My 97 year old father died 2 years ago and I found a bunch of his tools in an old shed. I was going to scrap them but after watching your video, I went out and bought me a few gallons of that vinegar and a steel wire brush. Many thanks for the video!
Over the years several of my pliers have been left in various places exposed to the elements. I was prepared to get rid of them and buy new, but opted to look on TH-cam for a solution. I put 3 pliers in a cup with vinegar. When I got them out 2 days later (Oops) I hit them with a little water and scrubbed a bit with my wife’s toothbrush. They were 1000% better. I let them dry thoroughly in the sun and oiled them before they went back in the toolbox. I’m now ready to take a clean bucket and go after our garden tools. Thanks for the great video and my wife would like to talk with you about her toothbrush....
I use it all over the house, not just tools. It gets the film off shower walls and door, plumbing fixtures, gets labels off of jars. To clean my stainless steel sinks, I put some warm water, a squirt of dish detergeant, and a big slosh of vinegar in there, stir, and let soak overnight. I rinse it off with an old towel and it's shining. If your shower heads or faucets are clogged up from water deposits, take them off, put in a ziplock back, and pour in enough vinegar to cover; soak for 24 hours. All deposits are gone.
Thanks man for the good news. Some how water got in my toolbox and now all my tools are rusty. I am going to try this and get my tools back like they are supposed to be. Once again thanks.
I also use it to clean glass and mirrors.(diluted) As far as I can tell it works just as good as windex. I can't believe windex is even still used by anyone when vinegar exists.
I'm amazed at some of these comments. What this video demonstrates is how you can use a VERY INEXPENSIVE substance which MOST PEOPLE ALREADY HAVE IN THEIR HOMES to do a VERY EFFECTIVE job of removing rust with VERY LITTLE work. Personally I found the ease and efficacy (to say nothing of the economy)of this method to be astonishing. Kudos!
What I like most is the safety of using vinegar over other solvents. And I always keep a big jug in the house for everything from cooking to cleaning to gardening. Along with a very big box of baking soda.
White vinegar is also very cheap. Great for killing any grass or weeds that grow in sidewalks or other inconvenient places. I’ve never used RoundUp and I don’t have any intentions to do so. (Oops, that’s a different video)
TightWadDIY I always have...I just fill up one of those spray bottles you can buy for a $1.00 or repurpose an empty bottle that has a good sprayer handle. One you squeeze with your hand vs pumping with your finger!
Thanks for sharing....Worked like a charm...Cleaned all my hand garden tools...Now I am going to load up on vinegar and do the handled garden tools....Such a simple solution....Thanks again...
I was left a lot of my father's old tools that I know he took well care of, but in his age was left to their own for some years. I'm going to go out now (at 8 pm at night) after seeing this video and place some of them in vinegar, with baking soda and 3 n 1 oil standing by. Thank you so much for your video! With your tip and just a little elbow grease I'm sure they will serve me for years to come!😁❤
Great vid. It's the .4% acetic acid by volume in the vinegar that attacked and lifted the iron oxide (rust) from the plier surfaces. A solution of 6% by volume with H2O is used to remove iron oxide from window surfaces in welding shops, foundaries etc. using a spray applicator then rinsing with water via a pressure washer or water hose. The 6% solution works immediately upon application. Cheaper than replacing glass . The same 6% solution can be mixed very frugally to soak any heavily rusted parts. Your DIY vinegar method is more than adequate for your pliers and at a very good price point. Best to you and yours.
Had a truck many years ago that we had just finished building. Everything was painted except for the side racks.. it was corn silage season, so it got ran with no paint. (Wiped it all down with diesel to protect it as good as we could) After silage season, cleaned everything up, degreaser, steam cleaned.. then wiped it down with vinegar to clean and etch the metal so it would take paint.. it worked!!! Had some goober spots where the vinegar had gotten trapped and seeped out, but other than that, it took paint and looked good.. sold the truck two years ago, never did have to repaint. Lasted over 20 years 😎 Thanks for the video!!!
The active ingredient in the vinegar is acetic acid. When it eats all the rust, it starts on the good metal.heck the progress periodically. When you are done, rinse in a glass of water with a spoon of baking soda in it to neutralize any remaining acid. Paint or protect immediately, because that freshly exposed bare metal will rust in seconds when exposed to air.
TomJeffersonWasRight Thanks for the info. The oil I used did a great job to protect them. I went fishing on July 4th the pliers still looked great a full 2.5 years after this treatment.
I work outside a lot, often around salt water .Easily lost tools I paint a bright color. The rest, I give a coat of varnish. I oil them as well. Try it, and you will have a lot less rust on your tools….if you use them a lot, like I do. .If you are just a tool collector, just oiling them is fine for keeping them in a box
better than that..put an appliance under water in the bathtub and run a power cord and plug it up. Be sure you are touching metal or your hand is in the water or even better sit in the tub with the appliance while you plug it up under water
I was impressed by the results. Thanks for sharing this tip. Now I have to try this on some of my rusted tools. Hopefully I'll get the same results as you did.
It's just cheap vinegar! I took about 15 rusty tools and poured in a gallon of vinegar to cover them! Then I got busy and forgot about them for about a week in the sun! This really funky and rusty "foam" grew and covered the entire top of the container! It was like a cool science experiment! My guess is that bacteria, vinegar and iron oxide might have something to offer but anyway - tools came out slick as a whistle and functioning again! Oil them up and they're good to go!
