Does vinegar help against rust and how to use it correctly?

Red stains of rust not only spoil the appearance of the product, but can also cause damage to the surface. Penetrating deep into the material, rust completely destroys it.

Experienced housewives and cleaning company specialists know many ways to remove red stains, but there is one that will help you forget about rust stains as quickly as possible - vinegar.

Read the article about whether vinegar removes traces of rust and how to use it against corrosion.

Does acetic acid remove rust deposits?

Basic school knowledge of chemistry will help you understand why acid dissolves rust particles so quickly.

During the oxidation of iron, a special chemical compound Fe2O3 is formed. Visually, this process manifests itself in a red coating on various surfaces.

When interacting with acid (vinegar), iron oxide is destroyed and converted into iron salts, which can be easily removed with a sponge, brush or rag.

Acetic acid is an excellent tool in the fight against rust stains on:

• metal,
• plastic,
• tiles,
• glass

It is not recommended to use vinegar solution for cleaning:

• granite,
• marble,
• wooden surfaces.

Pros and cons of deletion

Using vinegar to combat rust stains, There are a number of positive aspects that can be appreciated:

1. The versatility of the product (vinegar solution perfectly removes red stains from metal, plastic and ceramics).
2. Availability (low cost, vinegar solution is available in any kitchen).
3. Efficiency (at a pH of 2.5 pH, the vinegar solution dissolves stubborn stains of rust, grease and lime in a matter of minutes).

The downside to using a vinegar solution to remove rust stains is that it has a pungent odor.

An open window in the room will help solve the problem of unpleasant odor. and a few drops of your favorite essential oil, previously added to the cleaning solution.

How to use?

Depending on the degree of contamination and type of surfaces, several methods of cleaning with vinegar solution are used.

The product in its purest form

For minor rust stains that have just appeared, cleaning with a vinegar solution prepared in the proportion of 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar is ideal. Simply spray the prepared product onto the stain and wipe the surface with a soft sponge.

For metal and ceramic surfaces, the following cleaning method has proven itself to be excellent:

1. The rusty stain is carefully cleaned off with aluminum foil. To do this, it is moistened in an acidic solution and, using as a scraper, the top, loose layer of contamination is removed.
2. After preliminary preparation, the product is immersed in a vinegar solution for a maximum of 24 hours (the duration of the immersion directly depends on the degree of rust spread. The larger the affected area, the longer it is necessary to keep the product in vinegar).
3. The already cleaned surface is removed from the vinegar solution and wiped dry with a soft rag.

What can be added to enhance the effect?

The following will help strengthen the effect of vinegar against rust:

Soda

If cleaning with pure vinegar does not help, you can achieve the desired result by preparing a new composition with the addition of baking soda.

Algorithm of actions:

• vinegar is mixed with soda until it becomes a thick paste (after the mixture, let it brew for ten minutes);
• rub the rust stain with vinegar and soda and leave for half an hour (it is convenient to carry out such actions with a toothbrush);
• Afterwards, wipe the surface dry with a clean sponge.

If necessary, all steps can be repeated again.

Lemon juice

A solution of fresh lemon juice and vinegar is an ideal assistant in the fight against old rust stains on tiles, metal or clothing.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Vinegar is mixed with lemon juice in a 1:1 ratio.
2. After treating the contamination with the resulting solution, the product is left alone for some time (clothing, ceramics, plastic - for fifteen minutes, metal - at least two hours).
3. Afterwards, the treated surface is carefully wiped with a soft brush or washcloth, washed with water and dried.

Salt

The ideal solution for removing rust from an enamel surface is a mixture of vinegar and table salt.

Algorithm of actions:

• in a clean glass container, mix 100 ml of vinegar (preferably wine) and 2 tbsp. table salt;
• the resulting paste is heated in a microwave oven to 65°C;
• Apply the warm product to the rust stain, gently rubbing in with a soft sponge;
• The already clean surface is thoroughly rinsed with clean water.

After no trace of the rust stain remains, the cleaned product must be wiped dry. Otherwise, there is a high risk of rust stains appearing again.

Bleach

A cleaning product containing vinegar, baking soda and bleach will help you achieve sparkling whiteness on your plumbing that is covered in rust stains.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Baking soda and soda ash (one part at a time) are mixed and diluted with water until a thick paste is obtained.
2. Vinegar (100 ml) is carefully poured into the resulting mass.
3. Rub the resulting paste onto the plumbing fixtures and leave for twenty minutes. To enhance the effect after vinegar-soda paste, contaminated surfaces can be treated with whiteness.
4. Afterwards, rinse everything off thoroughly with warm water.

This product will help you achieve the desired whiteness effect the first time.

Hot iron

Don't be upset if a rust stain appears on your favorite jeans. You can fix the problem in the following way:

• stains on clothes are treated with vinegar;
• after twenty minutes, pick up the stain with a clean cloth and iron it thoroughly with an iron;
• Clothes cleared of red stains are sent for re-washing.

Adviсe

Simple tips will speed up the process of removing red stains:

1. Traditionally, a 9% acetic acid solution is used for cleaning. If you don’t have one at hand, you can use 70%, provided that it is diluted with water (1:1 ratio).
2. Surfaces treated with vinegar should not be actively rubbed with metal brushes and hard sponges (there is a high risk of color loss, scuffs and scratches).
3. When choosing between white table vinegar and apple cider vinegar, it is better to give preference to the second option to combat rust stains. It will quickly deal with the problem of yellow stains.

Working with vinegar solution requires compliance with certain precautions.

Removal of stains is carried out only in a well-ventilated area, wearing a respirator and protective gloves.. Ignoring recommendations may cause skin burns and respiratory tract irritation.

Video on the topic of the article

The video will show you how to clean small tools from rust with vinegar:

Conclusion

A vinegar solution is a salvation for those who do not know how to get rid of rust stains. Just half an hour of time, a little patience and accuracy, and the surface will shine clean again, permanently getting rid of unattractive red stains.