How To Remove Rust From Pliers

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This postal service is in partnership with iii-IN-1® Make . All thoughts and words are my own.

I acknowledge it, I'm non the all-time at remembering to make clean my garden tools. Fifty-fifty with my DIY tool cleaning station to take a lot of the pressure off, there's inevitably a tool or two that accidentally gets left outside overnight—for many nights.

And when I find them over again, this is what they expect like.

Rusted needle-nose pruners and hori hori knife side by side

That'south a pair of needle-nose pruners and a hori hori knife—ii of the most useful hand tools you can get for your garden. They'll terminal you a lifetime… if you have care of them properly.

Related: The 10 Essential Gardening Tools No Gardener Should Be Without

Just mine were all rusty and weren't gliding as smoothly as they should. The blades weren't cutting well either, making it more of a chore (and a little dangerous) to prune small-scale plants and open numberless of soil amendments.

What is rust, anyhow?

Rust is another proper name for iron oxide, a reddish-dark-brown flaky coat that forms when iron (or an alloy that contains iron, similar steel) is exposed to oxygen and wet for a long period of time.

Close-up of rust on tip of hori hori knife blade

In other words: It's evidence that I don't always practice what I preach when it comes to cleaning my garden tools earlier putting them away.

At this level of corrosion, I'd have to pull out a Dremel rotary tool to sand away the rust, or put in lots of elbow grease with a wire castor or steel wool. Neither of which were appealing options!

Fortunately, in that location's a way to remove rust from garden tools—and keep them rust-free—using but ii unproblematic household ingredients and zero hard labor. (And you can do this for all tools, non just gardening tools.)

What you'll need to remove rust without scrubbing

Rusty tool
Cleaning vinegar or white distilled vinegar
Empty jar, aluminum can, or small container (a large yogurt container works great)
Heavy-duty scouring pad
Soft make clean rag
3-IN-I Multi-Purpose Oil

Place your tool in a jar or other container, then pour in just enough vinegar to submerge all the rusted parts. Soak the tool for 12 to 24 hours, depending on level of rust and type of vinegar used. (Sometimes, even just an 60 minutes or two will exercise for small amounts of rust.)

Rusty pruners soaking in a jar of cleaning vinegar

Close-up of rusted pruners soaking in vinegar

Afterwards 12 to 24 hours, the worst of the rust will have fallen off and the remainder of it will be loose and piece of cake to remove by hand.

A piece of loosened rust floating in a jar of vinegar

Step 2: Scour the rust off.

Remove your tool from the vinegar bath and use a heavy-duty scouring pad (like the green Scotch-Brite) to wipe any remaining bits of rust off the metallic. They should come up off with very picayune effort.

Clean and dried pruners that just had rust removed from the blades

On tools that accept moving parts, like pruners, be sure to get into all the nooks and crannies with the scouring pad. Rinse the tool with clear water to remove the last of the rusty flakes and any traces of vinegar.

If your tool is heavily rusted (perchance it hasn't been cleaned in many years?) y'all might need to repeat Steps 1 and 2 again until you lot're able to remove the rust completely.

One time your tool is gratuitous of rust, dry it thoroughly with a soft rag. Pay attention to pin joints and gears where wet collects hands, and get them as dry as possible.

To go on new rust from forming on your tool, apply a few drops of 3-IN-I Multi-Purpose Oil to the blade and joints, and wipe them clean with a rag to distribute the oil.

Woman applying a few drops of 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil to the pivot joint of a pair of pruners

Attempt to make it a habit to wipe your tools with a piffling iii-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil later on each utilize to remove grime and add a protective coating in storage. The key to having make clean tools is keeping them dry and well-lubricated.

Or, make this easy DIY tool cleaning station that does nearly of the piece of work for yous!

For tools that won't fit in a jar, like shovels and hedge clippers, yous can submerge the tool in a 5-gallon bucket filled with cleaning vinegar or white vinegar. Information technology's the same method as outlined in Steps 1 and 2 above, but super-sized to adjust larger tools.

Or, y'all can spray vinegar on the tool, and then wrap a vinegar-soaked towel tightly effectually the rusted part (like a shovel blade). Place the towel-wrapped tool in a plastic pocketbook, necktie information technology loosely, and get out it in place for 24 hours. (The pocketbook helps proceed the towel clammy and prevents it from leaking all over your surface.)

Rusty hori hori knife laying on top of a green vinegar-soaked towel

A garden tool wrapped in a vinegar-soaked green towel for rust removal

A hand tool wrapped in a green vinegar-soaked towel and placed inside a plastic bag for rust removal

The rust should be mostly dissolved past and then, and the rest can be scrubbed away easily with a scouring pad.