Vinegar does work well for many rusty tools and as well on cast iron cookware. I dilute mine to about 70% vinegar 30% water and I save it to use over and over again, just mark the container you keep it in. I'm certain if you want a 100% solution as you noticed it worked quite well.
@@TightWadDIY 1st you're welcome. I was told by another to do this I too am not a scientist although I like science. I followed what this other person said for cleaning up rusty cast iron cookware. The 24 hour soak works well I suppose it saves money not that vinegar is totally expensive. The percentage combination could probably be anything you want it to be. I'm certain the most important factor is to make sure you oil it properly.
Thanks much for the video My Mom used to say to clean off rusty roofs with vinegar so a person could prep them for painting I was recently given a bunch of metal roofing for a shed Very rusty so I think Ill try the vinegar to see how good it does Be great if it cleans up like the pliers
I found a pocket knife covered in rust. I just took it apart and going to go out and get some white vinegar. Thanks for this video. Definitely helps and looking forward to the results imma get.
HI all - here's a follow-up to putting vinegar over my father's rusted tools. They were so rusted that I couldn't even upon them up - plyers and wrenches. I soaked them for 5 days. They all turned black and then I used some light sand paper in between the tight areas. I then used a rag to wipe off the oxidation as my work gloves turned black. After the clean up, all the tools were operational but black in color. This video saved me from junking my dads old tools.
Lemon juice also works. Have restored many tools that people were throwing out because they were totally frozen with rust using lemon juice. Definately will try Vinegar though.
Phosphoric acid works well on rust. Auto part stores sell expensive little bottles($12), but paint supply stores sell by the gallon cheap($18). (Sherwin Williams) If you do old car restoration removing rust, check paint stores first. Spray on rust , 24 hrs later it's black metal.
Jim Anderson in Florida where rust is king, salt life. citric acid is good,pure lemon juice works for rusr it leaves a black coating if put in sun to dry..
My husband and I bought some very old, very rusty tools from an estate sale last week, I tried this and it worked great! I actually just finished cleaning them up. After getting all the crud off, some of the old wrenches say Ford so that's cool! What should I use to oil them? I know nothing about tools and have no idea what to use. Thanks for the video, helped a lot!
Dana Hall That’s great! I’m glad it worked for you and very cool that you found some Ford tools. I used 3 in 1 oil but any oil should do the trick. Many people opt to spray paint their tools instead. It protects them better over longer periods of time. I just prefer the bare metal look. Storing them in a climate controlled area helps rust from returning also.
@@TightWadDIY Thank you so much! I prefer the bare look so I'll get some of that oil, I would hate to spray paint them and not like it. We wont be using these tools, just thought they were cool and you could tell they were super old. Thanks again for the video and replying back to my question, I really appreciate it!
I placed 3 pliers in a clear solo cup and filled it with 9% vinegar, within hours black metal was being exposed where rust build up had spread. I'm going to try this method on a pole chain saw blade with a rust point tomorrow. Thanks so much for sharing this valuable information. Enjoy the glory you give to God brother.
If you only have a small amount of vinegar, soak a paper towel in it and then wrap your rusty tool in it and then in a plastic bag. It uses much less. When you have cleaned the tool of rust, soak another paper towel or a rag in oil and wrap the tool in it and put it away.
Logotha Ironsides I like that idea. That is a true TightWad solution. I know others have commented they leave their vinegar in a plastic tub so they can store it and use it as needed. That way you only have to buy it once.
@@TightWadDIY Probably it is bad. Once you use them they will be wet (possibly with salty sea water). Better they dry and rust slowly rather than marinate in sealed wet bag (should be a recipe for disaster).
Ok, I went out and bought a lot of vinegar today, filled a dish and dropped in the tools, currently marinating in the tool shed, will see what happens tomorrow.......
need to use baking soda and water to soak after vinegar. to neutralize the acid from the vinegar. you can find this on other youtube videos about soaking in vinegar
Don't rinse with water when done, just dry with cloth or paper towel, then air dry and oil. Also, rather than a toothbush, you can use a small wire brush to get the stubborn bits off.
Put some desiccant packages in your tackle box and it will chase away the moisture that caused it. You can also put some Damprid in some cheese cloth and use that... (Don't touch Damprid with your hands.) if you do wash it off immediately
I've restored several rusty hand saws with this. Remove the handle and soak overnight in vinegar. Most of the rust will fall off. Give the blades a rub with some Emory cloth and attach the handle.
@@TightWadDIY For certain vinegar is one of those products we should always have on hand. I would include apple cider vinegar for internal consumption. Organic of course.
Idk how much of a difference it would make as I cleaned old, HEAVILY tarnished brass (as opposed to steel) window latches and a piece of corroded, solid beaten copper, but try adding salt to the vinegar, about 1 tablespoon salt per cup of vinegar. The brass didn't come out mirror shiny and gold (I suppose it would have to be polished again) but they did come out clean. It cleaned it so well that not only did the vinegar turn murky, there was about 2" of disgusting looking reddish-brown foam floating on top as if it had been boiled off. No toothbrush was even necessary.
Note: Not all white vinger is the same strength. Some seems to be more acadisic. I used the walmart store brand white vinger that comes in a plastic gallon jug. I had a severely rusted hunting knife. I socked it in white viniger for several days. The vinger turned black as well as the knife. I rinsed the knife under water and wiped it clean with a paper towel. Then I oiled it it back up good and now it works great!
