Preventing and Removing Rust with Paint, Paste and More

Iron and steel rust when they get damp, and the metal is gradually eaten away. Rust is formed by chemical action between the metal, oxygen in the air and water made into a weak acid by dirt and dust. Iron and steel will not rust if you keep them protected from the combined effects of air and water, so most preventative measures involve doing just that.

Preventing Rust

Paint iron or steel in need of decoration as soon as possible. First remove grease with white spirit and allow the metal to dry. Then paint with a metal primer, followed by a gloss paint. This will exclude air and water.

Repaint even small scratches in paint work before rust can form.

During winter, when roads are being salted, wash the underside of your car as often as possible - particularly the sills and wings - because chemicals such as salt accelerate rusting.

Protect metal that cannot be painted, such as hand tools, with a thin film of oil or greases. Or use one of the moisture displacing oils available as aerosol sprays. Thin coatings soon evaporate, so renew them regularly.

Use silica gel crystals to keep small cupboards dry (they have little or no effect in large spaces). The crystals absorb moisture from the air and need drying off time in an oven from time to time to keep them effective.

Many tools and appliances are now made from materials that will not rust - such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy - or have chrome or other coatings

that discourage rust. When you buy tools, check the labels about the materials used; it can save problems in the future.

Curing Rust

Deal with any rust formation, however slight, as soon as possible. Minor attacks may need only a rub with fine emery cloth.

For serious rusting, use a wire-brush (either a hand held brush or one fitted in a power drill) to remove all loose scale from the rusted area. Protect your eyes with safety goggles while you do it.

Once loose scale has been removed, treat the area with a proprietary rust neutralizing fluid that converts any remaining rust into a harmless black coating which can be over painted with an undercoat of necessary and finished with gloss paint.