How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke, Vinegar & Baking Soda

It’s a drink, and it’s a cleanser … it’s Coca-Cola (Coke), How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke. Earlier only a sweet-tasting carbonated drink, its usages become far more extensive, from cleansing rust stains to marinating steaks. Whether you are a mechanic, a carpenter, or a normal boy or girl, you have probably encountered some rusty tools before.

Hand tools are incredibly vital to many job sectors and industries as the following list.

They are terribly versatile and frequently interchangeable, as they can support the vast majority of peoples to complete various tasks. However, over time, these tools can rust with use or storage.

When people leave their tools in a cold, closed toolbox, the tools get colder than the aid around them, and moisture ends up sticking to these tools, causing rust.

How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke

Although rusted tools may not look aesthetically pleasing, they are generally still functional. However, if you want to remove rust from those tools and make them look almost like new, then follow some of these steps below How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke from your tools.

Will coke remove rust from tools?

Get rid of rust: If you have rust spots or rust-covered tools, Coca-Cola will eat it up for you. Leave the rusty item soaked in Coca-Cola for an hour or overnight and then wipe off the rust.

Coca-Cola | How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke

What do you need?

  • Large enough container or bowl
  • A liter of Coca-Cola
  • Rags or cloths

How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke is a method, well known for its simplicity. First, you need to pour a sufficient amount of Coca-Cola into the bowl, tub, or container to clean rusty tools.

Then drop your rusted tools in there and let it sit for 24 hours, depending on the corrosion level on your tools, and make sure the Coke completely covers the tools. Badly rusted tools may take longer. Then remove the tools after there is no rust.

Also, apply oil or WD-40 over them to prevent them from rusting again. It works excellent as Coca-Cola is loaded with phosphoric acid. This acid is proficient at dissolving iron and iron oxide or rust.

However, since this phosphoric acid melts iron oxide very quickly, please do not leave the tools in the solution for a long time as they can corrode further. However, in a few days, the solution will not be a problem.

Rust is inevitable and continues to corrode tools faster and faster once it starts. Ensuring that you take care of your prized possession of hand tools, saw blades, and screwdrivers are vital, as most people use these tools daily.

Tools aren’t cheap either, so it’s critical to make sure they stay looking new and ready for any project at any time. But in case you are faced with some nasty and rusty tools, you can use one or more of the given methods How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke, Vinegar, and Baking Soda to bring them back to life.

Vinegar | How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke and Vinegar

What do you need?

  • Distilled white vinegar
  • Scrub brush (a toothbrush will work too)
  • Rags
  • Bucket or container
  • WD-40

How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke and Vinegar; first, you need to place your tools in the bucket and cover them with vinegar. Then you need to soak the tools for 24 hours to absorb the vinegar. After washing, you should start scrubbing. The vinegar-soaked in the tools will eat away the rust and allow an easy scrubbing process to remove it.

Most importantly, make sure you rinse the vinegar off your tools well, so they don’t re-rust. Lastly, after you rinse and dry your tools, spray them all with WD-40, so they don’t re-rust. WD-40 is a substance widely used to help prevent metals from rusting.

Elbow Grease | How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke and Elbow Grease

What do you need?

  • Dish detergent
  • Coarse sandpaper, scourer, or steel wool
  • Fine sandpaper
  • Kerosene (optional)

Start by rinsing the tools in soapy water to remove dust, dirt, and grease. Check that to rinse and dry them well. Always start by scrubbing tools with the coarsest abrasive to remove accumulated rust. Then switch to a finer sandpaper to smooth out the grooves caused by coarse grit.

For a lot of severely rusted tools, you will need to ruminate using kerosene, which can act as a cutting lubricant. If the problem persists, you may want to consider a more robust solution.

Oxalic Acid | How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke and Oxalic Acid

What do you need?

  • Dish detergent
  • Oxalic acid
  • Safety glasses
  • Rubber gloves
  • Large plastic container

This method is excellent for moderate rust problems. Besides, it is beneficial for hard to reach rust spots as this acid penetrates directly into joints and cracks to solve the rust problem.

Thoroughly clean tools with dish detergent first to prevent stubborn dirt and grease from blocking the chemical process. Next, be sure to put on your goggles and gloves to protect yourself.

Next, mix three tablespoons of oxalic acid with one gallon of water in the large plastic container. Check that the solution covers the tools fully. Then let the tools soak in the bowl for about 20 minutes or until the rust is gone. Then remove them, rinse them again, and dry the tools thoroughly. Finally, put the tools away as usual.

Lemon Juice and Salt | How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke and Lemon Salt

What do you need?

  • Salt
  • Lemon juice
  • Steel wool or sandpaper
  • Container
  • Cloth or rag

To use this method, combine the lemon juice and salt in a large bowl and rub off the integrated solution using steel wool or sandpaper. The salt can be corrosive or abrasive, whereas the acid present in lemon juice cuts corrosion.

For severely rusted tools, let the solution sit on the tools’ surface for some time, five minutes or so. When the corrosion has been removed, wipe the tool with a dry cloth.

Vinegar and Baking Soda | How to Clean Rusty Tools with Coke, Vinegar & Baking Soda

What do you need?

  • Vinegar
  • Water
  • Sodium bicarbonate
  • Toothbrush
  • Sponge
  • Paper towels
  • Two containers or buckets
  • Hairdryer (optional)
  • Coconut oil (optional)

Initially, fill the primary container with vinegar to wherever the tools are fully covered when submerged. Next, put the vinegar’s rusty tools and let them soak for about 3-5 minutes. After that, remove the tools and scrub them with a toothbrush.

After scrubbing:

  1. Fill the other container with one-third of baking soda and two-thirds of water.
  2. Just put the scrubbed tools in there for about five more minutes.
  3. After this, rinse and clean the tools with water and dry them immediately with paper towels.

For hard-to-reach areas and tight spaces, you can try using a hairdryer to make sure they are dry to prevent further oxidation.

Lastly, you will apply coconut oil on tools to use for extra rust protection within the future. Many people also use WD-40 as anticorrosive.

There you have it, a simple way to get rid of pesky rust and keep your tools in tip-top shape.

What is rust read more on Wikipedia

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