Saved a bunch of t shirts that smell from perspiration. Soaked them overnight in a cup of white vinegar in a gallon of water then washed them normally. Smells gone..I guess the vinegar kills the bacteria that gives of the odour when wet..amazing nothing else worked.👍
Vinegar works for some odors, a long soak in borax solution for others (most). Best bet is borax soak, normal wash after with vinegar added to rinse cycle. Drying in bright sunlight helps very much.
I normally use cider vinegar to do this. Allow the tool to soak for one or even two days. Clean and then make sure to oil the metal well as the vinegar removes any oil on the finish and it will rust quickly if not re-oiled.
I keep a Rubbermaid tote out back of my shop on a stand I whacked together from wooden shipping crates. It has 2 gallons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) in it. When I have something rusty, like parts, tools, hardware, etc, I just throw them in there for a day or so. A good wire brushing (sometimes just a wipe with your hand), a swish in the rain barrel, and it's ready to paint. Dry and paint *immediately* as the steel is so virgin it will flash rust. I have a couple of steering arms sitting in my shop that I ACV'd about 6 years ago and painted. They still look like brand spanking new.
@@whataboutbob9786 FYI Ford Guy, Ford only started using aluminum in about the last few years. Aluminum corrodes, basically the same way as steel rusts. 4 year old Fords with paint bubbling and peeling because of corrosion. Chunks of steel rotting like cancer within 6 years. I make a living at a Ford Bodyshop restoring those piles of crap. What now?
Put it for 2-3 days and then use a steel brush on a drill and you'll get an almost new tool. I've done it many times with tools worse than these pliers.
Straight water works great. After all, it’s water ( in essence),, that makes rust. An old farmer taught me that, in 1983. Has worked many times, for me.
What if I can't submerge the tool into vinegar? I have a long rusty pipe-like thing, and I'm not sure what is the most effective way to remove its rust.
Sir good video.... Sir i have encountred with a issue.so need your guidance Issue : I have tried and dip my rusty iron items in simple vinegar liquid.....after 24 hours or 36 hours when i remove out the rusted item from the vinegar solution all.the.rust is seen as removed from the metal.part..however after few minutes when the vingar.solution drys again the rusting appear on the exposed surface.and whithin half an hour a golden thin skin/ small pacthes of rust appear on the few places... May plz guide why.these incident happen ....neither i uses water in this process ..so what the reason of light corrison patches coming again...and what are the remedies....i have occasionally seen the same issue whenver i repeat the above process on different occasions...
trying this out now on a toolbox that got left out in the rain - tools are cheap, but still good for what I use them for (mostly related to external amateur radio, antennas,etc) - will be interesting to see how it goes, great video tho - thank you :)
I have used vinegar before and it works well. Had some VERY rusty front discs and I thought, why not. It will dissolve the cat iron! LOL, so do NOT do it with cast iron.
My great grandfather’s crosscut saw has over 100 years of rust and I can’t get the handle clamp off because the male and female threads are bonded. Will this help?
When I was in the army, after a day on the ranges I once had to clean a tripod -mounted General Purpose Machine Gun that had fired well over a thousand rounds when it was being used in a the Support Fire role. It was great fun, but cleaning the heavy encrustations of carbon off of the barrel, gas cylinder and plug, breech block etc was long and dreary. An old sweat told me to get some vinegar from the cooks, and the carbon came off ten times easier! I had to keep it on the down low, as the armourers didn't like it, claiming the acid was bad for the parts. Sounded like ballox to me, a little wet rag washes it off, then a wipe with a little oiled flannel. which should always be done anyway. Later in life, when I was doing a de-coke on my car, or had a sticky, coked up ERG valve, a little vinegar saved a lot of trouble ( and the cost of a new ERG valve.
Jay Igaboo Vinegar is a great, mild acid so it’s perfect for many cleaning tasks. You could always neutralize it with baking soda when you are done if you are worried about prolonged damage. I’ve even heard Windex can be used to neutralize it.
@@TightWadDIY Aye, that makes sense, but I just wash it away if I have enough water. Often in my military days, as an infantryman in limited water situations, I kept the water for myself. I bit of dry 4"x2" cotton flannel from my cleaning kit was all I'd spare until I had the chance to clean things properly. If I'd been on active service, ( I never was, bar a few uneventful days) a clean and therefore less likely to jam weapon is much more important than questionable wear that might occur over years, We always, ALWAYS returned weapons to the armoury wiped clean and lightly oiled. Talking of vinegar and cleaning, our washing machine was cleaning our clothes but there was un unpleasant smell to them. I found black sludge under the seal, which I removed, but which left stains on the drum seal, which stains were the mycellia (roots) of a fungus. A cup of vinegar into the washing machine and a short wash cycle with no washing in cleared all the smelly stuff in the piping and trap, and I smeared the seal with vinegar and left it for a day to kill the fungus. Worked a treat, and saved me an expensive repair, as the fungus would have rotted the door seal.
We used to take the GPMG into the showers with us after an FTX while on course. When you're putting so many rounds down range you're using lots of gun oil on the block to keep it functioning, and of course, you inevitably get the pig dirty. I recall a lad one day brought out engine degreaser and used it on his mags for his rifle, stripped the bluing right off.
My 97 year old father died 2 years ago and I found a bunch of his tools in an old shed. I was going to scrap them but after watching your video, I went out and bought me a few gallons of that vinegar and a steel wire brush. Many thanks for the video!
Jo Gordon Your message made me smile. Please come back and share how it goes.
how’d it go?
Grace Reyes no response 😔
What do you do with the dirty vinegar?
