Without a doubt, the knife is one of the most important tools in the kitchen. A rusty kitchen knife will not only make it harder to use, but also affect the food.
In this article we go over how to remove rust from at kitchen knife and how to prevent it in the first place.
How to Remove Rust With Citric Acid
In our experience, removing rust with citric acid is by far the easiest method. You can apply it in several ways.
Mix some citric acid with water and boil it. Put your knife in the boiling mixture and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Sometimes it is necessary to use a brush and scrub it a couple of times. Usually you only need to boil it if there is a lot of rust.
Another way is to apply some citric acid on a slightly wet knife and then scrub. Any time you scrub with citric acid (or other grainy things for that matter) you run the risk of leaving marks. This will for most people be a better alternative than a rusty knife, but still something to be aware of. Perhaps you’ll want to use the method above.
How to Remove Rust With Baking Soda
Baking soda is the secret weapon to home cleaning and also works wonders in this case. This method will be suffecient for small amounts of rust.
You want to make a paste with the baking soda by mixing in some water (but not too much!). Apply the paste on the entire knife or just the rusty parts and let it sit overnight or at least for a couple of hours. You can then simply use a brush or cloth to clean off the rust.
How to Remove Rust With Lemon Juice
If you don’t have any citric acid available you can try using salt and lemon (or lime) juice instead.
Wet the kitchen knife with some lemon juice and pour some salt on it. Let it sit overnight or at least for a couple of hours and then use a brush to remove the mixture with.
This method is definitely a second alternative if you can’t do any of the other ways we have described.
Chemical Products for Rust Removal
All the other methods here have made use of easily available items at home to get rid of rust. There are also specific products on the market made for removing rust. Usually they are not any more effective than using the home remedies. We recommended you try some of the other methods first.
How to Remove Rust With Vinegar
Vinegar is extremely effective at removing rust from knives (and most other objects). Let your knife soak in some vinegar overnight. If it is only small amounts of rust, a couple of hours will do. After that you have to thoroughly clean the knife with soap so the vinegar doesn’t remain on it. Sometimes you might need to do it several times.
How to Avoid Rusty Knives in The First Place
The best scenario is avoiding getting rust on your knife to begin with. A few tips can really cut down on how fast (and how much) your knife will rust.
First of all, you can buy knives that are less likely to rust, but replacing all of you knives is not realistic for most. Are you looking for a new knife, however, it might be worth to look for one that is rust resistant.
The number one cause for rusty knives is water. You’ll want to avoid your knives being wet for too long. That means washing it by hand and drying it off right after. A dishwasher will keep the knife wet and it is more likely to rust. Luckily knives are really easy to clean by hand.
Another preventive measure is products specifically made for rust prevention. There are many availabe but make sure you get one that is safe to use with food. We recommended that you still try to take the other precautions.