If there is one enemy common to all your kitchen knives, it is rust !
Contrary to popular belief, the appearance of rust on a knife is not a sign of poor quality. It is simply a natural phenomenon that is favored by certain factors such as washing and humidity.
Indeed every knife can rust, and some knives like those in carbon steel will be a little more sensitive to rust than others, but you just have to be a little more careful during maintenance (hand wash and wipe the knife immediately after use, for example).
Many people think their knives are ruined as soon as they see a few spots of rust . But rust can be cleaned perfectly, especially when it is just beginning to appear on the blade.
But before talking about the solutions, we must address the issue of knife prevention.
Water and humidity are the main causes of rust, which is why you should never leave your knives in the sink for too long and avoid washing them in the dishwasher. Always dry your steel knives thoroughly after washing and you won't have rust problems.
What solutions to remove rust?
Now let's see some tips for cleaning rust on a kitchen knife :
1. Baking soda
Baking soda has the particularity of being able to clean a lot of things and fortunately, rust is one of them! Cleaning rusted knife blades with baking soda paste is a proven reliable method for many types of knives. It is therefore a very simple process that you can use for your rusty knife.
What you need:
- Water
- Baking soda
- Toothbrush
- Sponge
- Steel wool
- Tissue
How to proceed :
- First clean your knife and wipe it with a cloth.
- Make a baking soda paste: Simply pour a generous amount of baking soda into a bowl and add water or lemon juice. Stir until it forms a paste.
- Scrub the blade: Here, the toothbrush comes in very handy. Apply the thick paste to a toothbrush and brush generously onto the blade. But remember, you can only scrub with a toothbrush if the rust isn't too severe or hasn't set in.
- Scrub with steel wool: If the blade is extremely rusty, you will need something that provides more abrasion to remove it. Steel wool is a perfect candidate for this job, but remember that it can damage your blade if you rub too hard.
- Rub with a sponge: Another less damaging way to clean the blade of rust is to rub it with a slightly abrasive sponge.
- Wipe the blade: Finally, remove the baking soda from the blade using a cloth.
2. With a potato
It may sound funny, but it works.
Raw potatoes contain starch and oxalic acid, which will act as a rust remover on the blades. This method is the easiest of all, which is great if you don't have a lot of time to spend cleaning rust.
What you need:
- raw potato
- Cloth
How to proceed :
- Stick the rusty knife into a potato.
- Leave it like that for a few hours.
- Remove the knife.
- Rinse the juice off the blade.
- Dry the blade with a clean cloth.
Another method: rub the blade of your knife with a potato cut in half then dry your knife with a cloth.
3. With oil
Applying a light oil that does not stain or dry out metal components on a blade can remove light rust stains.
What you need:
- Oil
- Tissue
- Steel wool
How to proceed :
- Apply the oil: Take a clean cloth and apply a thin layer of oil directly to the blade. Use a very small amount of oil as it can attract dust.
- Let the knife rest for two or three days. The oil will soak into the blade and loosen the rust spots, making them easier to remove.
- After three days, take a piece of steel wool and carefully remove the rust.
4. With lemon and salt
The combination of the acidity of lemon and the abrasiveness of salt can be very effective in completely removing small rust stains.
What you need:
- Lemon
- Salt
- Steel wool
- Tissue
How to proceed :
- Cover the rusty areas of the blade with salt and squeeze the lemon juice all over the salt layer.
- Let the knife soak in the mixture for about 2 hours.
- Then rub the blade with a piece of steel wool to remove the stains.
- Rinse the knife with lukewarm water and dry it with a clean cloth.
5. With vinegar and coarse salt
Soak a cloth in white vinegar and rub the blade of your knife with...
You can also mix white vinegar with coarse salt and then dip the blade in the mixture. A gas formation will appear on the blade, gently rub your knife with a sponge, then rinse and dry it!
Finally, never leave your knife underwater for a long time; humidity can be the main reason why your knives rust.
