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Hey all, I've been spring cleaning in the garage and have a bunch of tools that have seen better days. What's the best way to clean them up and get rid of rust?
Just vinegar is fine @Yolzy. For removing rust, it is best to use plain vinegar on its own. Vinegar is acidic, and it is that acidity that reacts with the rust and helps dissolve it. If you add bicarbonate of soda to the vinegar before soaking your tools, the bicarb neutralises the acid. When they react, they largely cancel each other out, which makes the soak far less effective at removing rust.
There is no real benefit to adding bicarb during the soaking stage. It does not make the rust removal faster or stronger, and in most cases, it actually reduces how well the vinegar works.
Where bicarbonate of soda can be useful is after the vinegar soak. Once the rust has been removed and the tool is rinsed, a quick dip or wipe with a mild bicarb and water solution can help neutralise any remaining acid on the metal. This reduces the chance of flash rust forming straight after cleaning. After that, wash the tool with fresh water and dry thoroughly before applying a light oil.
Mitchell