@@medmcmuldren put them on your weeds with some soap and it will kill your weeds
Over the years several of my pliers have been left in various places exposed to the elements. I was prepared to get rid of them and buy new, but opted to look on TH-cam for a solution. I put 3 pliers in a cup with vinegar. When I got them out 2 days later (Oops) I hit them with a little water and scrubbed a bit with my wife’s toothbrush. They were 1000% better. I let them dry thoroughly in the sun and oiled them before they went back in the toolbox. I’m now ready to take a clean bucket and go after our garden tools. Thanks for the great video and my wife would like to talk with you about her toothbrush....
Bill Hiney Haha. I am a huge fan of using the wife’s toothbrush for chores around the house!
Lol😂😂😂
Jason H Why bother with the warranty if you are going to neglect the tool. The warranty will be void anyway.
Jason H That’s cool. My tool truck vendors were seldom that easy.
Jason H You can do the same with a garden hose. Almost all of them have a lifetime warranty.
I use it all over the house, not just tools. It gets the film off shower walls and door, plumbing fixtures, gets labels off of jars. To clean my stainless steel sinks, I put some warm water, a squirt of dish detergeant, and a big slosh of vinegar in there, stir, and let soak overnight. I rinse it off with an old towel and it's shining.
If your shower heads or faucets are clogged up from water deposits, take them off, put in a ziplock back, and pour in enough vinegar to cover; soak for 24 hours. All deposits are gone.
Ginny Krauskopf All great tips. It’s a very versatile cleaner.
Thanks man for the good news. Some how water got in my toolbox and now all my tools are rusty. I am going to try this and get my tools back like they are supposed to be. Once again thanks.
Bobby Stanley This should do the trick!
Yes I LOVE vinegar! Non toxic, natural, cheap! And oddly enough, it was the only cleaning solution I could stand the smell of when I was pregnant.
I also use it to clean glass and mirrors.(diluted) As far as I can tell it works just as good as windex. I can't believe windex is even still used by anyone when vinegar exists.
I'm amazed at some of these comments. What this video demonstrates is how you can use a VERY INEXPENSIVE substance which MOST PEOPLE ALREADY HAVE IN THEIR HOMES to do a VERY EFFECTIVE job of removing rust with VERY LITTLE work. Personally I found the ease and efficacy (to say nothing of the economy)of this method to be astonishing. Kudos!
David Spangler HAHA. Thank you! Very well said. They missed the point and most simply didn’t watch the video.
What I like most is the safety of using vinegar over other solvents. And I always keep a big jug in the house for everything from cooking to cleaning to gardening. Along with a very big box of baking soda.
Shamanbear Two Exactly!
If you put a small piece of charcoal in your tackle box it will prevent the rust from happening in the first place.
Dave Weden Thanks for the tip.
@@TightWadDIY it absorbs the moisture
Not if you basement was flooded.
Wow, That's interesting. It may be a stupid question but does it work in closets with high humidity?
@@xr1650 it would but u would need a small box full ... maybe the size of a shoe-box
thnx for da tip.. Really does work.. By the way, I used my wife's tooth brush.. Doc said, she needed iron in her diet.. 🤣
Julio C haha. Nice work.
Julio C 😂😂🤣🤣
Tetnis
got a true LOL on that comment
*groan* 🤦🏼♂️
Lol I love a cheesy Dad Joke
White vinegar is also very cheap. Great for killing any grass or weeds that grow in sidewalks or other inconvenient places. I’ve never used RoundUp and I don’t have any intentions to do so. (Oops, that’s a different video)
Tom Long I’ve heard that before. I’m going to have to give it a shot. Do you use it full strength?
TightWadDIY I always have...I just fill up one of those spray bottles you can buy for a $1.00 or repurpose an empty bottle that has a good sprayer handle. One you squeeze with your hand vs pumping with your finger!
Tom Long I’m going to have to make a new video I guess! Thanks!
Good to know. Thanks
Tom Long yes definitley, been using it for years, you can add dishsoap too that makes it stick and not run off onto adjoining areas.
Thanks for sharing....Worked like a charm...Cleaned all my hand garden tools...Now I am going to load up on vinegar and do the handled garden tools....Such a simple solution....Thanks again...
Donna Robinson That’s great! I’m glad it worked for you!
I was left a lot of my father's old tools that I know he took well care of, but in his age was left to their own for some years. I'm going to go out now (at 8 pm at night) after seeing this video and place some of them in vinegar, with baking soda and 3 n 1 oil standing by. Thank you so much for your video! With your tip and just a little elbow grease I'm sure they will serve me for years to come!😁❤
If they aren’t badly rusted just an hour should work to clean them up. I’m glad you are going to restore them!
Great vid. It's the .4% acetic acid by volume in the vinegar that attacked and lifted the iron oxide (rust) from the plier surfaces. A solution of 6% by volume with H2O is used to remove iron oxide from window surfaces in welding shops, foundaries etc. using a spray applicator then rinsing with water via a pressure washer or water hose. The 6% solution works immediately upon application. Cheaper than replacing glass . The same 6% solution can be mixed very frugally to soak any heavily rusted parts. Your DIY vinegar method is more than adequate for your pliers and at a very good price point. Best to you and yours.
Ray Walz Thanks for sharing this info! It’s always nice to see the community adding valuable information.
The pleasure is all mine...btw..SUBSCRIBED and thumbs up. May the fish be gigantic and the lies be small.
Ray Walz Thank you! I have a new fishing hole I plan to try out very soon!
