The other day I discovered the new foam soap my kids are obsessed with was leaving rust stains on my white bath tub.
I immediately grabbed our CLR, and, much to my chagrin, that stain didn’t budge. Why would a cleaner with rust in its name not remove rust? Ugh.
A quick google search gave me lots of different suggestions. I tried them all until I found one that worked.
Here’s what I found out about cleaning rust:
Dawn dish soap and white vinegar:
You can either pour the Dawn on the stain (it has to be Dawn), then the vinegar on top and mix them into a paste, or mix the two together in a spray bottle (if your stains are on a vertical surface). I made the paste, then used a brush and scouring pad the scrub the stain.
Verdict: Works reasonably well. Most of the stain faded considerably, but it was still noticeable.
Hydrogen peroxide:
Pour or spray on the stain and allow to soak, scrub and then rinse.
Verdict: Didn’t put a dent in my stain.
Clorox2 bleach:
Pour or spray on the stain and allow to soak, scrub then rinse.
Verdict: Nothin’.
“The Works” toilet bowl cleaner:
Pour on the stain and then scrub with a scouring pad. Use in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves.
Verdict: Wow. The best $2.99 I’ve ever spent. The stain is completely gone, and it took very little elbow grease. I’ve already put this stuff to work on other stubborn spots and stains and it works like a charm. Be careful though…this stuff stinks!