Testing out homemade rust removers

Key Steps

• Soak or spray the rust with vinegar or Coke

• Leave the vinegar to soak for 3 days, or Coke for 24 hours

• Scrub away the rust

• Use baking soda and water for stubborn rust spots

• For a faster solution for outdoor surfaces, try a specialist cleaner like Cif Outdoor Rust Spray

Ever wondered what gets rid of rust? Did you know that there are plenty of everyday household products in your cupboard which can help scrub off pesky bits of rust on taps, furniture tools and more with ease? Here you can find two tried and tested methods for removing rust with vinegar and baking soda as well as coke.

Wondering what removes rust without the soaking time? Vinegar and Coke are handy when you don’t have a specialist cleaner in the cupboard, but Cif Outdoor Rust Spray is a quicker solution for a range of outdoor surfaces.

How to remove rust using vinegar: rust removal tips and tricks

If you’re looking for an easy to use homemade rust remover, vinegar and salt or baking soda will do the trick. Here is our guide to using vinegar for rust removal.

• If you have things which are rusty and can be removed, you can place them into a bowl.

• Add white vinegar to completely cover the rusted area.

• Add ¼ cut of salt to your bowl and evenly spread over the rust.

• Leave for up to 3 days to soak off the rust.

• Buff away the rust using steel wool or a metal scrubbing brush.

• Rinse the items thoroughly and ensure they are fully dry to prevent rust returning.

• Using two-parts water and one-part baking soda, create a second soak.

• Allow your rusty items to soak for around ten minutes.

• Any stubborn rust spots should now be easier to scrub away.

• If you item is too big to soak, or cannot easily be removed, simply pour or spray vinegar directly over the rusty area; allow it to soak and scrub off the rust.

How to use Coke to remove rust

With the steps above, you can remove rust with vinegar and baking soda... but did you know you can do the same with Coke?

• The steps for using Coke to remove rust are similar to removing rust with vinegar: leave to soak, scrub and rinse.

• Instead of soaking for 3 days, Coke only needs 24 hours.

• If you have items which cannot be soaked such as taps, motorcycle parts and more, simply dip aluminium foil into Coke and scrub the rust away.

• Don’t forget to dry the item off thoroughly after removing the rust.

Now you know what removes rust and can be found at home you can be sure to keep metal around your home sparkling and rust free. For more rust removal tips, why not read our article on 'how to remove rust from metal'.