@@raywalz4952 nothing new
Ray Walz yea yea bla bla bla just like to see your own post👎
Had a truck many years ago that we had just finished building. Everything was painted except for the side racks.. it was corn silage season, so it got ran with no paint. (Wiped it all down with diesel to protect it as good as we could)
After silage season, cleaned everything up, degreaser, steam cleaned.. then wiped it down with vinegar to clean and etch the metal so it would take paint.. it worked!!! Had some goober spots where the vinegar had gotten trapped and seeped out, but other than that, it took paint and looked good.. sold the truck two years ago, never did have to repaint. Lasted over 20 years 😎
Thanks for the video!!!
Gosselin Farms Ed Gosselin Thanks for sharing. Vinegar has so many great uses!
Soak in vinager, Don't Rinse , with water!!!... Just Dry off then lube.... Dried vinager will inhibit more rust....
Yes
What do you mean
The active ingredient in the vinegar is acetic acid. When it eats all the rust, it starts on the good metal.heck the progress periodically. When you are done, rinse in a glass of water with a spoon of baking soda in it to neutralize any remaining acid. Paint or protect immediately, because that freshly exposed bare metal will rust in seconds when exposed to air.
TomJeffersonWasRight Thanks for the info. The oil I used did a great job to protect them. I went fishing on July 4th the pliers still looked great a full 2.5 years after this treatment.
Shouldnt paint pliers, oil it, keep it oiled
Carbon rusts
Thats the reason for chromed tools
I work outside a lot, often around salt water .Easily lost tools I paint a bright color. The rest, I give a coat of varnish. I oil them as well. Try it, and you will have a lot less rust on your tools….if you use them a lot, like I do. .If you are just a tool collector, just oiling them is fine for keeping them in a box
TomJeffersonWasRight I like how you adjust to your usage and environment.
better than that..put an appliance under water in the bathtub and run a power cord and plug it up. Be sure you are touching metal or your hand is in the water or even better sit in the tub with the appliance while you plug it up under water
Wish I had found this post before I struggled cleaning old wire snips. This tip looks great.
Mary Laughlines It works great! I just posted a follow up video showing the pliers after two years
I was impressed by the results. Thanks for sharing this tip. Now I have to try this on some of my rusted tools. Hopefully I'll get the same results as you did.
Robert Smith You are welcome. I have no doubts it will work for you also.
You learn something new everyday. Great Video. Thanks :)
helios You are welcome. I love teaching.
It's just cheap vinegar! I took about 15 rusty tools and poured in a gallon of vinegar to cover them! Then I got busy and forgot about them for about a week in the sun! This really funky and rusty "foam" grew and covered the entire top of the container! It was like a cool science experiment! My guess is that bacteria, vinegar and iron oxide might have something to offer but anyway - tools came out slick as a whistle and functioning again! Oil them up and they're good to go!
That’s great!
After soaking and cleaning from vinegar, what kind of oil did you use? Do you just soak it on oil as well? Thanks.
Thanks for the tip! I have a couple of gallons of vinegar under the kitchen sink and a ton of rusted tools!👍
Mike Flores I’m glad you found it helpful. I like showing great ways to do things with tools/materials most people already have.
Im going to try this. Thank you. FYI: I use vinegar instead bleach for my whites when doing laundry. It works vey well.
Let us know how it goes!
Vinegar does work well for many rusty tools and as well on cast iron cookware. I dilute mine to about 70% vinegar 30% water and I save it to use over and over again, just mark the container you keep it in. I'm certain if you want a 100% solution as you noticed it worked quite well.
Tom Eddy Thanks Tom. Can I ask why you dilute it? I am not a scientist so I’m always looking to learn from others.
@@TightWadDIY 1st you're welcome. I was told by another to do this I too am not a scientist although I like science. I followed what this other person said for cleaning up rusty cast iron cookware. The 24 hour soak works well I suppose it saves money not that vinegar is totally expensive. The percentage combination could probably be anything you want it to be. I'm certain the most important factor is to make sure you oil it properly.
Thanks much for the video
My Mom used to say to clean off rusty roofs with vinegar so a person could prep them for painting
I was recently given a bunch of metal roofing for a shed
Very rusty so I think Ill try the vinegar to see how good it does
Be great if it cleans up like the pliers
Stuart Puckett Let us know how it goes!
Heard it's great for cleaning the oils off new metal sheets too. Thanks for reminding me
Word of warning since you mentioned it was for a shed roof: be careful where you are using vinegar. Vinegar will kill/damage plants.
I found a pocket knife covered in rust. I just took it apart and going to go out and get some white vinegar. Thanks for this video. Definitely helps and looking forward to the results imma get.
I hope it turns out great! If it’s a nice quality knife try soaking it for 30 min at a time.
I've been using vinegar on rusty tools for years. It works great.
bill johnson Thanks for the confirmation. I love that you can reuse it also!
My sheet metal worker father had me clean metal with vinegar before painting, work s great.
HI all - here's a follow-up to putting vinegar over my father's rusted tools. They were so rusted that I couldn't even upon them up - plyers and wrenches. I soaked them for 5 days. They all turned black and then I used some light sand paper in between the tight areas. I then used a rag to wipe off the oxidation as my work gloves turned black.
After the clean up, all the tools were operational but black in color. This video saved me from junking my dads old tools.
That’s great news! I’m glad they are all working again.
TightWadDIY Saved me some money too as I didn't have to go buy new ones!
Lemon juice also works.
Have restored many tools that people were throwing out because they were totally frozen with rust using lemon juice.
Definately will try Vinegar though.
