Useful tips on how to remove rust from skates at home

The unpleasant situation when skate blades become covered with a coating of rust requires an immediate solution.

Rust not only looks unattractive, but also interferes with sliding. Ultimately, if nothing is done, the blades become unusable.

You can cope with plaque using special products and home recipes. We will tell you in this article how and how to remove rust from skate blades.

Folk remedies for combating corrosion on blades

Brown coating on skate blades is due to metal oxidation. Rusting is promoted by a humid environment with access to oxygen and improper care of products.

Soda and lemon

A recipe based on lemon juice and soda allows you to combine mechanical and chemical effects.

For cleaning you will need:

• sponge;
• lemon;
• soda.

Procedure:

1. Squeeze juice from fresh lemon.
2. Add enough soda to form a paste.
3. Using a sponge, apply the resulting product to the metal.
4. Rub with force.
5. Rinse in water.

If the method does not help the first time, the procedure can be repeated.

Vinegar and flour

Exposure to acetic acid allows you to remove rust from skates. In order for the method to help, you must follow the instructions:

• combine a few tablespoons of flour with undiluted vinegar to form a paste;
• apply the composition to the blades;
• stand for 60 minutes;
• rinse with water.

Potatoes and salt

The chemical composition of raw potato tubers includes oxalic acid. When salt is added, the effect becomes complex and effective against corrosion.

Work order:

• wash and peel the potatoes;
• cut the tuber lengthwise into 2 parts;
• sprinkle salt on the cut;
• rub the blades with potatoes;
• wash off.

If the rusted area is relatively small and local, then you can proceed as follows:

1. Prepare the potatoes in the same way as the previous method.
2. Place the tuber, salted cut side down, on the stain.
3. Leave for a quarter of an hour.
4. Rinse and dry.

Soda

Baking soda can be used as a stand-alone rust remover. To do this, it is diluted to a thick paste with water and distributed over the blades.

After this, the skates are put aside for half an hour. At the end of the exposure time, wipe the runners with a rag, removing any remaining composition..

Aluminium foil

Food foil is suitable for the job. A fragment is cut from the roll and rolled into a ball. They need to actively move along the blades, removing darkened areas.

Special compositions: top 3

The action of special products is aimed at neutralizing rust. Preparations containing acids eliminate corrosion through a chemical reaction. When this reagent gets on damaged areas of the metal, it corrodes rust and stops the progression of the metal destruction process.

Anti-rust Neomid 570

This product, produced in Russia, combines effectiveness and safety for metal parts. In addition to metal, the product removes rusty deposits from:

• enameled surfaces,
• concrete,
• stone

Contains:

• corrosion inhibitor;
• solvent;
• complexing agent.

The product is available in concentrated form, requiring preliminary dilution with water in a ratio of 1:2. Work should be carried out at an air temperature of at least +5°C in a dry room, avoiding water getting into the treatment area.

The consumption of the product is very economical. A 1 liter container costs about 580 rubles. Available in various packaging.

Orthophosphoric acid

Phosphoric acid is an aggressive but very effective product that is produced by many manufacturers. The product is supplied to the retail chain in varying quantities.

The average price for 500 ml is from 300 rubles, but you can also find the product in large volumes (several liters) and small ones, up to 100 ml. Read more about the use of phosphoric acid against rust in this article.

Transformer gel

Converters are produced by a large number of enterprises at home and abroad. This product allows you to restore the surface of the metal.

Contains:

• complexing agent;
• water;
• corrosion inhibitor;
• inorganic acids;
• rheological additive.

Means:

• eliminates damage without damaging the metal;
• provides surface protection from external moisture.

The price depends on the volume and manufacturer.For example, Bitumast gel converter costs about 140 rubles per bottle.

Sanding and polishing

Cleaning up skate blades involves more than just homemade recipes and store-bought products. Purely mechanical processing should not be ignored.

This impact includes the following actions:

1. Elimination of surface corrosion.
2. Grinding.
3. Alignment of burrs.
4. Sharpening.
5. Polishing.

Events can be carried out in two ways:

1. On the machines.
2. Manually, using additional objects with an abrasive surface.

Polishing is necessary to achieve the following goals:

• elimination of all roughness, even those that are almost invisible;
• creating a protective layer by getting polishing compounds into the scratches.

Polishing should be carried out at the last stage:

1. Cleaning metal parts from contamination.
2. Drying.
3. Removing rust.
4. Polish for 5 minutes.

Compositions that are suitable for polishing:

• purchased pastes (Doctor Wax, Grobet, etc.);
• machine oil;
• petrolatum.

In addition to those listed, ointments and gels that are sold in sporting goods and are intended for polishing metal can be used.

7 prohibitions

Skate care must take into account the following prohibitions:

1. Do not clean dirty skates.
2. It is wrong to dry equipment, for example, on a radiator, as this can lead to damage to the boot itself.
3. You should not sharpen your skates too often or, conversely, very rarely.
4. You should try not to catch or hit the blades on various objects.
5. You cannot leave the ice without covers on your runners.
6. You should also not use caustic compounds that can corrode metal in the form of long-term applications.
7. Do not try to scratch rust with a tool not intended for this purpose (screwdriver, knife, etc.).

Preventative care

Proper care of your skates is the key to ensuring that they will last a long time and serious corrosion problems will not arise at all. The main means of protecting metal surfaces are:

• good drying;
• polishing;
• use of special covers;
• storage in a dry place.

Recommendations

To ensure that your skates do not suffer from corrosion, It is necessary to carry out preventive care for them and follow the advice of specialists:

1. At the first signs of rusting, measures should be taken to eliminate corrosion, without allowing the situation to worsen.
2. Cleaning should begin with the removal of contaminants, and only then proceed to the fight against corrosion.
3. Chemicals should be used with good ventilation, away from heat sources and open flames.
4. When working with reagents, you should wear protective gloves.
5. When using purchased products to eliminate corrosion, you must first study the instructions on the package.
6. It is advisable to store boots with skates in fabric bags (each separately).
7. For runners, special covers and covers (plastic or rubber) should be used for the storage period.
8. It is advisable to compact the paper tightly inside the boots themselves for the duration of storage.
9. For skates that are used only during the season, it is advisable to carry out a preventive inspection of sports equipment in advance.
10. If any malfunctions of the skates are detected, the problems must be corrected as soon as possible. This will prevent their damage and failure.
11. Sharpening should be timely, without extremes. Frequent use will lead to rapid wear, and infrequent use will make sliding difficult.
12. With prolonged use, the fastening of the blades weakens and needs to be tightened.

Conclusion

It is advisable to begin removing rust as soon as darkening on the runners becomes noticeable. With good care, the problem can be solved quickly and efficiently even at home.

Maintaining the working condition of skates is only possible with regular high-quality care, which includes monitoring the condition of not only the blades, but also the boots, fastening system and laces.