Home / Blog / Lifestyle / How To Remove Rust From Stainless Steel Appliances Show Stainless steel is an amazing material, and it's no wonder so many appliances have stainless steel exteriors. It may be corrosion-resistant, but stainless steel can still rust, however, especially when it's been scratched or otherwise damaged. That’s why the experts at Appliances Connection have compiled this list of five methods of how to remove rust from stainless steel appliances. Baking SodaBaking soda is the simplest way to remove small rust stains from stainless steel, but one of the most effective. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda into enough clean water to make a thick paste. If you have very hard water, it may be a good idea to use distilled water instead of tap water for this. Scrub the paste on to the rust spots, always making sure to rub it in the direction of the grain. Then rinse it off with a soft microfiber cloth or a damp paper towel.  Lemon Juice or VinegarYou can also dissolve rust spots on stainless steel using a mild acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice. Dip a soft cloth or paper towel into white vinegar or lemon juice and rub it on the affected spots, always making sure to buff in the direction of the grain. If you need a little more cleaning power, try sprinkling the area with baking soda first; the resultant fizz cuts right through small rust spots. For smaller stainless steel items (like silverware) you can completely submerge the item in the acid overnight before scrubbing. Cream of TartarFor this method, combine one Tbsp. of cream of tartar with a few drops of lemon or lime juice. You want enough to make a paste, but not so much that it's a thin liquid. Apply the paste to a soft sponge or microfiber cloth and use the sponge to gently buff the affected spot. Always rub in the direction of the stainless steel's grain. Oxalic AcidYou can buy pure oxalic acid in many big box hardware stores, and you can also find stainless steel cleansers (such as Bar Keepers Friend and Method stainless steel cleanser) that have it combined with other ingredients. This is an ideal solution for more highly corroded stainless steel. If you use the pure acid, make sure to wear a good pair of gloves whenever you handle it. Dissolve the acid powder in water according to the manufacturer's instructions, then use a soft cloth to apply it to the rusted area. If you use a cleanser, follow the directions on the container. Dish Soap and a PotatoThis method of how to remove rust from stainless steel is certainly one of the stranger ones, but it's effective! Cut a potato in half and coat the cut end in liquid dish soap. Rub the affected area with the potato in the direction of the stainless steel's grain. After you've scrubbed, leave the cut potato on the rusted spot for several hours. Then remove the potato and scrub with a wet microfiber cloth or paper towel. All potatoes naturally contain oxalic acid, which is why they are so effective at removing rust. Related QuestionsDoes Coca Cola really remove rust? Because it is so acidic, Coca Cola can be used to get rid of rust on stainless steel on smaller objects. Simply leave the object submerged in the soda overnight and then scrub the rust off the next morning. Does hydrogen peroxide get rid of rust? Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer that can actually cause metals to rust, so it's important to avoid using it to remove rust from your stainless steel appliances. Does toothpaste remove rust? Non-gel toothpaste can be used to remove rust from stainless steel, but it can be difficult to clean it up once you're done. Published on June 30 2017 Stainless steel is typically specified because of its ability to resist corrosion in a variety of environments. Unfortunately, stainless steel is not fully stain or rust-proof, it is just more resistant to corrosion that's why it's called stain less steel. Exposure to corrosive process fluids and cleaners, high humidity or high salinity environments such as sea water can remove the native protective layer (chromium oxide) and can cause stainless steel corrosion. Removing surface rust from surfaces improves the appearance, but it's importance goes beyond the decorative. Rust, left unchecked, can lead to pitting and structural damage to products and components and can impact the performance of instrumentation, contaminate flow paths, and impact reliability. So what is the most effective way to remove rust from stainless steel?
The best method will effectively remove surface rust, but minimize impact to the bulk stainless steel substrate. Abrasive techniques like sandblasting, abrasive pads, or abrasive rubbing compounds can damage the surface finish and embed particulates into the surface. Two methods used by SilcoTek® to remove surface rust employ weak acids.