Wow that’s exactly what I needed to see for my fishing pliers also awesome video
Thanks!
Phosphoric acid works well on rust.
Auto part stores sell expensive little bottles($12),
but paint supply stores sell by the gallon cheap($18).
(Sherwin Williams)
If you do old car restoration removing rust, check paint stores first.
Spray on rust , 24 hrs later it's black metal.
Wayne Gacy II Thanks for the info.
So that's why Coke & Pepsi work as well ... the phosphoric acid. Hmmmm. Obviously cheaper to buy at the paint store.
Great tip, I use a wire wheel then soak them in oil, that works well also.
Yep! Both ways can be effective!
With it vinegar or after , applying baking soda will work....and you don't have to to wait all That time.
Are you sure? Because baking soda neutralizes vinegar. I put salt in the vinegar.
Citric Acid . I've soaked stuff in an old bath. Works in cold water- weather all year round.
Jim Anderson in Florida where rust is king, salt life. citric acid is good,pure lemon juice works for rusr it leaves a black coating if put in sun to dry..
Scott Co
Make sure to use backing soda and water mix to neutralize the acid in the vinegar.
Thank you so much. I'm a widow and a lot of my husband's tools got rusty. Great info. Got some work to do.😁
Debbie Lizotte Try just an hour at a time in the rust. It should work pretty well.
Hey, thanks for this video! About to clean my tools. It’s nice I don’t have to spend a lot of money to clean them.
Great! It’s so easy and produces great results.
My husband and I bought some very old, very rusty tools from an estate sale last week, I tried this and it worked great! I actually just finished cleaning them up. After getting all the crud off, some of the old wrenches say Ford so that's cool! What should I use to oil them? I know nothing about tools and have no idea what to use. Thanks for the video, helped a lot!
Dana Hall That’s great! I’m glad it worked for you and very cool that you found some Ford tools. I used 3 in 1 oil but any oil should do the trick. Many people opt to spray paint their tools instead. It protects them better over longer periods of time. I just prefer the bare metal look. Storing them in a climate controlled area helps rust from returning also.
@@TightWadDIY Thank you so much! I prefer the bare look so I'll get some of that oil, I would hate to spray paint them and not like it. We wont be using these tools, just thought they were cool and you could tell they were super old. Thanks again for the video and replying back to my question, I really appreciate it!
❤ the informative humor! Some people are just meant to make videos 👍
I placed 3 pliers in a clear solo cup and filled it with 9% vinegar, within hours black metal was being exposed where rust build up had spread. I'm going to try this method on a pole chain saw blade with a rust point tomorrow. Thanks so much for sharing this valuable information. Enjoy the glory you give to God brother.
Pedro PAC Collazo It worked way better than I expected! God Bless.
If you only have a small amount of vinegar, soak a paper towel in it and then wrap your rusty tool in it and then in a plastic bag. It uses much less. When you have cleaned the tool of rust, soak another paper towel or a rag in oil and wrap the tool in it and put it away.
Logotha Ironsides I like that idea. That is a true TightWad solution. I know others have commented they leave their vinegar in a plastic tub so they can store it and use it as needed. That way you only have to buy it once.
What kind of oil do you recommend?
Thanks for showing us this test. Really helpful information.
You can further protect them from rust by keeping them a air tight plastic sandwich/freezer type bag after use.
Electric Not a bad idea for a tackle box.
@@TightWadDIY Probably it is bad. Once you use them they will be wet (possibly with salty sea water). Better they dry and rust slowly rather than marinate in sealed wet bag (should be a recipe for disaster).
What do you oil the tools with after cleaning? I have a small tool box full of rusted tools. Gonna do this!
I used 3in1 oil.
Wow! The vinegar worked on super old rusted tools! Thank You!
I have the same pair of pliers and they're rusted so I'm going to try the same message you did and hopefully it works
Thank you it helps i bought different tools 50 percent but all rusty and i fallowed your video and it looks new now 👍👍👍
That’s great! I’m glad it worked for you.
The small wire brushes at the paint store work well too.
Ross Mennie They sure do. I tried to stick to things people already have around the house for this video.
That black patina (which is a different type of oxide) might look ugly but it actually protects the metal against rust.
Ummm not really. But understand your point
That is fantastic, my Dad's tools have some rust so this looks great but some of the tools are large so wonder how I will soak them?
Southern Gentleman You could use a plastic tote.
Ok, I went out and bought a lot of vinegar today, filled a dish and dropped in the tools, currently marinating in the tool shed, will see what happens tomorrow.......
Southern Gentleman I can’t wait to hear how they turn out!
Great video! What kind of oil did you use? Thank you!
I used 3in1 oil but any type should work.
@@TightWadDIY Thank you.
need to use baking soda and water to soak after vinegar. to neutralize the acid from the vinegar. you can find this on other youtube videos about soaking in vinegar
More expense! Back off already!
Bob Haddock While necessary with many acids, I don’t think it’s completely necessary with vinegar.
Don't rinse with water when done, just dry with cloth or paper towel, then air dry and oil. Also, rather than a toothbush, you can use a small wire brush to get the stubborn bits off.
FRED BEBAR Thanks for adding valuable tips.
Put some desiccant packages in your tackle box and it will chase away the moisture that caused it. You can also put some Damprid in some cheese cloth and use that... (Don't touch Damprid with your hands.) if you do wash it off immediately
Definitely not a bad idea.
I've restored several rusty hand saws with this. Remove the handle and soak overnight in vinegar. Most of the rust will fall off. Give the blades a rub with some Emory cloth and attach the handle.
