The best way to remove rust and iron staining is to avoid it altogether. Depending on if you are dealing with ferrous or ferric iron, yes, we have a fix for that. For a long-term fix, take us up on a free water test via the form on the site.
If some staining has already started, we’re always fans of avoiding a harsh cleaning product whenever possible.
Here are a few options that might work for you:
Salt + Lime
This might not be the year for this with the lime shortage, but we’ll just pretend. Or use a grapefruit. What we’re doing here is pretty basic.
Sprinkle a coarse salt over the stained area. Squeeze your lime or grapefruit over the area. Let it sit for a few hours. Then use your rind as a built-in sponge.
Vinegar
A simple soak in vinegar very often will eat away a lot of your iron staining.
While not fitting the chemical-free side of things nor a DIY solution, you can also escalate to Iron-Out or Rust-Out powders. We have this in the shop or you can find it at nearly any hardware store.
As always, prevention is your best tactic. Our iron filters can completely eliminate not just iron issues, but most odors. If we’re dealing with soluble iron, we can often address this with a high-efficiency water softener as well.
