How to Repair & Eliminate Rust

Rust can cause serious damage to metal, but it can be dealt with if you catch it early.

Rust is a corrosive nuisance that often plagues metal substances, especially in outdoor environments. This orange plague forms when an object is neglected for too long, and is actually a reaction between certain types of metal and oxygen atoms, called "oxidation." Besides being unattractive, rust can eat through metal objects and parts, destroying them forever. Fortunately, it is possible to eliminate rust before it has a chance to eat through the metal and cause irreversible damage.

Things You'll Need

• Sandpaper (100 grit and 150 grit)
• Vinegar
• WD-40
• Large glass cooking pot or dish

Instructions

Sandpaper

1. Use a sandpaper of light-medium grit (around 100) to sand off the top layer of the rust. You do not want to sand the metal underneath, so rub slowly and stop to check your progress often. Once you have sanded down to the metal and it is showing through the rust, change sandpaper.

2. Switch to a slightly finer grit sandpaper (around 150) so you can rub off the remaining rust. Continue to sand carefully to avoid sanding the underlying metal.

3. Wipe the area with a cloth when you no longer see rust. Apply a light coat of WD-40 (Water Displacement 40) or rubbing alcohol to the object to prevent future rust problems.

Vinegar

1. Wipe the rust vigorously with a cloth soaked in vinegar for very light rust stains or for areas speckled lightly in rust. After wiping away the rust, rinse the area with water and then dry it off thoroughly with a towel. Apply a light coat of WD-40 to further eliminate moisture and to provide some future rust protection for the metal.

2. Soak heavily rusted large objects or rusted section of the object in vinegar for 24 hours. Make sure the vinegar covers the entire rusted area. Afterward, rinse the area with water, dry thoroughly, and apply a light coat of WD-40.

3. Submerge heavily rusted small objects in a glass pot on the stove. Bring the vinegar to a boil for two minutes; then remove the object and rinse it in water. Be aware that this will remove the rust from the object, but it will leave the object looking like it has been cleaned with acid (which it has, because vinegar is acid). Use this method only for metal objects or parts that you do not need to look pretty afterward, or on objects that you intend to paint.

Tips & Warnings

• Vinegar is acid and will continue to eat at metal if it is not cleaned off. For this reason, always rinse it off after you use it. For the same reason, use a glass pot to soak objects, not a metal one.

• When using the boiling vinegar method, make sure no one else is home and open all the windows. It smells awful.

References

• Car and Truck Tips: How To Fix Rust Spots On Your Car
• Buick Tech Tips: Rust Removal
• Art Sparx: Quick Chart-Sandpaper