I recently found my trusty hammer in a drum full of water, because my son’s favorite game is “Hide Dad’s Tools”. Needless to say, it was covered in rust, so I had to try to figure out how to get rust off hand tools. So I did what every man does when they’re in need of cleaning advice, and I called my Nan.
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“Throw it in some vinegar boy!”- Then she hung up. Good chat, Nan.
So, that’s exactly what I did. I found a bucket of vinegar and placed the hammer in it for a few minutes. When I pulled it out, it was much better, but it still had a rusty tinge to it. I then found some steel wool and scrubbed the rest of the rust until my hammer looked good as new. Simples!
To keep the hammer looking fresh, and to protect it from the next round of “Hide Dad’s Tools”, I gave mine a good squirt of WD-40. WD-40 helps to displace water, which means it will protect your tools even after it dries off.
How to Get Rust off Hand Tools: Step-by-Step
Required Items: Rusty tool, white vinegar, container, steel wool
Step 1: Fill your container with white vinegar, enough to cover the rusted portion of your tool.
Step 2: Submerge your rusty hand tool in vinegar. Lightly rusted tools only require a few minutes, heavily rusted tools may need longer.
Step 3: Scrub off any rust with the steel wool.
Step 4: Use the remaining vinegar to rinse off your tool.
Step 5: Coat your tool with some WD-40 for future protection.
Does WD-40 Remove Rust?
Yes! For tools with a light coating of rust, you can skip the white vinegar and go straight to the WD-40. Just spray the liquid straight onto the rusty area, leave it on for a few minutes and then scrub with your steel wool.
