What is the best rust remover? Testing 10 popular solutions

Cleaning rusty parts from corrosion is a long routine job. In order not to bother with this, various liquids are often used that allow this to be done with minimal effort. Let's compare them in terms of cleaning efficiency of equally rusty springs, and select the most effective compositions.

Choosing the best DIY rust remover

We take 10 equally rusty springs.

We hang each one in a jar with the appropriate solution.

We do electrolysis separately.

All samples:

The result of testing 10 samples:

Evapo-Rust rust remover

According to the results of the test, this composition cleaned the spring outside, inside and between turns in 12 hours. The product is good, but not cheap, and the cost is considerable.

Removing rust with WD-40

This remedy turned out to be just as effective. The spring was free of rust in 12 hours. The composition itself darkened after that.

Tool "CLR"

The composition is similar to the previous ones. Cleaning it also took 12 hours. The products can be recommended for use.

Means "ZEP"

This specialized tool also turned out to work. It took 12 hours to remove the rust. The quality of cleaning is similar to previous liquids.

Removing rust with vinegar

Vinegar removes rust, but slowly, and it is accompanied by an unpleasant, pungent odor. Therefore, if you work outdoors, then it is suitable. This is a very cheap method, but it took 24 hours to clean up. The spring itself had rust between the coils, so it could have been kept in vinegar longer.

Removing rust with citric acid

A solution of citric acid in water cleaned the spring in 12 hours. Everything is similar to specialized store-bought formulations, but cheaper. Citric acid gives almost no odor, so this method must be adopted.

Hydrochloric acid solution with water 50:50

This composition removes rust the fastest. The spring was clean after 2 hours. However, hydrochloric acid is a caustic substance, which also needs to be disposed of correctly. If the part is not pulled out in time, the acid will begin to corrode the normal metal. The method has both advantages and disadvantages. The part removed from the acid must be dipped into a solution of baking soda to extinguish its residues.

"Coca-Cola"

Soda contains citric acid, so its use has some effect. However, even after 48 hours it is barely noticeable. All the stories that Cola can wash away anything are greatly exaggerated. It turned out to be the most ineffective.

"Pepsi"

Pepsi is slightly better than Coke. After 48 hours, the effect of soda is more pronounced, but not sufficient. Pepsi won't work for rust removal either.

Electrolysis

For electrolysis, you need to place the part in a weak solution of baking soda in water. An electrode (steel rod) is lowered into the container.“+” from the power supply is connected to it, and “-” to the part. Then the voltage is turned on. After 8 hours of electrolysis, the spring was completely cleaned. It is not worth holding any longer to prevent the metal from corroding.

Sandblasting

We will use a sandblasting machine as a standard for comparison. It is the undisputed leader, as it removes paint, dirt, rust, down to white metal and very quickly.

Conclusion:

After sandblasting, sulfuric acid comes in terms of efficiency and speed, then electrolyte. Specialized compounds worked equally well; citric acid is on the same level with them. Vinegar did the worst job, except for soda, which turned out to be useless against rust.

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