What is the worst thing you had to remove or clean off your knife? The nastiest we have encountered is rust. Fortunately, you can easily clean it off with baking soda that you can find in your kitchen cupboard. Now you may be wondering, “how does baking soda remove rust from knives?”
How Do You Use Baking Soda to Remove Rust from Knives?
Before we tackle the main topic, don’t you think it is helpful to learn more about the reason your knife is rusting? Then, let us start with understanding the nature of rust.
What is Rust, and How Does it Form on Knives?
Rust is simply the common name of iron oxide, the product of oxidation. It happens when air mixes with iron or other metals. Oxidation is not all bad as it also creates a patina that acts as a protective coating on the knife.
However, it may also appear as rust, the reddish-orange flaky stuff you hate to see on your knife or any metal. Rust appears as a reaction of oxygen and air to moisture, even just water in the air.
It appears on your knives when water reacts to the iron in the blade, it all depends on the iron content and amount of water. Knives with high iron content and left out in the rain or water will show some ugly rust spots. If your blades only had limited contact to water, they will likely only have a patina.
What is Baking Soda?
Baking soda is an ingredient often used in baking. However, it is also an all-around cleaner and deodorant. It is a household stay you will find in most kitchens and one of the best materials to fight rust.
How does baking soda remove rust from knives? It is because baking soda is also sodium bicarbonate, which is a salt.
It means that baking soda is slightly basic, the key to the acid-base reaction that makes it an excellent cleaning agent. When baking soda and vinegar are combined, the result is an amazing chemical reaction. That reaction can cut through plenty of nasties, including rust.
Being abrasive, it provides a bit of grit when used as a paste in cleaning your knives. Combined with the acidic property, it does well as a cleaning agent.
Now that you know the answer to how does baking soda remove rust from knives, let’s get to how to do that. In the next section, we will tackle the steps on how to use sodium bicarbonate to clean your kitchen blades.
How to Remove Rust Using Baking Soda
First, gather the materials you will need. These are:
- Your rusty knife
- Baking soda
- Water or lemon juice
- Scrub
- Old toothbrush
Follow the steps below in using baking soda to remove rust from your knife:
1. Clean the Knife
First off, clean the blade of your knife thoroughly. Use a cleaning solution to remove dirt that can interfere with cleaning rust. Remember that water is the cause of rust, so as much as possible, don’t use it. Wipe the cleaning solution off with a cloth.
2. Create Baking Soda Paste
After cleaning your knife, start making a baking soda paste. Pour a good amount of the powder into a bowl. Add either some water or lemon juice. Only a small enough amount that can make the baking soda into a paste after stirring.
3. Scrub it with a Toothbrush
Now, apply the baking soda paste you made liberally across the knife. Leave it there for a few seconds before scrubbing with an old toothbrush. Use this tool if you are only encountering a little bit of rust or one that has not set in yet.
4. Use an Abrasive Scrub or Steel Wool
If your blade is too rusty, you will need more abrasion than the baking soda itself. In that case, use either steel wool or an abrasive scrub. Be careful, if you scrub too much, it can scratch your blade resulting in a ruined finish.
5. Wipe it Clean
After scrubbing the knife, you can now clean off the excess baking powder using a piece of cloth. If you are not satisfied yet with how it looks, you can repeat the process. You can also use mineral oil on the blade to keep it protected from rust.
You may also check the link below to see how to remove rust with baking soda.
Conclusion
Once again, how does baking soda remove rust from knives? The answer lies in the acid-base reaction and its abrasive nature.
Isn’t it so easy? What’s more, you don’t need to buy anything else. Since baking soda is a household product commonly found in the kitchen, you can save money too. So, if you find your knife suddenly developing rust, don’t throw it right away.
There may be a way to save it yet with baking soda and lemon juice. Just remember to:
- Clean your knife
- Make a baking soda paste
- Scrub with a toothbrush or steel wool
- Wipe off clean
What do you think? Did you learn something useful in this post? We hope you do. If you have some trouble with your knife, trying some of our home solutions can be a great idea. But if all else fails, you can always grab a new blade.
Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
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