8 Best Rust Removers for Every Surface

Key Specs

• Type: Chelating
• Form & Application: Liquid soak or direct application

Evapo-Rust says it traces the development of its product to its work on behalf of America’s military, to make a safe industrial-scale method of rust removal. Evapo-Rust is effective and quick. After six hours of soaking, the testing material used at Nasa’s laboratory was quite clean. After 12 hours, it was spotless, including the corners and the weld. We noticed minor carbon deposits had leached out of the steel, but with a little effort we managed to wipe these off using rags and a plastic scouring pad. This isn’t a function of the rust remover as much as it reflects the degree of carbon in the steel or the weld metal. Some steels will emit more carbon in the rust removal process than others. Bottom line: This is a fine and effective product.

Key Specs

• Type: Chemical
• Form & Application: Liquid soak or direct application

CLR (Calcium Lime Rust) has been a household staple for decades, and my personal go-to for removing stubborn and unwanted rust. While it’s typically thought of as only a household cleaner, it’s actually an industrial-strength, acid-based solution that can tackle moderate rust formation on a variety of surfaces. It’s safe to use on metal, brick, and stucco, along with all plumbing materials like copper and PVC plastic. In addition to removing rust, it can also be used to dissolve calcium and lime deposits.

During my last experience using CLR, I used it to remove the rust that had formed on a few of my sockets. Despite having to do some scraping with a wire brush prior to soaking it in the CLR, and having to perform few cycles of soaking and scraping, the sockets I treated were restored to practically pristine condition in a relatively short amount of time.