Hi everybody, I'm Joe Rampel, the Joe behind Joe Gardner and Gardner Television host of
Growing a Greener World. If you're like most people, including me, chances are you have a few rusty tools laying
around your property. The small hand tools, the larger ones like rakes and shovels
But rust is pretty much a fact of life. And the good news is there are several ways to get rid of it
So in this video, let's talk about a few of the ways to get rid of the rust and then reduce
the chances of it ever coming back. Rust naturally occurs when certain substances come in contact with oxygen or water for periods
of time. For gardeners and weekend warriors, we see it on our garden tools all too often
Fortunately, there are several ways to remove the rust and get those tools back in service
and good as new. Let's talk about some of the most common ways. For any tools you're working with, when necessary, start by using a degreaser to clean your tool
and wipe away any dirt or debris and moisture. There are two main ways to get rust off your tools, mechanical or manual, and direct application
Let's start with the mechanical or manual way first. And you can do that a number of ways by sanding it, salving it, or grinding it off
For minor rust removal, you have a few options. Start by using steel wool or stiff wire brush or both
That may do all you need, but if not, keep going. Try using coarse grit sandpaper and then finish up with a finer grit
Those options are where the elbow grease comes into play. On tools where the rust is heavier, try using a hand drill with a steel brush attachment
That's a simple and inexpensive option. Simply secure the tool and apply the scaling brush against the rust area until it's all
been removed. Then, just wipe your tool clean and you're ready to go. But if those options don't work, you have some other choices
Now, if you want a way to apply a product that can remove the rust without the physical
application, then the direct application is what you're looking for. There are a number of products on the market, some are more abrasive than others, so be
sure to read the information on the package before you decide what you want to use
But in all cases, it's a good idea to have high protection gloves at this point
Vinegar and salt working together is a good option for tools with large areas of rust
First, clean and dry the tool. Then, place the tool in a container large enough to contain the entire metal part of
the tool where the rust is. Next, pour in enough vinegar to cover the entire metal part and sprinkle enough salt
over the surface. One-quarter cup salt to one liter or four-and-a-half cups of vinegar is a good ratio
Now, the salt and vinegar mixture needs time to dissolve the rust and that can take anywhere
from one to three days. So, check that periodically because once you see the rust start to soften, well, you can
jump in there with a sandpaper or you can do a wool or the wire brush or even the attachments
to the drill and finish off the process. And then, all you have to do is wipe it clean and dry it and you're ready to go
For smaller areas of rust or rust stains, baking soda can be an effective option
As usual, clean and dry the tool and degrease it if necessary
Mix baking soda and water in a bowl to make a paste. Apply it to the rusted areas and let it sit for a couple of hours
Scrub the paste away with a brush, rinse with clean water and dry
Ophthalic passage is a popular option for removing rust quickly and is found in a number
of cleaning products usually in a dry granular form. But you can sometimes find it as a liquid, although it's a lot harder to find on the
shelf that way. So, today we're removing the rust using the dry granular product
This is a readily available product and its primary ingredient is ophthalic acid
With this, you can mix up a paste, scrub the area where you have the rust, and within a
minute, rinse it off and repeat if necessary. Then, rinse it off a final time with clean water and dry sterile
Now, the best way to keep your tool free of rust and seeper is to keep it clean and
dry, of course, and out of the humid environment. And if you need some help with that, a dehumidifier works well
It's also a good idea to coat the metal parts of your tool with a thin coat of an
all-purpose oil. This will provide a protective barrier over the metal parts of your tool and keep them
looking good for years to come. So, there you have it. Next time you encounter a little or a lot of rust on your tool, now you have some options
to remove it and keep it off and repeat