How to Remove Rust From Knife Sharpener? – [All-In-One Guide]
Your knife sharpener is the ultimate tool for keeping your knives slice-ready and ultra-sharp. But like all metal objects, it is prone to corrosion. So what do you do when you notice rust on your sharpener? Replace it? Or is there a way to salvage this all-so-important kitchen tool?
It may seem like an arduous task, but rust removal is actually possible. There are numerous methods which can be employed. This article will provide insight into those methods and how you can get rid of rust from your knife sharpener.
Related: 10 Best Knife Sharpeners In Australia in 2023
How to Remove Rust From Knife Sharpener?
There are several easy ways to remove rust from knife sharpener. You can remove it by using white vinegar, baking soda, a lemon and salt mixture, dish soap and salted potato combination, citric acid, aluminium foil, and even cola!
Using White Vinegar
White vinegar is a magical formula, found in every kitchen cupboard. Acetic acid aka vinegar chemically interacts with rust, causing it to loosen so that you can easily scrape it off.
Soak your rusted knife sharpener in a bowl of vinegar. Ensure that all the rusted portion of the sharpener is fully submerged in vinegar. Leave it immersed overnight or for a period of 24 hours.
After the specified time frame, remove your knife sharpener from the vinegar solution. The rusted portion has now become fairly loose. With the help of a scouring pad or steel wool, scrape off the rust. Dry it and get back to enjoying your sparkly knife sharpener!
Using Baking Soda
Baking soda is another efficient way of removing rust from knife sharpeners. It doesn’t work too well on thick rust or very thick metal. Therefore, if your knife sharpener is lightly stained with rust or just beginning to rust, you can opt for this rust removal method.
Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, thick enough to cover all the metallic parts of your knife sharpener. Apply it using your finger or a toothbrush. Let it stay for an hour. Scrub it off using a scouring pad or steel wool.
After you are done scrubbing and have successfully removed the rust marks, wash it off with water. Don’t forget to give it a nice dry pat at the end!
Using Lemon and Salt
This method utilizes the abrasiveness of salt and the acidity of lemons for removing rust from knife sharpener. Begin the process by generously sprinkling salt over your knife sharpener. Now squeeze a lot of lemon juice over the tool.
As you might have noticed, this hack is all about using the ingredients in abundance! Luckily, Australian lemons are quite juicy, so a couple will suffice. Don’t discard the lemons yet, you will be needing the rind later.
Once you have finished pouring the juice, let it sit for one to two hours. Now scrub the mixture with the help of lemon rind. Do so, for a couple of minutes and then rinse it off with water. Dry your knife sharpener which should be looking as good as new all over again.
Using Dish Soap and a Salted Potato
This is an unusual DIY method for removing rust from knife sharpener. Potatoes are full of oxalic acid which is a part of many cleaning products. This hack made me realize how potatoes don’t just give you tasty treats but effective cleaning too!
Start by cutting a potato in half. Sprinkle salt over the cut side and then cover it with dish wash soap. Salt will provide the abrasion required to remove the rust. Let the potato sit on the rusted knife sharpener for a few hours.
Rub the potato over the sharpener and then rinse the tool with water. Dry it thoroughly and stow away your sparkly clean knife sharpener for later use.
Using Citric Acid
Citric acid is another agent which can be used to remove rust from your knife sharpener. If you still remember stuff from your chemistry classes, you might recall that acids usually corrode metals. Confused yet? Don’t be! Citric acid solutions sold over-the-counter come in low concentrations, which are insufficient to cause damage to your tool. Therefore, you can safely use it to remove overlying rust without damaging the precious metal.
Take a bowl large enough to submerge your rusted knife sharpener. Fill it with warm water and add three tablespoons of store-bought citric acid. Leave it overnight. The next day gear up with steel wool or a scouring pad and scrub away all that unsightly rust.
Using an Aluminium Foil
Knife sharpener rust removal couldn’t get any easier. This method is quick and simple. Before I get into the details of the method, let’s take a quick look at how aluminium works as a rust-removing agent.
Rust forms because of a chemical interaction that takes place between the oxygen in the air and iron. However, oxygen would rather bond with aluminium out of all the metals. Therefore, as soon as aluminium is around, the iron-oxygen bond weakens!
You don’t require any soaking for this one. Simply take out your rusted knife sharpener and start scrubbing it with wet aluminium foil. Continue doing this for a couple of minutes. You will feel the rusted surface softening.
Additionally, a brown paste will form on the area you are working on. Don’t fret! This is a sign of rust dissolution. Wipe the paste away with a clean microfiber cloth and your knife sharpener is good to go.
Using Oxalic Acid
Although oxalic acid is classified as a weak acid, this method requires that you exercise all safety precautions. Therefore, before you begin have your rubber gloves, face mask and goggles ready.
For the acid to work effectively, thoroughly wash your knife sharpener with regular dishwashing soap. In a plastic container, prepare a solution of oxalic acid and water in a ratio of 1:10. Place your tool into the solution, immersing it completely. Leave it submerged for around 20 minutes.
Remove the sharpener from the solution. Wash, dry and let it work its magic on your dull knives!
Using Store-bought Chemical Rust Removers
These products usually contain strong acids like phosphoric or oxalic acid in high concentrations, therefore be extremely careful before using them. Always use these products in well-ventilated areas as even inhaling fumes can be dangerous.
Wear full clothing and protective gear like gloves, mask and eye goggles. If your knife sharpener is only lightly rusted, let it soak in the solution for one to three hours. In cases of heavy rusting, leave it overnight.
These products require extensive scrubbing afterwards, so I suggest that you have a good night’s rest before taking up this project.
Using Cola
This is another unusual product that can help you get rid of rust from your knife sharpener. Colas can be used for this purpose since they contain phosphoric and citric acids. These are the same acids found in commercially produced rust removers.
If this information got you worried, do note that these are present in very small quantities. Therefore, removing rust will take longer than the methods discussed above. Soak your knife sharpener in a container filled with cola.
Leave it submerged for 24 hours. After this time frame, remove the sharpener and scrub it with a scouring pad. When you are done scrubbing, don’t forget to wash it thoroughly to remove the sugar residue. If you forget, a rusty surface might get replaced by an ant-infested one!
FAQ – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Wrapping Up
You don’t necessarily have to throw away your knife sharpener if it has undergone rusting. There are various rust-removing remedies that you can try out at home to get your sharpener’s sparkle back.
Using vinegar to remove rust is by far my favourite technique. Not only is it effective but requires less elbow grease too. Baking soda is another good option. Some powerful rust-removing mixtures include the dishwashing soap/salted potato mixture and the lemon/salt mixture.
If you have any rusty knife sharpeners lying around, don’t hesitate to try out these highly effective rust-removing techniques. Let me know which one gave you sparkly clean results!
