Whether it’s a wrench that has been passed down to you from your father, or a set of old screwdrivers you found in the garage, nobody likes to see their tools go rusty.
Unfortunately, it’s very common for households to neglect their tools. They may have only been used once when you were putting together that bedside table a few months ago, only to then have them lying around in the shed, or in a toolbox in the attic for the rusting process to take over.
This doesn’t mean you have to splash out your savings to buy a new set of tools, however.
Luckily for you, we have two solutions to restore these products to their original efficiencies.
Let’s first look at what rust is and why it occurs.
What is Rust and Why Does it Happen?
Rust is a chemical process that takes place when iron – or an iron alloy, like steel – is exposed to water and oxygen. The metal surface is eaten away by the rust, making this an irreversible process and can ruin the effectiveness of your tools if left long enough.
Luckily, iron is a hard material, so this normally occurs very slowly and can take days, months, or years depending on the severity of exposure to oxygen and moisture.
DIY Household Methods vs. Commercial Rust Removers
When you first notice a prized wrench or a pair of garden shears starting to rust, it is natural to look around the house for a quick fix. There are several household remedies commonly suggested for DIY rust removal, but how do they actually stack up against professional solutions?
White Vinegar Soak
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which reacts with rust and dissolves it. While a 24-hour vinegar soak can work well for minor surface rust on small components like nuts and bolts, it is highly non-selective. Leaving steel tools in an acid bath for too long can pit the metal, strip protective factory coatings, and weaken high-carbon tool steel.
Baking Soda Paste
Mixing baking soda with water to create a thick paste is a popular method for scrubbing light rust off delicate items. While it is a safe, non-toxic option, it relies heavily on manual scrubbing (abrasion). For heavy corrosion or tools with complex, hard-to-reach moving parts (like pliers or socket sets), baking soda simply cannot reach the deeply embedded rust.
Lemon Juice and Salt
The citric acid in lemon juice acts as a mild bleaching and cleaning agent, while salt acts as a gentle abrasive. Like vinegar, this is best reserved for light cosmetic rust on a single item rather than a full toolbox restoration.
WD-40
It is a common misconception that WD-40 removes rust. WD-40 is a water displacement lubricant; while it can help loosen rusted joints and scrub away loose flakes, it does not chemically dissolve or convert deep-seated rust.
The Professional Advantage
While pantry staples are fine for light, accidental surface rust on a single screw, they carry risks and require significant elbow grease. Valuable hand tools, antique tools, and heavy-duty workshop machinery require a more precise approach.
Using a specialised, non-hazardous commercial rust remover or rust converter ensures that you only target the iron oxide (rust) without degrading the structural integrity of the underlying metal. Furthermore, professional solutions provide a critical advantage that household remedies cannot: they chemically prep or coat the metal surface to stop the chemical rusting process from immediately starting all over again.
Solutions for Removing Rust
You have two main options when it comes to removing rust from your tools – rust converters, and rust removers. Let’s take a look at how they differ and what option is best for your situation.
Rust Converters
Rust converters are used to convert rust into a primer finish coating, which prevents any further corrosion of the metal. The converted rust area acts as a barrier to stop oxygen and moisture from reaching the rust and causing more damage to your tools.
Our Neutrarust® 661 Rust Converter is water-based and easy to apply to everything from precision workshop hand tools like wrenches and socket sets to heavy-duty garden tools. Before applying, you will want to prepare the surface by removing loose flakes of rust and dirt using a wire brush or a piece of steel wool.
After removing loose flakes of rust and cleaning the surface of the tool, you can apply the solution directly to the affected area with a brush and then leave it to dry for 20-45 minutes. Depending on the condition of the surface, we recommend two to three coats to ensure complete coverage and conversion of all corrosion present. The coating will be complete, and you may paint over this if desired, as it is compatible with most paint products.
Having been developed over 40 years ago and approved by MOD and NATO standards, Neutrarust® 661 is a cost-effective, non-hazardous solution to dealing with rusty tools.
Rust Removers
Rust removers are used to remove rust from tools completely, as the name suggests. Your rusted tools would be brought back to their original metal surfaces. This could be applied as either a liquid or a gel.
Liquid Rust Remover
Neutrarust® Rust Remover Liquid would be more ideal for smaller tools or screws that could be immersed into the solution and left for 1-3 hours for the rust to to be removed. This may also be applied neatly to larger tools by brush or swab and left on for around 20 minutes. After this time, tools should be rinsed with clean water and dried. Leaving any moisture on the bare, exposed metal can trigger flash rusting – where a new layer of orange surface rust forms incredibly quickly.
The rust would be neutralised, leaving behind a phosphate coating ready for painting over to prevent the rusting process from starting again. There is very low odour in this liquid, however it contains a powerful acid additive to work effectively so caution should be taken.
Gel Rust Remover
Neutrarust® Rust & Scale Remover Gel is a non-toxic rust remover that is ideal for vertical surfaces, such as those on rakes and other garden tools or even a garden wheel barrow! The gel may be applied by brush or swab, and then left for 5-30 minutes. Tools would then need to be rinsed with clean water and dried.
As with the liquid rust remover, the surface is ready for painting over to to prevent the rusting process from starting again
Keeping Tools Rust-Free
After removing rust from your tools, it is essential to store them correctly to prevent rust becoming an issue again.
Tools should be stored in areas where moisture and humidity is controlled. If stored in a garage or shed, make sure that there is enough ventilation to reduce moisture build-up, but also check that there are no holes where rain could get in.
Keeping tools clean after using them by wiping them down will reduce the rusting process also. Leaving wet mud or sand on your tools will give rust the moisture it needs to corrode away at the iron.
Don’t Replace Your Tools – Restore Them
Tools are an investment.
Whether you use them regularly or not much at all, you can increase their lifespan by taking due care of them by not allowing water and oxygen to react with the metal components.
The corrosion of most metals are inevitable and irreversible, however the sooner you remove the rust, the less damage will take place in the short-term. Using Neutrarust’s rust converters and rust removers can be the solution you need to bring life to your old, or neglected, tools.