Earrings are a popular form of adornment. Men, women and children all wear earrings and usually have several pairs. But some time the metal used for making earrings starts to rust or tarnish. This happens if the protective coating wears off and earrings are exposed to water or moisture. While some people think rusted earring should be thrown away, there are safe and effective ways to remove the rust.
Scrub off the rust. Use a small scrubbing pad or an old toothbrush to get the rust off. Because many earring are delicate you have to be gentle so as not to damage the earrings. In many cases just scrubbing at the rust is enough.
Apply mineral oil. If the rust remains on the earrings after scrubbing, apply a tiny bit of mineral oil using a cotton swab. Allow the oil to soak into the rust. Wait 10 to 20 minutes. Then scrub at the rust stains again with the toothbrush. As a lubricant, the oil makes the rust more pliable.
Soak in white vinegar. For difficult rust stains use vinegar. Buy a bottle of white vinegar from the supermarket and pour some into a bowl. Place the rusted earrings into the bowl so they are covered with vinegar. Allow the earring to soak for 15 to 30 minutes. Remove and wipe with a damp cloth to remove the vinegar. Dry the earrings. The ascetic acid in vinegar is effective in removing rust stains, reports the article titled “How to Remove Rust from Metal” on the Edubook website.
Make a paste. Another safe rust remover is a paste of lemon juice and salt. Add one part lemon juice to two parts salt. Apply the paste to the rust stains with a paper towel or cotton swab. Wait 10 to 15 minutes for the rust to absorb the lemon juice and salt. Then gently scrub the earring with a scrubbing pad. The citric acid in lemon juice and abrasive particles of the rust. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. Then dry completely.
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