How to Remove Rust Stains From Cymbals

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By Sarah Wilson CCRP
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cymbals

While performing research to find out how to remove rust stains from cymbals, a couple of things became quite evident. One was that some drummers like dirty cymbals while others prefer them to be clean and shiny. According to the members of various discussion boards, the cymbal’s sound differs between a “clean cymbal" and a “dirty cymbal”. In fact, some drummers bury them in their backyard to get rid of the "ting" sound in favor of a more "earthy" tone that dirty cymbals give. The other significant discovery was that rust stains can be removed from cymbals using typical household products.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Cymbals
Lemon juice
Iodized salt
Soft cloth (e.g. old t-shirt)
Hard bristle toothbrush

Step 1

Using clean clear water, completely wipe the cymbals of topical dirt. Pour lemon juice on the rust stain and then sprinkle iodized salt on top of the lemon juice. Let stand for 3 minutes.
Step 2

Using a hard bristle toothbrush, scrub the rust stain extremely hard. Removing rust is a little like trying to clean grout in the shower, it takes time, patience and perseverance.
Step 3

Wipe the cymbals dry with a soft damp cloth and repeat step 2 until rust stain is gone (takes approximately 3 applications).
Step 4

Clean the cymbals completely and store away from atmospheric conditions that causes rust stains.

Tips & Warnings

When trying new cleaning techniques and products, select a small spot on the bottom of the cymbal and test the process before applying to the entire cymbal.
May also try using vinegar (instead of the lemon juice) and let set on spot for a couple of hours.
Wipe down your cymbals after each use to minimize chance of deterioration and dirt build-up.
Before trying new and harsh chemicals on your cymbals, consider contacting your manufacturer and consult with them prior to using other agents as they may know what works best on their cymbals’ finish.

Resources

Comments

sg101 said

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on 9/15/2009 Thanks for the tip. You would think that I had this figured out by now...(I panicked and found this article after applying Easy Off Oven cleaner to my new and old cymbals!)