What is the best way to remove rust stains from stainless steal kitchen knives?
Margie K asked:
I have a fairly expensive set of kitchen knives that are getting rust spots on them. They are not dishwasher safe, so I hand wash them. I always hand dry, but even if they sit in the sink until the end of the day when I wash them, they accumulate rust. What is the best way to remove the spots.
And please do not say that only cheap or inexpensive knives rust because this is not true and is a smart a** answer.
Tags: daggers knives, benchmade knife, hunting knives, sword
swords, japanese sword
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I had the same issue, so I tried some of those “stainless-steel wipes.” The brand shouldn’t matter, there’s a plethora of them in the cleaning aisle at the store.
Those did take out the oxidation (rust spots) on my knives, but it will be something you’ll have to clean every 6 mos. or as you see the rust develop.
Good luck!
December 25th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Dip the knives in CLR.
December 28th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Steel wool is cheap and effective against rust
December 31st, 2008 at 8:57 am
i would suggest using a s.o.s. pad very gently…
December 31st, 2008 at 4:56 pm
I have top of the line carbon steel knives and always use a home-made paste made with BonAmi; cheap and environmentally safe. You can apply it with your finger, then rub. Presto! no more rust.
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
insert knife into an onion an let sit for a few days
January 5th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
stainless steal doesn’t rust or I don’t have any that does are you sure you didn’t get ripped off on by that product.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
i heard putting it in a bowl of lemon juice really helps. but you have to leave it in their for a while for it to work.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
I found that scrubbing LIGHTLY with steel wool usually does the trick for my knives. I don’t own any carbon steel knives because I know that I wouldn’t be carefull enough with them but even my expensive stainless knives occationally have rust spots. I also am careful to was them right away when I cut something like pickles or other sharp foods.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:53 am
There is one good and very cheap product you can use for removing rust and it happens to be a can of Coca Cola. I didn’t believe it until I tried it myself. Just place the knives on a cooking pan or in a tall glass and pour the coke over them and leave them over night the rust stains will be gone. I added the web address of a video demonstartion and article on usefull tips.
Note: There are diffrent types of stainless steel the 300 series 400 series the 420 is the most commonly used and there some over 420 those tend to develope rust stain over time but with carefull maintenance they wont, the 400 series are good but the best would be the 300 (most expensive) The knives only have stainless inscribed but they don’t say what series they are. One good way to determine what series they are is using a strong magnet kind of like the ones in your speaker or in your earphones or a magnet you put on your fridge. A MAGNET WILL NOT STICK ON 300 SERIES STAINLESS AND WILL NEVER RUST, if you feel slight magnetizem but not strong enough to stick it’s 400 to 420 series. If it sticks its probably 430 and it would probably rust if not taken well care of. If it has a very strong magnetizm then it’s NOT STAINLESS. I work in a manufacturing company and we use diffrent types of steels so I know about these things. Hope this helps you out.
January 14th, 2009 at 5:14 am
First, there is no 100% “stainless” steel. All “stainless” alloys (iron plus nickel and chrome) will rust given time and the right conditions.
Clean them up like I clean up my carbon steel shop tools — 0000 grade steel wool and oil, here, mineral oil because it’s nontoxic and won’t taint food with a machine shop taste. Then, clean them after every use with soap and water, wipe dry, and put them back in their block/rack/holder/whatever. Leaving them wet is what got them. Probably, you left them
in a metal sink, which started to electrolyze them, pulling the chrome from the surface of the steel, upsetting the alloy.
I still use the Sabbatier black carbon chef’s knife my dad bought 40 years ago. It gets cleaned and placed back in
its holder after every use, by force of habit. It’s developed a nice dark blue-gray patina, but not a speck of rust.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:08 am
I would use CLR that I ordered off of tv.
January 17th, 2009 at 4:35 am
i use vim soap to remove the stains daily.
January 20th, 2009 at 5:12 am
wash the knives with the soap & steel wire,dries it and put vegetable oil on it and pack it where there is no oxygen.
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Steel wool, sos pads and clr should all work but I still think new knives would be in my future. Simplicity is the true spice of life.
January 24th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I’ve heard if you cut through a lemon with each knife it will make the rust spots disappear.
January 26th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Stainless steel should not rust.
January 28th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Soak them in a can of Coke.
Watch it work immediately.
Makes you wonder why we drink them!
Navagator73 had it right. Whenever I encounter rust I pour coke on it or let it soak, it eats it up without hurting the item. I have even poured it on carpet and tile floors where rust was.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
If you will invest in an inexpensive jar of Naval Jelly, it will take care of any of your rust removing chores. You can find it at any of the large home improvement stores. It is what the Navy
used to remove rust from ships. Just make sure you use gloves and only a little bit to test.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:16 am
try some vinegar.
February 4th, 2009 at 1:20 am
Lemon Juice and steel wool pad.
Let it soak in Lemon Juice and salt, and only use steel wool pad lightly.
And disregard the thumbs down… this is how you get rid of it(among other ways)