• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
go to homepage

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

go to homepage

How To Clean Stuff.net

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

Home / Cleaning Guides / Things You Own / Metals / How to Remove Rust and Restore Metal

How to Remove Rust and Restore Metal

Table of Contents:
  1. You Will Need
  2. Steps to Remove the Rust
  3. Steps to Refinish the Metal Surface
  4. Additional Tips and Advice

Nancy asked: I have a metal shower curtain rod that’s rusted over the 15 years it’s been in place. How can I restore its clean, fresh metal surface? It’s a three-piece joined shower curtain rod, custom bent with two 90 degree angels for the location. There are sleeves that hold the rods in place, and chains by which it hangs from the ceiling. I don’t know what kind of metal, other than very ordinary. It has some small surface rust in places. It’s still strong and works fine. I want to restore the metal surface which has dulled over the years. Any thoughts?

Restoring rusty metal can be time consuming, but well worth the efforts. For situations where there is only a small amount of surface rust, or the piece is custom made, there are some steps that can be taken to remove the rust and reapply a metal coating to the piece. Of course, this can be professionally done, but also makes a great job for those who prefer the do-it-yourself methods.

You Will Need:

  • Sandpaper
  • Steel wool
  • Metal Paint (Ex: RustOleum)
  • Metal Primer
  • Gloves
  • Protective mask
  • Metal etching solution (Ex. Krud Kutter Metal Clean & Etch)

Steps to Remove the Rust:

Always protect yourself with a face mask when removing the rust. The fine particles will enter the air and could be inhaled. Gloves are good as well to protect your hands.

  1. Do not touch the bare metal with your hands. The oils from your hands will lead to future rusting. Wear gloves to avoid this.
  2. There are several ways to remove the rust from the surface of the metal. The first and easiest is sandpaper. Simply rub the sand paper over the rusty area until it is removed.
  3. Another way is to buff the surface of the metal with steel wool. This will have the same removal outcome as sandpaper, but may be more efficient.
  4. If needed, a metal etching solution can be applied to remove any residual rust on the surface. Follow the package instructions for use.
  5. Rinse thoroughly to ensure all residue is removed.

Steps to Refinish the Metal Surface:

  1. Work in a well ventilated area when painting.
  2. If an acid etching solution was used, then the metal will need to be primed with a bare metal primer. RustOleum carries a quality line of products for this purpose.
  3. After the primer is set, or if no acid etching solution was used, a metal paint can be applied to the surface. Sand the surface lightly before applying the final coats of paint.
  4. Apply the paint following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
  5. To add shine to the piece, finish off with a metal lacquer or enamel.
  6. When the paint has dried, the piece is ready for use.

Additional Tips and Advice

  • There are a variety of colored metal paints available to change the look of your metal piece, if desired.

Cleaning Guides, Metals

Was This Guide Helpful?

+47
-8
Rating: 86%. From 55 votes.
Please wait...

Related Posts

  • How to Remove Superglue from Metal
  • How to Remove Rust from a Washing Machine
  • How to Remove Paint from Metal with Soda
  • How to Remove Rust from Cast Iron Pans
  • How to Remove Rust Stains from Slate
  • How to Remove Printing from Metal Bottle Caps

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, conse ctetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit sed diam.


Thank you for subscribing!

Reader Interactions

About the Author

Avatar photo

Susan

I'm a stay-at-home mom who used to run a small housecleaning business. These days I consider myself more or a mad cleaning-scientist. I do most of the testing for our articles - as well as helping Mark & Melanie write them.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Helpful comments include feedback on the recipe or changes you made.

show comments +

Comments

  1. Bill says

    December 12, 2009 at 5:23 pm

    I wouldn’t be telling people to put lacquer over Rustoleum to add shine.

    The lacquer will destroy the Rustoleum in seconds.

    Better use polyurethane or varnish.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Featured Guides

How to Clean a Hairbrush

How to Clean a Microwave Oven With ZERO Chemicals

How to Clean Every Dental Retainer

How to Clean your Macbook’s Screen

Join our mailing list.
Be the first to know about new arrivals, sales, and special events.
Thank you for subscribing!

Footer

Browse by Category

  • Automotive
  • Clothing & Fabrics
  • Floors & Carpets
  • Housecleaning
  • Kitchen & Bath
  • Outdoors
  • People & Pets
  • Household Stuff

Contact

  • Ask Us Your Cleaning Questions
  • Contact Form

Follow us on Social Media

Site Information

  • Cookie Policy
  • Guest Post Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • XML Sitemap

Copyright © 2023 · HowToCleanStuff.net · All Rights Reserved · Website by Anchored Design