Comments on: How to Remove Rust from a Bicycle with Natural Ingredients

By: Jeffrey Chua

Jeffrey Chua — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 10:00:45 +0000

The rust will definitely come back after the cleaning with vinegar or baking soda. I will suggest after the cleaning let it dry overnight and give a layer of translucent hard coat, similar to those auto finishing. This will avoid the possibility of rust in near future.

By: Ben Boles

Ben Boles — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 22:32:16 +0000

It was stated, but vinegar being acidic, I usually wash the area off with baking soda “to neutralize it” and Dawn dish detergent, the dawn would likely be good enough but the baking soda adds a little grit/reassurance since I actually use vinegar to remove rust from vintage parts at times before paint “real auto paint not Rust-Oleum”. If neutralized this is a safe method that won’t harm paint or prevent adhesion of the 2-$300+ per gallon paints we use on bare metal.

Bare metal or chrome, or to get down into rust pits, a very fine piece of steel wool soaked in the vinegar works great. Coat chrome in a wax after neutralizing. Painted surfaces can be waxed too but nothing you plan to coat or paint over anytime soon.

On painted surfaces, it is safe on auto paint, outdoor furniture, enamel and I’d say glossy latex, a flat indoor latex would possibly soak up the rust dyed vinegar and stain. I have used it to remove surface rust from a 50s Chevrolet hood with awesome results. It was mostly brown and after vinegar 90% of the original black paint was still there just had surface stains from small specs of rust bleeding over. Definitely wash it good after on painted surfaces since there are more areas for vinegar to get trapped. ***It will accelerate new rust as good as it removes the old***

By: JEFF

JEFF — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 18:21:20 +0000

Try aluminum foil dipped in just plain water and elbow grease. I have used this technique on bike rims and it works.

By: Cecil

Cecil — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 18:06:03 +0000

In reply to Katelyn Fagan. Polyurethane spray

By: Kathryn Huggins

Kathryn Huggins — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 12:05:31 +0000

In reply to Katelyn Fagan. Use Rustoleum paint after removing rust. I have used rustoleum paint on metal chairs, furniture and a metal shed. If you spend time prepping the metal thoroughly, the Rustoleum paint holds up for years.

By: Roger

Roger — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 16:13:54 +0000

Thank you

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 02:23:52 +0000

In reply to Katelyn Fagan. Try this. After you get the rust off wipe it dry and then take denatured alcohol and wipe it down. When that dries take clear varnish and add a thin layer of it on your metal. Hope this helps. It works for my tools.

By: Pat

Pat — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 16:07:01 +0000

Vinegar is an acid so it will attack the metal if not neutralized using a base, baking soda. So acid clean neutralize then wash to remove the salt left behind, dry thoroughly then coat with either a clear varnish or a high quality carnuba wax. The wax will need to be redone every couple of years. This is how I keep my cast iron table saw clean, I live a mile from the ocean.

By: Katelyn Fagan

Katelyn Fagan — Thu, 04 May 2017 04:07:40 +0000

In reply to SherriAnn. You can use the vinegar on the paint, though maybe not with the tinfoil, just a cloth or paper towel. That's what I did, and the painted part still looks great more than a year later. However, you do need to somehow "seal" the metal from future rusting, because it totally comes back, and worse. I am NOT sure what type of paint or product to use, but have wanted to try out a few myself, on this same trike, which is again very rusted at the moment. However, I keep the trike outside all the time (no garage either) so it's going to rust. That's life. Anyway, I don't know what to tell you about the Schwinn! Sounds like a fun project for sure!

By: SherriAnn

SherriAnn — Wed, 03 May 2017 18:50:04 +0000

Hello, I enjoyed the tips, and I wanted to inquire as to whether or not you used the aluminum and vinegar on only the silver chrome area, or if you utilized it on the colored portions of the bike as well? If so, was there a variation in color difference? Also, were you able to find out if the previous commentary from “Jim,” was regarding a regular clear oil polyacrylic or which paint he is referring too?
My apologies for all of the questioning, however, I am trying to restore a vintage antique Schwinn, and I definitely don’t want to mess her up. Thank you in advance for the advice!

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 10:07:56 +0000

In reply to Katelyn Fagan. some kind of oil paint, if it looks okay.

By: Katelyn Fagan

Katelyn Fagan — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 17:51:08 +0000

In reply to Jim. Do you know how to seal the rust then to prevent it from rusting again? Because, yes, it has rusted again.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 09:09:34 +0000

Rust is the rotten metal itself. Cleaning like that with vinegar will make it shine for a while, but the rust will return soon and faster this time.

By: Katelyn Fagan

Katelyn Fagan — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 01:49:35 +0000

In reply to jenny @ Unremarkable Files. Well, I think eventually that is the case. :) Isn't learning fun??

By: jenny @ Unremarkable Files

jenny @ Unremarkable Files — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 21:01:30 +0000

I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t even know you could just “remove” rust – I thought it was literally the surface being eaten away! I learn something new every day.