Craig Mouldey It works really well and is totally safe unlike many other products.
@@TightWadDIY For certain vinegar is one of those products we should always have on hand. I would include apple cider vinegar for internal consumption. Organic of course.
Craig Mouldey Bragg!
Idk how much of a difference it would make as I cleaned old, HEAVILY tarnished brass (as opposed to steel) window latches and a piece of corroded, solid beaten copper, but try adding salt to the vinegar, about 1 tablespoon salt per cup of vinegar. The brass didn't come out mirror shiny and gold (I suppose it would have to be polished again) but they did come out clean. It cleaned it so well that not only did the vinegar turn murky, there was about 2" of disgusting looking reddish-brown foam floating on top as if it had been boiled off. No toothbrush was even necessary.
I be a DOCTOR Very interesting. I will have to give it a shot.
I used the vinigar and it worked well. Also could not get it 100% clean but a 100 x better.
Gerrie Geldenhuys You can always put it back into the vinegar after brushing off the first layers to continue cleaning.
Note:
Not all white vinger is the same strength. Some seems to be more acadisic.
I used the walmart store brand white vinger that comes in a plastic gallon jug.
I had a severely rusted hunting knife.
I socked it in white viniger for several days. The vinger turned black as well as the knife.
I rinsed the knife under water and wiped it clean with a paper towel.
Then I oiled it it back up good and now it works great!
Did you use cleaning vinegar?
Saved a bunch of t shirts that smell from perspiration. Soaked them overnight in a cup of white vinegar in a gallon of water then washed them normally. Smells gone..I guess the vinegar kills the bacteria that gives of the odour when wet..amazing nothing else worked.👍
Vinegar works for some odors, a long soak in borax solution for others (most). Best bet is borax soak, normal wash after with vinegar added to rinse cycle. Drying in bright sunlight helps very much.
@@jeffnorbert1871 UV from the sun is a powerful disinfectant and will bleach your whites.
Can’t wait to try this with my dad’s old tools - some of which were made of quality carbon steel
I would love to see the results!
I normally use cider vinegar to do this. Allow the tool to soak for one or even two days. Clean and then make sure to oil the metal well as the vinegar removes any oil on the finish and it will rust quickly if not re-oiled.
71160000 That’s great. I’m glad we use the same process. I used 3:1 oil on these and they still look great two years later.
No mystery here. Vinegar is a mild acid. Works great on any organics too. Like bubble gum or candy in carpet or upholstery.
The Artful Dodger Thanks for sharing. It’s also great to wash towels in if they start smelling like mildew.
Baking soda and vinegar are amazing house cleaners and tend to be my go tos for most things
Agreed!
Thx! Glad to have found this video. I found a few shovels that have been thoroughly neglected. I'll find a good-sized bucket and try this.
Cheryl Campbell That sounds like a good plan! Let us know how they turn out.
The vinegar should also add a protective patina to the tool, which is why it looks black now. But it still needs oil or some other protection.
I keep a Rubbermaid tote out back of my shop on a stand I whacked together from wooden shipping crates. It has 2 gallons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) in it. When I have something rusty, like parts, tools, hardware, etc, I just throw them in there for a day or so. A good wire brushing (sometimes just a wipe with your hand), a swish in the rain barrel, and it's ready to paint. Dry and paint *immediately* as the steel is so virgin it will flash rust. I have a couple of steering arms sitting in my shop that I ACV'd about 6 years ago and painted. They still look like brand spanking new.
42lookc I like the idea of the tub. I agree with painting some things. I prefer oiling tools. Both are great methods.
This is something all Ford owners need to watch.
And Mazda
@@matthewbailey2013 Very true, and I believe they partnered for a while so you're correct sir.
FYI, Ford uses aluminum, and if you haven't heard yet, GM has also started using aluminum in their trucks.
@@whataboutbob9786 FYI Ford Guy, Ford only started using aluminum in about the last few years. Aluminum corrodes, basically the same way as steel rusts. 4 year old Fords with paint bubbling and peeling because of corrosion. Chunks of steel rotting like cancer within 6 years. I make a living at a Ford Bodyshop restoring those piles of crap. What now?
Put it for 2-3 days and then use a steel brush on a drill and you'll get an almost new tool. I've done it many times with tools worse than these pliers.
Leane Garden Great tip. For heavy rust, I suggest 24 hrs, clean some of the rust then back in the same vinegar bath for another day to finish it off.
poop
What kind of vinegar
@@TightWadDIY i left my pliers in vinegar for 2 weeks and they literally fell apart, I believe 2 weeks is a bit too long
Vinegar's good for all kinds of things esp metals/minerals.
Diane Greene Very true.
Hi.....what kind of oil do you use after?
Straight water works great. After all, it’s water ( in essence),, that makes rust. An old farmer taught me that, in 1983. Has worked many times, for me.
What if I can't submerge the tool into vinegar? I have a long rusty pipe-like thing, and I'm not sure what is the most effective way to remove its rust.
Cool, cheaper than apple vinegar. I have hundreds of vintage craftsman sockets and wrenches. Hope this works, been rusted for years.
Sir good video....
Sir i have encountred with a issue.so need your guidance
Issue : I have tried and dip my rusty iron items in simple vinegar liquid.....after 24 hours or 36 hours when i remove out the rusted item from the vinegar solution all.the.rust is seen as removed from the metal.part..however after few minutes when the vingar.solution drys again the rusting appear on the exposed surface.and whithin half an hour a golden thin skin/ small pacthes of rust appear on the few places...