Phosphoric Acid Phosphoric acid will dissolve iron oxide without attacking the other components of the steel (chromium and chromium oxide, nickel, and iron). The rust is dissolved by the following reaction: 2 𝐻3𝑃𝑂4 + 𝐹𝑒2𝑂3 → 2 𝐹𝑒𝑃𝑂4 + 3𝐻2𝑂 Phosphoric acid is readily available from a number of commercial suppliers (SilcoTek uses 85% ‘food grade’) and it can be used with no dilution because of its non-aggressive nature. Clean up after acid treatment is done by thoroughly rinsing parts in deionized water to remove any remaining acid on the surface. If deionized water is not available, rinse with distilled water. Unfortunately, this technique is not 100% effective on all the forms of iron oxide and other surface preparation treatments could be necessary. Acetic Acid The reaction with acetic acid is often slower than phosphoric acid and can be a better choice when the underlying corrosion/staining affects a larger percentage of the substrate. Read the entire report. Following the acid exposure, parts must be rinsed thoroughly with deionized water to assure complete removal of trace acid. Watch our sonication video to see how to sonication removes particulates. Once the rust is gone, keep it off. Ways to prevent stainless steel rust. Once the rust is gone, use high durability silicon coatings, like Silcolloy® and Dursan® , to improve the corrosion resistance of stainless steel and other alloys. Read more about corrosion solutions. Process analyzers and process sampling systems can be exposed to challenging corrosive environments both internally and externally. Many sample streams contain reactive compounds that reduce equipment lifetime or require extended preventative maintenance. Some systems are exposed to environments such as sea water and salt spray, which cause rapid deterioration of equipment, requiring extra cost to keep them operating. Or the sample stream itself can be highly corrosive like streams found in stack or flare systems. For systems that are required to give accurate, reliable and repeatable data in such conditions, the cost of upkeep and maintenance can be excessive in both dollars and lost yield or productivity due to plant or system outages. That's why it's important to find ways to improve the corrosion resistance of components rather than just constantly removing rust from surfaces.
Salt Spray Exposure Testing Salt spray immersion tests show Dursan significantly improves salt corrosion resistance, extending the useful life of 300 series stainless steel from days or weeks to years. After 250 days of salt spray exposure the Dursan coated coupon looks like new while the uncoated stainless steel coupon is rusted. EIS data ( Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy) show Dursan remains pinhole free after over 250 days of salt spray exposure. Stainless steel exhibits significant pin holing after a few days as seen by the divergent impedance plot on the left. The Dursan graph (right) does not change, indicating no change in pinholes.
After 247 days, Dursan continues to be pinhole free. Depending on the specific alloy, 300 series exposure to aggressive acids can range in durability from a few hours or days to a year or so before failure; not a great model for reliability. Generally, high levels of acid will spell trouble for 300, 304, or 316 stainless steel. Table I provides the results obtained from ASTM G31 testing. This method is an immersion test for 24 hours in a 6M hydrochloric acid (HCl) (18%) solution at room temperature and pressure. After immersion, differential weighing allows the amount of material loss to be determined. The Dursan coated surface significantly improves chloride corrosion resistance. Table I: Weight loss after 24 hour exposure to 6M (18%) HCl
Comparing multiple coupon materials, Dursan® demonstrates similar performance to costly super alloys. After 24 hours of exposure to concentrated hydrochloric acid, the Dursan coupon compares favorably to alloys. The best part? Dursan can be applied to stainless steel without significantly impacting durability or tolerances. So you can use existing parts or designs and enhance the corrosion performance without redesign or re engineering. Conclusion: In some ways the easy part of corrosion prevention on stainless steel is removing the rust. The hard part is keeping the rust off without costly component redesign or re manufacture. You can keep your components and improve corrosion resistance by bonding a high tolerance, high durability, corrosion resistant coating to the surface after rust removal. Remember to use the least damaging but still effective rust removal and cleaning method on parts. Highly aggressive rust removal agents and cleaners can etch part surfaces, creating sites for renewed corrosion or damaging surface finish, seal areas or flow paths. If it is not possible to apply the removal techniques at your facility, SilcoTek’s sales group can provide a quote for the acid cleaning process upon request. Click here to get a coating or cleaning quote. Want to see our coating fight corrosion? Watch our corrosion video! What cleans rust stains off stainless steel?Removal of oxidized stains and even “surface rust” can be done by using a paste made from baking soda and water or a cleaner that contains oxalic acid, such as Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser. If using baking soda and water, use a cloth or soft bristle brush to rub the baking soda paste in the direction of the grain.
Does white vinegar remove rust from stainless steel?Lemon Juice or Vinegar
You can also dissolve rust spots on stainless steel using a mild acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice. Dip a soft cloth or paper towel into white vinegar or lemon juice and rub it on the affected spots, always making sure to buff in the direction of the grain.
Why does my stainless steel look rusty?Stainless steel contains chromium, and when exposed to oxygen it forms a thin invisible layer called chromium oxide. Rust can form when this layer is damaged from exposure to cleaners, chloride, high humidity, high salinity environments, and/or mechanical abrasions.
Does toothpaste remove rust from stainless steel?Does toothpaste remove rust? Toothpaste is a handy all-around cleaning solution and might remove some small rust spots, like on stainless steel cutlery, if mixed with baking soda. However, it is not as effective as a commercial cleanser, especially on larger surfaces like stainless steel sinks.
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How to remove rust stains from stainless steel
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