![]() ![]() There are also gel-based chelating removers, which are helpful for spot-treating rusty areas on toilets, patios, and other surfaces you can’t soak in a tub. Rust) and strips it away, making it easy to remove.Ĭhelating rust removers typically require you to soak your rusted gear in a liquid solution for anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours, which gives the agent plenty of time to bind to the rust. That said, we still recommend using eye protection and gloves for any chemical-based option, since they can be harmful if they get in your eyes or under your skin.Ĭhelating rust removers offer a highly effective, nontoxic, acid-free, and biodegradable solution that binds to iron oxide (A.K.A. Since they won’t burn your skin or produce harmful fumes, petroleum-based rust removers are also much safer to use than acid-based options. As an added benefit, they leave behind a film that helps to prevent rust from returning. Lastly, petroleum-based solvents such as WD-40 penetrate through the rust and loosen it from the surface of the metal, allowing you to wipe it off. It’s also an effective ingredient for removing rust stains from fabrics and porcelain sinks, tubs, and toilets. Rust removers with sodium hydrosulfite typically come in powder form, making them ideal for removing rust from more delicate surfaces, such as concrete, marble, and other types of stone and masonry. Sodium hydrosulfite, a more gentle option, requires a longer soaking time, but won’t scar or damage the materials you’re trying to salvage. ![]() Given that, acid chemical rust removers are best limited to removing rust from bare iron and steel. Depending on the active ingredient, they can be very hazardous: Acid-based rust removers work very fast, often dissolving rust in mere minutes, but are so caustic that they may eat through anything but metal, leave permanent etches on stainless steel, and dissolve paint you may wish to preserve. What to Consider When Shopping for a Rust Remover Types of Rust RemoversĬhemical rust removers use acid, solvents, or sodium hydrosulfite to dissolve rust off hard surfaces. In addition to my own testing and expertise, I relied on insights and expertise from fellow home improvement expert James Fitzgerald, who wrote a previous version of this story. I’ve used rust removal products on everything from tools to concrete pavers, and discovered which ones work and which don’t in the process. Having spent most of my adult life living in the humidity of the South, I’m intimately familiar with what happens when water and air come into contact with steel. News and World Report, and Field & Stream, among others. If anyone has a better idea, let me know.Show more The Expert: I’m a freelance home improvement writer who’s written for Bob Vila, Angi, Futurism, U.S. No apparent lasting effects.Īnyway, just my two cents' worth here. When I took them off, the acid had turned my skin black as soot around the puncture, but it did not cause any discomfort and washed right off. Despite being careful and wearing double nitrile gloves, I unknowingly poked a hole and got this stuff on my skin under them. Definitely gloves too - although having gotten some of this on me several times, it does not seem to be very aggressive towards human flesh. You'll want tons of ventilation (OUTSIDE! Doors/windows open!) and a breather mask. ![]() On the plus side, it's just phosphoric acid. Multiple applications/cleanups so far, but making good progress with 11+ years of nasty rust from baking soda being allowed to chew on my car after an engine fire. You'll want a few rolls of paper towels and a large container to put them in. I'm two days in on this thing, so the 30 minutes claim is a joke. ![]() Here's the short version of what happened: It does work, but it's not a miracle cure, it takes a lot of work to chew through thick rust, and cleanup sucks. Be careful if you're dumb enough to do this my way. Note - rusty floor pans put holes in nitrile gloves. Then I squirted the goo all over every speck of rust I could see! I rubbed it around with a wire brush, which wasn't real effective, and then just smooshed it around with my gloves. Used a wire brush to get rid of any loose stuff too. I vacuumed and scrubbed my floor pan before I put this on. Well, maybe if you had light surface rust. The product optimistically claims that it'll be done in 30 minutes. You squirt it on (in little clumps, because the sprayer doesn't actually 'spray') and then it eats away at your rust. With that in mind, I saw this product at Autozone, and decided to give it a whirl! I've just got some tiny lacy holes, not giant missing spots. After deciding that my new floor pans were going to be a massive PITA to weld in, I decided to go another route. ![]()
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