How can I clean heavy rust stains from small metal items I found by an old house? For example, I found two play jacks and old buttons.
Lori from Clinton, MO
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Put on some heavy gloves like gardening gloves and rub it off then oil it.
Try rubbing them on some crinkled aluminum foil spray a little WD-40 and rub away.
I use aluminum to clean chrome all the time, it just might work
Remember the Antiques Roadshow mantra - don't clean anything that's old until you've checked with a knowledgeable antiques dealer who can tell you whether or not it's more valuable just the way it is. The AR experts get almost physically ill when they see something "restored" that would have been so much more valuable left just the way it was.
Hi Lori -- I see that people have used a soaking in coca cola or a rub made with salt and lemon juice to remove rust. Those are both acids. Vinegar should work just as well, and is a bit cheaper than Coke. Remember that rust is not just a stain but is an actual corroding of the metal, so if the items are badly rusted they will be structurally damaged. Also, as the previous poster suggested, if the items have any value, they might lose it if you start cleaning them.
Louise, Nipawin
Pour Coca-Cola on it in a thin layer and rub with a piece of aluminum foil. It really works! :)
I just found a remedy that calls for one part molasses and 9 parts of water. Soak for two weeks. Here's the link:
lametalsmiths.org/
Try a product called navel jelly. That's what they use to clean off rusty bike chains.
What ever you do don't stick it in lemon juice. It makes it worse.. I tried that not knowing and it almost ruined it until I saw that someone said to stick it in coke and rub it off with foil.
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