How To Clean Rust: 6 Effective Household Products

Remove rust - using Bar Keepers Friend on rusty garden clippers; before and after of clippers with rust, and cleaned of rust.

How To Get Rid Of Rust With Common Household Products

It’s been a long winter, so if you have checked your garden tools lately, you may be wondering how to remove rust. Sometimes in spite of your best efforts, tools do get rusty. It’s easy to think that your tools are beyond saving, but don’t throw them out just yet! There are plenty things you can use to remove rust from metal. And you probably already have many of them at home!

Today I’ll be sharing 6 different ways you can clean rust and rust stains, using everyday items from around the house. These methods are quick, easy, and effective at removing rust from all kinds of items! Give them a try, and you’ll find that rust is no match for your cleaning prowess! :-)

7 Ways To Remove Rust Using Everyday Items

Remove rust - putting a rusty canning lid in a bowl of white vinegar

1. Vinegar

If you’re looking for effective household products to remove rust, look no further than white vinegar. Just let the rusty item soak in vinegar for a few days, then give it a scrub. Repeat as needed until all the rust is gone. The best reasons to remove rust with vinegar are that it works well and requires almost no effort — just a bit of patience!

2. Lemon & Salt

A great home remedy for rust stains on clothing or fabric involves a lemon and some coarse salt. Sprinkle the rust stain with salt, then squeeze half a lemon over the salt. Let it sit for an hour or two, then scrub the stain with the lemon rind. Launder as usual to remove the rust residue, salt, and lemon juice.

3. Baking Soda

If you have rust in a hard-to-reach area, a baking soda paste is likely your best bet! Just mix a handful of baking soda with enough water to make a paste. Then spread the paste over the rusty area, and scrub with an old toothbrush. Let the paste sit for an hour or two, then scrub again. Rinse the paste off, then dry the item thoroughly.

4. Potato & Dish Soap

As strange as it sounds, you can use a potato and a bit of dish soap to remove rust! Start by cutting a potato in half, then place the cut end of the potato in a shallow dish of Dawn dish soap. Let it soak in the soap for a few minutes.

Next, use the soapy potato to rub the rusted area. The soap helps remove general grime, while the oxalic acid in the potato helps break up the rust. Once the rust is gone, rinse and dry the item thoroughly.

5. Sand Paper

If you’re dealing with a really thick layer of rust, you’ll have more success in removing it if you start with some good old fashioned elbow grease. Grab some coarse grit sand paper and rub it over the rusty area. After removing the roughest layers of rust, switch to a finer grit sand paper to avoid scratching the metal underneath.

Once you’ve sanded the rust down to a more manageable level, try one of the other methods listed here to remove the rest.

6. Bar Keepers Friend

If you’ve tried other methods and nothing seems to be working, reach for Bar Keepers Friend. This scouring powder contains oxalic acid, which reacts with iron compounds in the rust and makes it much easier to scrub away. (But be sure to wear protective gloves when using BKF, because it can easily irritate skin!)

removing rust with bar keeper's friend - before and after of garden clippers

Use a wet sponge and a sprinkle of Bar Keepers Friend to scrub the rusty item. Then let it sit for a minute or two, and rinse the item thoroughly. Rust doesn’t usually stand a chance against this stuff!

7. Cream Of Tartar

You can remove rust from metal by mixing up 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, and just enough hydrogen peroxide to form a paste. Apply the mixture to a rust spot, let it sit for 30 minutes, then wipe the surface clean.

How To Prevent Rust From Forming

The best defense is a good offense, and it’s no different with rust. You won’t need a rust remover if it never forms in the first place, so how do you keep your things rust-free?

The most important thing you can do is keep things dry. Moisture is almost always the culprit behind rusted metal. You should dry any metal item promptly if it gets wet, and be sure to keep your tools somewhere you know they will stay dry!

What’s the rustiest item you’ve ever cleaned up?