Which Rust Remover is Best?!

One of the biggest restoration challenges is Rust Removal! In response to viewer requests, I have set out to see which of these conventional Rust Remover products and DIY Rust Removal methods works the best.

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Products I Use In This Video:

Electrolysis:

Analysis:

Muriatic Acid: This gave the best results, after only two hours the rusted spring looked as good as new! The time taken and the quality of the finished product are definitely both marks in the Rust Removal "Pro" column. However there are quite a few marks in the "Con" column as well. For starters, Muriatic Acid is a very caustic chemical. If left in too long, the acid will begin to eat away at the metal of the part that you are working on. Not to mention it is dangerous to work with and difficult to dispose of when finished.

Citric Acid: This is a more mild ac id that still works well. It's inexpensive price makes it pretty attractive. And it is relatively harmless; citric acid is found in most of the food and drinks in your kitchen. But because it is a mild acid, it is not very fast acting. The demo piece was left in for 12 hours and could have actually been left for a few more to achieve maximum effectiveness.

WD-40 Rust Soak and Evapo-Rust: These products were designed for this very purpose. They are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased in varying sizes, including 55-gallon drums! The tend to take a little longer than some of the other rust removal methods, but both products advertise that they are Non-Toxic, Environmentally Safe, and will not damage the material you are working on.

CLR and ZEP: These both worked fairly well. The products were intended to clean of rust stains, but they're liquid so they can work as a rust soak as well. I think because of the similarity in price, In would opt for a product like Evapo-Rust, but if availability is an issue, it's nice to have a few extra tools in the tool box!

Vinegar: Vinegar is a good rust removal product when nothing else is available. It would not be my go to rust remover, but it is super cheap and can be found just about anywhere. It will take a lot longer than just about any of the other products i tried, and it will eat certain types of metals. But, if you can't make it to the store, chances are you already have some vinegar in that cabinet under the kitchen sink!

Electrolysis: This is a really fun method to try, it definitely works, and if you have the proper size container and a few other supplies you can treat just about anything from a car rim to an entire car. So it's pretty cost effective and works fairly quickly. One thing to be careful of, some metals can leach noxious fumes when heated so you'll want to do this in a well ventilated area. And there's also that whole thing about electricity and water, definitely be careful!

Coke and Pepsi: I think we were all hopeful but actually kinda knew those wouldn't work. Technically they do have the potential to work... they both contain Citric Acid, which we've seen will remove rust quite well. But they contain such minute amounts of citric acid that the rust removal process would take weeks, possibly months, depending on the size of your project and the severity of the rust.

Sandblasting: It absolutely works! Big Fan! It can remove rust, dirt, paint, and just about anything else to take a piece down to bare metal. But it's probably not the most practical solution when you consider a basic set-up of a Blast Cabinet, Blast Media, Air Filtration System, and an Air Compressor with enough CFM to run efficiently will run you about $1,000 at a minimum.

I hope you enjoyed this video! Give it a like and a share on Facebook, and be sure to let me know in the comments if there are any other Rust Removal methods or products that you'd like to see put to the test.

Disclosure: The products listed above are listed using affiliate links. As an associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate link purchases help fund projects on this channel. Thank you!

#rust #rustremoval #rustremover electrolysis rust removal

[ivanc]

Really man from all mechanics, hobby or professional, from all corners of the globe:
THIS is what we needed. No blabbering, not just one product, no speculations on expectations, no bias, no commentary.
Just straight process. Exact data. Side by side comparison.

We need this kinda content.
I personally came here to see which one to use on a current project and thanks to you presenting the method, timeframe and results I was able to pick the best one for me.
Thank you so much. You saved me from watching tons of inconclusive videos and wasting good money on useless products.
I think I can say thank you on behalf of anyone who’s ever worked on anything that involves metal

[trishfitzpatrick]

A perfect video! Straight to the point, exact details, nothing extraneous, excellent photography. No annoying music, chirpy narration, or blathering. I give you A+!!

[tjvistan]

Nice! no annoying music. No beating around the bush - just straight video showing the results.

[StepLucch]

Not since I was a child along time ago and grew up watching tom and jerry and other cartoons have I witnessed so much information conveyed with absolutely no words. Fantastic

[wilhelmvonn]

A word of warning about electrolysis - it works well but hydrogen gas collects on the object being derusted and can be absorbed and cause "Hydrogen Embrittlement". Parts like springs can snap under load. Lots of information available on the web.

[vickanid]

Just tried the citric acid and water on a rusty plier. Worked perfectly! Thanks!

[SC-bgwf]

Tried the citric acid only some very large wheels from a stationary steam engine. Left each wheel submerged for 48 hours, the thick crusty rust was then very easy to brush off. Great result!

[chrissewell]

Best, non speaking, scientific video, for everyday uses, on the inter-web. Thanks for your time, patience, and effort. Good job.

[robertsmith-ohmo]

A word about sand and glass bead blasting is that it not only as in this case takes the rust but can also take away some of the good metal surface away also. Plus, it leaves a rough surface that leaves sharp very small pits that may lead to cracks. What we used on the aircraft were walnut shells. It only took the paint and corrosion and left the good surface intact without any sharp pits.

[donaldwatson]

Sandblasting looks fine, but I'm not sure there's a way to reach the interior well, at least not as well as a liquid can. Springs were a good test subject choice as they highlight this limitation.

[ThunderboltWisdom]

My tried and trusted method is water and aluminium foil. Just grab a square or a bunch of foil and dip it or spray it with water (I use an old sqooshy bottle from a kitchen surface cleaner or something similar), and rub the foil onto the rusted part of the metal. This is not only cheap and easily available but IT WORKS GREAT. I have used it on everything from bicycle parts to interior fittings to tools and everything in between and it does the job beautifully.

[reno]

I came here for the info, stayed for the unintentional ASMR ( almost fell asleep ) . Great video btw, straight to the point, plus it was really relaxing ( hardly any loud noises, just perfect ).

[Sven_Hein]

Thank you, I think I'll go with concentrated vinegar or citric acid, as they seem very safe and are cheap for me to get.

[tedsmith]

You forgot the most important bit. Which tasted better after the cleaning, Coke or Pepsi?

[matthewtrudeau]

I like using apple cider vinegar. it works great . I'd also add that if you don't wash the vinegar off in baking soda to neutralize the vinegar, it will almost instantly start to flash rust. awesome video.

[sharksport]

Try my boss's breath, it could peel the chrome off a car bumper, instantly.

[sultainbaibars]

I am learning about galvanization and dealing with rust in general. Your video was not only informative, but formatted very well. Thank you for sharing!

[cheriearcher]

I love the fact that you showed us each solution as opposed to talking ut through, which makes a person loose track of what's really going on. Great job

[davidpence]

I have watched several videos on rust removal and was thinking it would be good to have a side by side comparison. Found your post and you had done just that. Looks like you did a very good job. Thanks

[bigart]

THIS IS HOW YOU DO AN EXPERIMENT! For something this simple, no talking is necessary. Let the results speak for themselves. Glad that he showed that different methods required different soak times. Didn't even need this, just an egghead flipping through videos, but was mesmerized. Will subscribe, and I rarely subscribe.