Removing Rust With Vinegar: Home Remedy For Rusty Metals

by Carolyn
(Aptos, California)

Carolyn shared her tip for removing rust with vinegar, which is an awesome and natural home remedy you can use if you've got rusty metals items you want to clean up.

Carolyn says:

We have a unique hanging book case. Four thick redwood boards are hung on two heavy, thick, 20-foot long chains that are strung over the rafters 10 feet above.

We had dismantled the whole set-up 20 years ago and the chains were stored on the side porch.

I recently decided to put up the book case again.

Much to my dismay the chains were terribly stained with rust.

My local hardware store could suggest nothing but lots of elbow grease to get them looking good.

I decided to try soaking them in white vinegar.

I put each chain in a large bowl and covered each with a gallon of vinegar.

Two days later I took them out, stretched them out on the deck and rinsed off the vinegar with a spray hose.

There was lots of rust at the bottom of the bowls and the rest fell off as I sprayed.

I scrubbed the chains just a little with a stiff plastic brush dipped in water, dried and then wiped them down with corn oil.

They look beautiful!

Taylor says:

Thanks so much for this great tip Carolyn.

It is amazing all the things vinegar can do, isn't it? You can check out even more uses for vinegar here, or share your own.

In addition, I would love to hear from others sharing how their rust removal techniques for metals. You can share your own recipes and home remedies here, or check out my homemade recipes here.

Finally, if you decide you don't want to make your own DIY rust remover, you can also check out reviews of commercially available products for this job here.


Photo courtesy of Calsidyrose

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Lots Of Homemade Cleaners Recipes

House Cleaning Tips & Tricks For Busy Moms

Go From Tips For Removing Rust With Vinegar To Home Page