May plz guide why.these incident happen ....neither i uses water in this process ..so what the reason of light corrison patches coming again...and what are the remedies....i have occasionally seen the same issue whenver i repeat the above process on different occasions...
Jerry Stout...True..just sharing some info. Thanks for the reply. Best to you and yours.
Hey man, I love your humor. Good tip
Haha. I appreciate that. You should consider subscribing!
trying this out now on a toolbox that got left out in the rain - tools are cheap, but still good for what I use them for (mostly related to external amateur radio, antennas,etc) - will be interesting to see how it goes, great video tho - thank you :)
Let me know how it goes! You can try just an hour at a time in the vinegar.
@@TightWadDIY leaving it for 24 - some of that rust looks pretty gnarly :D
Next video: 'how to catch a fish with some pliers' :-)
I have used vinegar before and it works well. Had some VERY rusty front discs and I thought, why not. It will dissolve the cat iron! LOL, so do NOT do it with cast iron.
Rat Builder Oops! Haha. Thanks for sharing that.
My great grandfather’s crosscut saw has over 100 years of rust and I can’t get the handle clamp off because the male and female threads are bonded. Will this help?
2:11 That joke came out of nowhere, had me dying 🤣.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the great video.
You’re welcome!
Any vinegar?
LUV ! Your HUMOR !
My pleasure.
Vinegar and baking soda works very good combo.
Yep!
do i need distilled vinegar? or common home vinegar will work?
Feitan Portor either will work.
Is it ok to use brass brush? or steel? Thank you!
I’m sure that would he fine.
Did you try running the vinegar through panty hose and use it for cucumber sauce?
When I was in the army, after a day on the ranges I once had to clean a tripod -mounted General Purpose Machine Gun that had fired well over a thousand rounds when it was being used in a the Support Fire role.
It was great fun, but cleaning the heavy encrustations of carbon off of the barrel, gas cylinder and plug, breech block etc was long and dreary.
An old sweat told me to get some vinegar from the cooks, and the carbon came off ten times easier!
I had to keep it on the down low, as the armourers didn't like it, claiming the acid was bad for the parts.
Sounded like ballox to me, a little wet rag washes it off, then a wipe with a little oiled flannel. which should always be done anyway.
Later in life, when I was doing a de-coke on my car, or had a sticky, coked up ERG valve, a little vinegar saved a lot of trouble ( and the cost of a new ERG valve.
Jay Igaboo Vinegar is a great, mild acid so it’s perfect for many cleaning tasks. You could always neutralize it with baking soda when you are done if you are worried about prolonged damage. I’ve even heard Windex can be used to neutralize it.
@@TightWadDIY Aye, that makes sense, but I just wash it away if I have enough water. Often in my military days, as an infantryman in limited water situations, I kept the water for myself. I bit of dry 4"x2" cotton flannel from my cleaning kit was all I'd spare until I had the chance to clean things properly.
If I'd been on active service, ( I never was, bar a few uneventful days) a clean and therefore less likely to jam weapon is much more important than questionable wear that might occur over years,
We always, ALWAYS returned weapons to the armoury wiped clean and lightly oiled.
Talking of vinegar and cleaning, our washing machine was cleaning our clothes but there was un unpleasant smell to them.
I found black sludge under the seal, which I removed, but which left stains on the drum seal, which stains were the mycellia (roots) of a fungus.
A cup of vinegar into the washing machine and a short wash cycle with no washing in cleared all the smelly stuff in the piping and trap, and I smeared the seal with vinegar and left it for a day to kill the fungus. Worked a treat, and saved me an expensive repair, as the fungus would have rotted the door seal.
We used to take the GPMG into the showers with us after an FTX while on course. When you're putting so many rounds down range you're using lots of gun oil on the block to keep it functioning, and of course, you inevitably get the pig dirty. I recall a lad one day brought out engine degreaser and used it on his mags for his rifle, stripped the bluing right off.
Thinking about trying vinegar on a cva inline muzzle loader inside the bore. It's rusted from top to bottom on inside... grrr
Thanks! I'm going to try this tomorrow!
KT Kitty Good! It works great.
Does the vinegar also blue the metal ?
Just thinking.
Charles C. Plumley It did. If you only left it for an hour or so it shouldn’t blue it.
Great video. Do you think it will work with rusted drill bits and also what oil do you use after you clean the rust off?
luchforte Absolutely! I used 3 in 1 oil but I think any oil will do.
@@TightWadDIY Thanks for quick reply.
Very good video , thank you !
Glad you liked it!
Also.. after soaking.. could you get more of the rust off with a little baking soda or Comet??!!
Could you please do a video on “Sharpening Garden Tools” .. Thank You!!🙌🤗
HISIAM888RUHIS888 Baking soda would help to neutralize the acid and a paste could help polish or remove stubborn spots.
Does apple cider vinegar work also?
It should work the same.
@@TightWadDIY awesome thank you!
Great and easy way to clean tools. Thank you
Poo Headd Agreed and you are welcome.
What oil do you use after?
grizz tough I just used a simple 3-in-1 oil.
Wondering if boiling vinegar soak
is faster.
Nice!! Exactly what I was looking for, appreciate it.
Thanks for the tip about not using the toothbrush to clean my teeth. Good call
You are welcome. Tips from the pros!
thx ima use this on my longboard it a bit rust on the side i was thinking of using rubbing alochal but viniger works and a toothbrush thxs
Thanks for the tip brother!
You are welcome!