I’M JUST CURIOUS: Experimenting

White vinegar is essential for many cleaning jobs.

by Debbie Walker

It finally happened. I got a little too curious! No, I am not trying out a new recipe that just won’t happen. However, I did decide to try something I have written about, without personal experience!

My son-in-law was looking at some old woodworking tools that were just loaded with rust. Before he could put them away again, I asked if I could have them for a couple of days. These were old wood planers he and my grandson were interested in.

I had read about boiling vinegar and soaking the rust covered tools in for overnight. It was interesting to watch for a few minutes. I actually saw rust bubbling off the tools.

The next day there was still a considerable amount of rust so this time I poured room temperature vinegar over them. I didn’t see any rust flaking off the tools this time. The combination did make a big difference and I was able to brush away some of it.

Well, I looked up “Cleaning rusted tools” on YouTube. I found a couple different men talking about using baking soda and lemon juice. Make a paste and spread it over the rusted tool. I was a little disappointed with this application.

But I’m not done yet. I did have a problem when there were no more rusted tools to experiment with. But Deana, my daughter, saved the day. She found an old rusted lawn mower blade. That will do. I still wanted to try a bottle of Coke on the rust. I will let you know how my last test turns out.

A little info:

Most cleaning and laundry chores call for white vinegar. Apple Cider vinegar is a good choice that calls for giving the air a pleasant, apple fresh scent.

Vinegar will tarnish silver. Never soak pearls in vinegar, it will dissolve them. Be careful also with opal, coral or ivory.

If you ever got white-out on your clothes you know its not easy to get it out. A quick dab of white vinegar will melt it away. For the stubborn one reapply or soak for a few minutes. Wish I knew that when I was working in an office!

Remember always be careful. Not all fabrics like things like vinegar!

More than once I have glued my fingers together with super-glue. It’s kind of a scary thing when you are alone and have no idea how to get your fingers free. I wish I had known then to just soak the affected digits in full strength vinegar.

Stripping wallpaper is quite a job, but your helpful item is once again vinegar. 1 cup of vinegar, one tablespoon of liquid detergent. Spray or wipe solution on wall and let set a few minutes. Scrape off.

As usual I am just curious, this time what ya’ll use to clean rust off tools Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with your comments or questions. Have a great week and thanks for reading!

P.S. Joan emailed me with her go-to all time cleaner: one cup clear ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda, one gallon hot water. Mix together and pour into a spray bottle. Thank you, Joan for sharing!