on the surface for at least two hours.
  • Use the lime or lemon rind to scrub the salt into the rusty areas.
Still rusty? It's time to break out the naval jelly rust dissolver, an old faithful of a product that's been around for generations. It is a cleaning chemical that needs to be used with safety precautions in place, however.
  • First, don't use Naval Jelly in confined spaces. The fumes can be hazardous without proper ventilation.
  • Always wear rubber or plastic protective gloves, and safety glasses or a full-face shield to protect your hands, face, and eyes when working with naval jelly.
  • Remove all loose dirt and rust from the metal with a wire brush before cleaning.
  • Brush on a liberal coating of Naval Jelly; let stand 15 minutes - but no longer than 15 minutes.
  • Rinse with water, inspect.
  • If any rust remains, repeat steps above as many times as needed to remove rust.

Prevent Rust on Metal

To keep your newly refreshed metal looking sharp and rust free in the future, apply a light, protective coat of liquid car wax. Store metal in a cool, dry place and to prevent rust build-up.

You Might Like These:

  • Cleaning lighting fixtures. Lighting fixtures need cleaning about once a month. These cleaning tips can help you clean them properly - and get all that wattage you're paying for.

    Cleaning Lighting Fixtures

    Cleaning lighting fixtures. Lighting fixtures need cleaning about once a month. These cleaning tips can help you clean them properly - and get all that wattage you're paying for.

  • Summer home cleaning tricks. It's summertime, and the living is easy. Cleaning should be easy as well, but often isn't. These home cleaning tricks can help pick up the pace.

    Summer Home Cleaning Tricks

    Summer home cleaning tricks. It's summertime, and the living is easy. Cleaning should be easy as well, but often isn't. These home cleaning tricks can help pick up the pace.

  • Tips for cleaning earbuds and headphones of lingering earwax and surface disinfecting aren't only good practices for hygienic reasons. They may improve the sound quality.

    Tips For Cleaning Earbuds

    Tips for cleaning earbuds and headphones of lingering earwax and surface disinfecting aren't only good practices for hygienic reasons. They may improve the sound quality.

  • Is cleaning walls really necessary? After all, dust and soot fall to the floor, right?  Most of it does, but the remnants warrant a yearly bath. Tips for cleaning walls.

    Tips for Cleaning Walls

    Is cleaning walls really necessary? After all, dust and soot fall to the floor, right? Most of it does, but the remnants warrant a yearly bath. Tips for cleaning walls.

  • Easy marble cleaning tips. If your marble's looking a bit lackluster, chances are it's begging for a cleaning. These marble cleaning tips can help.

    Easy Marble Cleaning Tips

    Easy marble cleaning tips. If your marble's looking a bit lackluster, chances are it's begging for a cleaning. These marble cleaning tips can help.

  • How to remove nail polish stains. Nail polish stains mucking up your carpet or couch?  These carpet and upholstery cleaning tips can help remove that polish stain.

    How To Remove Nail Polish Stains on Carpet and Upholstery

    How to remove nail polish stains. Nail polish stains mucking up your carpet or couch? These carpet and upholstery cleaning tips can help remove that polish stain.

  • Too busy for spring cleaning? Bring in the spring house cleaning professionals, who will purge homes of a winter's buildup of dust, grime, mildew and dirt, at surprisingly affordable prices.

    Spring House Cleaning Professionals

    Too busy for spring cleaning? Bring in the spring house cleaning professionals, who will purge homes of a winter's buildup of dust, grime, mildew and dirt, at surprisingly affordable prices.

  • Tips for sanitizing your home. Cleaning the various items and surfaces inside has become the new mandate for healthy living.

    Tips For Sanitizing Your Home

    Tips for sanitizing your home. Cleaning the various items and surfaces inside has become the new mandate for healthy living.





You Might Like These

  • Easy marble cleaning tips. If your marble's looking a bit lackluster, chances are it's begging for a cleaning. These marble cleaning tips can help.

    Easy Marble Cleaning Tips

    Easy marble cleaning tips. If your marble's looking a bit lackluster, chances are it's begging for a cleaning. These marble cleaning tips can help.

  • Brick is one of the most lovely design accents a home can have. Whether indoor or out, however, it gets dirty. Really dirty. Here's how to clean brick.

    How to Clean Brick

    Brick is one of the most lovely design accents a home can have. Whether indoor or out, however, it gets dirty. Really dirty. Here's how to clean brick.

  • Washing curtains and window treatments at home is a relatively easy and cost-effective solution. These cleaning tips can help get the job done.

    Washing Curtains and Window Treatments

    Washing curtains and window treatments at home is a relatively easy and cost-effective solution. These cleaning tips can help get the job done.

  • A yearly house cleaning timetable  of chores to tackle daily, weekly, monthly, and annually - and when to do them.

    A Yearly House Cleaning Timetable

    A yearly house cleaning timetable of chores to tackle daily, weekly, monthly, and annually - and when to do them.

  • Seasonal allergies can reduce kids - and adults - to a sniffling, sneezing, uncomfortable mess. This room-by-room allergy relief cleaning tips can help keep the sniffles under control.

    Allergy Relief Cleaning Tips

    Seasonal allergies can reduce kids - and adults - to a sniffling, sneezing, uncomfortable mess. This room-by-room allergy relief cleaning tips can help keep the sniffles under control.

  • Science can't explain it, but soft drinks, crumbs, and coffee are attracted to computer keyboards like magnets. Here's how to clean a computer.

    How to Clean A Computer

    Science can't explain it, but soft drinks, crumbs, and coffee are attracted to computer keyboards like magnets. Here's how to clean a computer.

  • How to clean cloudy glass?  The answer begins with understanding what causes glasses to become cloudy. These tips can help clean cloudy glass and restore its former lustre.

    How to Clean Cloudy Glass

    How to clean cloudy glass? The answer begins with understanding what causes glasses to become cloudy. These tips can help clean cloudy glass and restore its former lustre.

  • If, despite all of your planning and motivating efforts, your kids don't get the job done,  be ready with natural consequences for kids. Here are easy examples.

    Consequences for Kids Not Doing Chores

    If, despite all of your planning and motivating efforts, your kids don't get the job done, be ready with natural consequences for kids. Here are easy examples.



Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.