Being able to easily remove rust from tools, utensils, machinery and other objects during a period of prolonged self-sufficiency will go a long way toward extending their useful life and enable us to make do with limited resources. Fortunately, there are a few tried-and-true methods that we can take advantage of, and they involve using items that we’ll most-likely have on hand at the time. Here are a few techniques that are worth remembering and putting into practice now, so you can benefit from them later.
Baking Soda
Rinse the item in question with water before shaking off some of the excess moisture, but let the item remain damp. Sprinkle on a generous amount of baking soda, and let it rest for a couple of hours before scrubbing it with steel wool. Give it a good rinse when finished, and you’ll be amazed at how much rust can be removed. Re-treat any remaining rust, and chances are the the object will be as good as new in no time.
Vinegar
Pour some vinegar into a basin or large container, and soak the object(s) that you want to treat overnight. Scrape it with some steel wool or a metal brush the following day, and the rust should come right off. Repeat as necessary, and you’re good to go. If the object is too big to be soaked, you can wrap it with a cloth that has been saturated with vinegar to experience similar results.
Citric Acid
Fill a bowl or container with about 3 inches of hot water before adding in 3 tablespoons of citric acid. Give it a stir before placing the object inside and letting it soak overnight, but make sure that there’s enough water for the item to be completely submerged. Most of the rust will dissolve in the solution overnight, and you should be able to easily scrape off the rest the following day. Repeat and add in higher concentrations of citric acid to remove stubborn rust if necessary.
Salt and Lemon
Place the item on its side on a flat surface before covering it with coarse salt and letting it rest for a few minutes. Squeeze the juice of a whole lemon over the salt, and then scrub it with the rind. The rust should come right off. If rust remains, wipe the object, add more salt and juice, and let soak for a couple of hours before scrubbing again. Rinse and dry the object when finished to prevent rust from forming again.
Potato Soap
Cut a potato in half, and squirt some liquid dish soap over the exposed surface. Place the cut-side on the object and scrub away like you would with a scouring pad. You’ll be amazed at the results, and this is a great option when you don’t have a lot of extra vinegar or citric acid to spare.
All of these methods will work to one degree or another, but unfortunately, there will be some objects that are just too-rusty to clean, and it’s important to know when to give up in order to conserve resources and avoid wasting time. However, they’re worth trying nonetheless, and they can be just what you need to be able to do more with less when resources are scarce. Try them for yourself, and feel free to share any rust-removal tips that have worked for you as well.
