How do I remove rust spots from stainless steel?

Question

I am trying to clean up a stainless steel back splash and some kitchen appliances that have brown spots that look like rust spots. I was able to remove most of them with stainless steel cleaner but does anyone know any tricks?

Answer 1

Contrary to what many people believe, under certain conditions rust spots will appear on stainless steel due to the passivation  layer breaking down.

See following website with respect to this.

http://nhml.com/resources_NHML_Rusting-S...

To repassivate at home:

To passivate stainless steel at home without using a nitric acid bath, you need to clean the surface of all dirt, oils and oxides. The best way to do this is to use an oxalic acid based cleanser, and a non-metallic green scrubby pad. Don't use steel wool, or any metal pad, even stainless steel, because this will actually promote rust. Scour the surface thoroughly and then rinse and dry it with a towel. Leave it alone for a week or two and it will re-passivate itself. You should not have to do this procedure more than once, but it can be repeated as often as necessary.

See following website

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appe...

Answer 2

Guacamole.

Answer 3

I recommend using a product called Bar Keepers Friend.  It is a household powder cleaner like Ajax but it has a mild abrasive that works on stainless steel and other surfaces.  It will remove the rust without harming the stainless steel.

Answer 4

Try fresh lime. Cut it into four slices and scrub the area with it. Wipe of with sponge or wet rag and repeat. It also works great for iron skillets and such.

Answer 5

if there are red spot, rust spot, then it means that your stainless steel is "contaminated" by iron. This usually happens when you use an iron tool to clean a stainless steel objet, some particle of iron are embedded into the stainless steel and then rust.

this is one solution to clean your steel,taken from this site: http://www.outokumpu.com/pages/Page____5...

Rust stains :Wet the surface with oxalic acid solution, leave it for 15-20 minutes, rinse with clean cold water, and wipe dry. If necessary, repeat the washing procedure with a cream cleanser as described above.

http://www.corrosionist.com/Materials_St...