How to Remove Rust from Aluminum Accessories

Do some of you remember the aluminum lawn chairs with green nylon straps? On any given weekend, our lawn chairs were loaded into the  Suburban for sideline views of soccer or lacrosse. Well, metal accessories are back, but now we call them industrial pieces. But, what loves aluminum more than Pinterest? Rust! Rust loves water. Today I am sharing how to remove rust from aluminum accessories.

How to Remove Rust

With fall in sight, it was a good month to sort thru and clean the aluminum accessories. I own multiple aluminum trays from this site. And, since I love live plants on most tables, my trays attract rust.

I love oversized trays, but so does the rest of the family and not everyone embraces the concept of a coaster.  And, during football season my trays take  a beating with spilled bottles, cans and glasses. I disguised the rust by just piling accessories onto the trays.

But, like other things that spread, like poison oak or weeds, the rust just takes over.

For a few months (closer to a year)  I convinced myself that rust added a vintage look to my favorite metal trays. Over time I used my tray where I could disguise the rust.

How to Remove Rust from Accessories

The best part of this rust removal tutorial is you likely have the cleaning products under your kitchen sink. My favorite cleaning products were all that was needed for this job!

• Baking soda (Costco sells a big bag)
• New Steel Wool Pad
• Bowl of warm water
• Rag to wipe off the tray to check the progress

Oh, and some good old muscle. Repeat. Repeat. Does anyone notice the upcycled Snapple bottle?

And, after a few repeats of baking soda, steel cleaning pads and warm water I had a visibly cleaner, rust-free metal tray.

I was psyched with the results and love that everyday cleaning staples got the job done! Before you toss the aluminum accessories, give this rust removal idea a try.