For tubs and sinks, simply turn off the tap to prevent water from flowing.
Both items are available at most general stores and grocery stores. For cream of tartar, look near the kitchen spices.
Harsher scrubbers scratch up porcelain or walls, so avoid using items like steel wool.
You may need to treat tough stains a few times to clear them. Cleaning the stained surface at least once a month helps prevent these tougher stains from forming. Other treatments, such as commercial rust removers or lemon and baking soda pastes, are also effective and worth a try if hydrogen peroxide isn’t strong enough.
Vinegar is also effective on other surfaces, from clothing to metal. It is worth a try as a natural solution or if other treatments fail.
The vinegar also neutralizes any unpleasant odors in the treated area.
You may need to do this a few times to remove tough stains. Older and deeper stains take repeated treatments.
If you don’t have a fresh citrus on hand, try soaking the stain in lemon or lime juice. Limes are also acidic and work well on rust stains. lemon juice works best on white clothing. To treat colored or delicate fabric, try diluting the lemon juice in an equal amount of water to reduce the acidity.
For more scrubbing power, use a soft-bristled brush such as an old toothbrush.
Dark-colored clothing is prone to damage from color bleeding and fading in direct light and high heat. Check the clothing every 30 minutes and consider taking it out of the sunlight prematurely. Alternatively, if you can’t keep the clothing in direct sunlight or wish to avoid potential damage, leave it out in open air for at least 1 hour. Wash the clothing afterwards.
To avoid ruining very delicate items prone to mechanical damage, wash them in cold water in the sink.
Scale up the quantity of ingredients you use to make more paste as needed, but keep the ratio of baking soda and water the same. For a commercial option, look for a cleaner with oxalic acid as an ingredient. Oxalic acid reacts with rust, making it easy to wash away with water.
The grain lines run either horizontally or vertically. Following these lines reduces the likelihood of damage to the wood or metal.
If the iron stain is very large, expect to need to repeat the treatment a few times. The better option is to sprinkle baking soda directly onto the stain and scrub it first.
For large, deep iron stains, you will need to sprinkle lots of a baking soda. Follow up the treatment with a baking soda and water paste as needed.
Never use metal brushes like steel wool or wire brushes. These will leave nasty scratches on most surfaces, leaving damage far more permanent than iron stains.
Also, consider wearing long-sleeved clothing when working with large amounts of chemical products to prevent them from getting on your skin.
Purchase rust removal or degreasing products from home improvement stores. Most of these products are effective on metal and porcelain as well as concrete.
Rinse the broom off under clean water when you’re done using it.
Push brooms are available at most home improvement stores. Most regular brooms are not strong enough to dig the rust out of a solid surface like concrete, so a push broom is worth the cost. As an alternative, scrub the stain with a wire brush such as a grill scraper.
Some home improvement stores rent out power washers. Check with them if you don’t own one.
