Safe and effective remedy: citric acid against rust and the rules for its use

Red traces of rust will not be a problem if you are able to remove them correctly and in time.

There is a sufficient number of folk and professional remedies, among which one can single out one that is most effective for removing rust and safe for human health - citric acid.

It is an easy-to-use product that allows you to quickly get rid of rust stains from almost any surface.

Will "lemon" help against corrosion?

The product of the corrosive process - rust, gradually penetrates into the metal structure, destroying it.

Not just to remove red streaks, but also to stop the oxidation process for a while, cleaning with citric acid can. It interacts with the formed iron oxides, neutralizes oxidation reactions.

"Limonnka" is an effective means of removing rust stains with:

• metal,
• glass,
• ceramic surfaces,
• clothes.

Most often, an acidic solution is used in cleaning:

• car body,
• plumbers in the house,
• old coins.

The only thing to keep in mind when choosing citric acid to remove rust stains is that an acidic solution is only effective if used promptly (as soon as the stain appears).

Pros and cons of cleaning

Compared to other rust removal methods and products, citric acid differs in a number of positive properties:

1. Maximum availability of the product (citric acid is in every kitchen, if necessary, just buy it at the grocery store).
2. After completing the cleaning, the acidic solution can be disposed of into the sewer (thus providing additional cleaning of the pipes).
3. Unlike professional chemicals from rust, the cost of a sachet of citric acid is small, available to everyone.
4. On contact with the painted surface, the acidic solution does not violate its integrity.
5. If desired, you can always stop the cleaning process (it is enough to move the product with rust from an acidic solution to soda water).
6. In the process of heating, they will not emit toxic fumes hazardous to human health and the environment.

Disadvantages of using citric acid:

1. With very strong, old rust stains, it is ineffective (requires repeating the cleaning process).
2. An acidic solution of high concentration can cause discoloration and even the integrity of the treated surface.
3. After cleaning with citric acid, the remnants of the product must be carefully removed with a clean sponge or cloth.
4. If a product with rust stains has rubber inserts, seals, citric acid can destroy them during the reading process.

With all the positive properties of citric acid, it is better to carry out work to remove rust stains with protective glasses and gloves. The thing is that when scraping, small particles of rusty plaque scatter in all directions and can injure mucous membranes and skin.

How to remove rusty deposits?

Working with citric acid is quite simple. To maximize the effect of removing rusty streaks, it is necessary to adhere to a certain algorithm of actions:

• citric acid powder is poured into a container with warm water (80 grams of dry ingredient is enough for 100 ml of liquid);
• a product with rust is lowered into the prepared solution, and left for two hours (after five minutes you can see small bubbles on the surface, indicating the beginning of the necessary reaction);
• after that, the already cleaned product is taken out of the solution and thoroughly washed under clean running water, if necessary, rusty streaks can be brushed off.

What else can you add to enhance the effect?

You can speed up the process of cleaning the surface from rusty deposits by adding hydrogen peroxide and salt to citric acid.

Algorithm of actions:

1. In a clean container, mix citric acid (50 g), hydrogen peroxide (100 ml) and food salt (1 tablespoon).
2. The resulting mixture is applied to the rust stain and left for fifty to sixty minutes.
3. After that, the product is wiped with a clean cloth, removing rusty deposits along with the remaining cleaning agent.

The use of this product may slightly change the color of the metal surface to a darker one.

Removal tips

Several tips will make cleaning various surfaces easier and faster. from rust with citric acid:

1. Before treating a rust stain with an acidic solution, the surface must be degreased (for example, wiped with a sponge moistened with a liquid detergent).
2. A warmed solution of citric acid (for 250 ml of 40 g of dry powder) will help to remove rusty stains from the fabric. It is enough to dip the stain in the heated solution for five minutes, and then wash the product a second time.
3. Do not exceed the recommended exposure time of an acidic solution (maximum forty-eight hours) on a rusty surface. Otherwise, the product will become covered with a white bloom, which is almost impossible to get rid of.

Related videos

How citric acid removes rust from surfaces - in the video:

Conclusion

Citric acid is a universal folk remedy, the competent use of which will help to quickly clean various surfaces from rusty deposits. It is enough to first study the recommendations for using an acidic solution, the procedure for applying it and there will be no trace of rust.