Exist sure to hose the tool down with water to remove any lingering rust flakes and vinegar, then dry out it thoroughly and apply a thin glaze of iii-IN-One Multi-Purpose Oil before storing.

Woman adding a few drops of 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil to a hori hori knife blade

What's the difference between cleaning vinegar and white vinegar?

Did you know in that location's a type of vinegar that's specifically formulated for removing grease, grime, and other rest on surfaces?

Cleaning vinegar, every bit it's called, has 6 percent acidity, whereas white vinegar (what you utilize in the kitchen) has 5 percent acerbity. That might non audio like much of a difference, only that actress 1 per centum actually makes cleaning vinegar 20 pct stronger.

Close-up of cleaning vinegar label on a jug

While many acids are effective at removing rust, vinegar (acetic acid) is something I already have at habitation and it's an cheap, useful product to go on on manus.

It'south constitute in many dwelling comeback and discount stores in the cleaning aisle, and in grocery stores right adjacent to the white vinegar. At only $3 to $iv a gallon, it's the almost economical non-toxic household cleaner y'all tin can buy.

The balmy acid safely dissolves rust without damaging your tools (then long every bit you don't forget most them in the vinegar bath).

I like cleaning vinegar because information technology works harder and faster (especially on very heavy, stubborn rust), merely white vinegar does a skillful job as well. Use whatever's bachelor to you.

Why does vinegar remove rust so well?

So what's actually happening when you soak your rusty tools in vinegar?

Close-up of loosened and dissolved rust flakes sitting in a jar of vinegar

Here's how science explains it.

3CH₃COOH + FeOOH ⟶ Atomic number 26(CH_threeCOO)₃ + 2H_iiO

What this means is CH₃COOH (acetic acid, which vinegar contains) reacts with FeOOH (rust) to form Fe(CH₃COO)₃ otherwise known as iron (III) acetate, which is water-soluble.

This makes it so the rust crumbles and lifts off the metal surface. If you've wondered why the vinegar looks so rusty afterward a soak, information technology'south because you're seeing atomic number 26 acetate floating in it.

Overhead view of a jar of vinegar with rust flakes floating in it

The vinegar doesn't clean the tool per se, information technology merely removes the rust—which is why information technology'due south important to use an oil like iii-IN-I afterwards to make clean and protect the end.

Prep Fourth dimension 2 minutes

Additional Time 12 hours

Total Time 12 hours 2 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

Rusty tool
Cleaning vinegar or white distilled vinegar
Empty jar, aluminum can, or small container (a large yogurt container works great)
Heavy-duty scouring pad
Soft clean rag
3-IN-I Multi-Purpose Oil

Instructions

Soak your tool in a vinegar bath. Place your tool in a jar or other container, then cascade in only plenty vinegar to submerge all the rusted parts. Soak the tool for 12 to 24 hours, depending on level of rust and blazon of vinegar used. (Sometimes, fifty-fifty only an hour or two will do for modest amounts of rust.)
Afterwards 12 to 24 hours, the worst of the rust will have fallen off and the rest of information technology will exist loose and piece of cake to remove by hand.
Scour the rust off. Remove your tool from the vinegar bath and use a heavy-duty scouring pad (similar the green Scotch-Brite) to wipe any remaining bits of rust off the metal. They should come off with very lilliputian effort.
On tools that have moving parts, like pruners, exist sure to get into all the nooks and crannies with the scouring pad. Rinse the tool with clear water to remove the last of the rusty flakes and any traces of vinegar.

If your tool is heavily rusted (maybe it hasn't been cleaned in many years?) you might demand to echo Steps 1 and 2 again until you lot're able to remove the rust completely.
Dry and lubricate the tool. In one case your tool is costless of rust, dry it thoroughly with a soft rag. Pay attending to pin joints and gears where moisture collects easily, and become them as dry as possible.
To keep new rust from forming on your tool, apply a few drops of iii-IN-Ane Multi-Purpose Oil to the blade and joints, and wipe them clean with a rag to distribute the oil.

Try to make it a habit to wipe your tools with a footling iii-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil later on each apply to remove grime and add a protective coating in storage. The central to having make clean tools is keeping them dry and well-lubricated.

Notes

Did y'all know there's a blazon of vinegar that's specifically formulated for removing grease, grime, and other residue on surfaces?

Cleaning vinegar, every bit information technology's called, has half dozen percent acidity, whereas white vinegar (what you lot utilize in the kitchen) has 5 percent acidity. That might not sound like much of a difference, simply that extra ane percent actually makes cleaning vinegar twenty percent stronger.

I like cleaning vinegar because it works harder and faster (especially on very heavy, stubborn rust), merely white vinegar does a good chore too. Use whatever's available to you.

This post is sponsored by iii-IN-ONE ® Brand .

You can find 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil at Lowe'south Abode Improvement and other retailers.

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maintenance tips!