How to Remove Rust From Cookie Cutters Most Effectively

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Snacks without cookies: unimaginable. Baking cookies and enjoying them with friends and family is one of the most exciting and fun times. But, if you find your cookie cutter rusty while making cookies, your heart will sink deep.

So, you may ask, can you use that rusty cutter? Or, how to remove rust from cookie cutters?

The process is simple yet tricky. Several ways can remove the rust – rub salt and lemon on your cookie cutter or dip it in vinegar. You can also use baking soda, citric acid, or potato-dish soap mix to remove rust from cutters. While all these methods are effective, proper care is always best.

If you want to get precise and explicit instructions, scroll down to continue reading the entire content and make things as straightforward as you prefer.

How To Remove Rust From Cookie Cutters

Rusty cookie cutter is annoying for you and your cookies. It ruins the shape, makes them burned, and results in a horrible baking venture.

However, several ways are there – pretty simple, handy, and quick – that can help you get rid of your cutter’s rust.

Methods To Remove Rust From Cookie Cutters.EffectivenessTime
Baking sodaHigh4-6 hours
VinegarHigh1 day.
Dish SoapMedium-high3-4 hours.
KetchupMedium-high4-5 hours.
Salt & LemonMedium3-5 hours
Citric Acid PowderHigh2-6 hours

Method 1: Soak With Baking Soda

When you want to clean rusty cookie cutters, baking soda comes first. Baking soda is a handy thing that you can use to clean many household items, and removing rust from cookie cutters is one of them. There are different ways to use baking soda; let’s know about the top 3 of them.

Baking Soda & Water

  • First, cover cookie cutters using baking soda and keep them in it for about 3 hours.
  • Then, take a sponge, dip it in water, and scrub the cutters.
  • Now, wash that sponge with water that will help you to remove rust from it.
  • When you complete scrubbing, rinse the cutters in clean and regular water.

Baking Soda & Vinegar

You might be thinking: how does vinegar and baking soda remove rust? Indeed, it’s not just a promising way of rusting off cutters; it’s also practical and viral. To do this-

  • Mix 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup white vinegar.
  • Smear the cutters with that mixture and leave it for 6 hours to soak.
  • Then, rinse the clutters using normal water and get your cutters free of rust.

Baking Soda & Lemon Juice

  • Sprinkle some baking soda and keep cookie cutters for some time.
  • Then, take half of a lemon and rub your cutters.
  • After finishing rubbing, leave it for 4 hours as it is.
  • Next, use a sponge to scrub your cutters to remove the residual rust.
  • Finally, clean your cutters with water and soap.

Method 2: Dip In Vinegar

If you’re worried about how you clean tarnished cookie cutters, a vinegar bath is an excellent method to rest off cookie cutters with ease yet effectively. So, let’s start the process.

  • First, use a big towel to fill it with white vinegar.
  • Leave your cutters in this towel overnight for soaking.
  • Then, take the clutters out from it the next day.
  • Now, remove rust using a toothbrush and wash your clutters. It’ll give you new-like and rust-free cookie cutters.

The method also applies to different types of cullers, including steel, metal, and copper.

Method 3: Dish Soap & Potato Combo

Like the above methods, this one is also good to apply.

  • To start with, take a potato, grate, and squeeze it.
  • Make a mixture of 2 tablespoons of dishwashing soap and the juice you get from the potato.
  • After mixing them well, it’s time to soak your cutters using this mixture.
  • Leave the cutters in the mix for 3 hours, then scrub them to remove rust.
  • Finally, rinse them nicely and get rust-free cutters.

Method 4: Clean With Ketchup 

It’s comparatively more straightforward than others on the list. But, it works effectively to clean rusty cutters. Moreover, this one is the single and proven method when you need to clean the antique piece of cookie cutters.

Let’s see what this procedure includes-

  • Cover the cutters with ketchup and leave it for about 5 hours.
  • Then, wipe the covered ketchup off the cutters using a towel.
  • Use dishwashing soap to wash your cutters and get them with no more rust.

Method 5: Salt & Lemon Mix

Last of all, we’re with another superficial rust removal method that requires half a lemon and some salt. When you have these things on your hand, why don’t you try removing rust from your cookie cutter with them first?

  • Dip the sliced piece of lemon in salt, and rub it on the rusty cutters.
  • Once the salt gets melted, retake the salt on the lemon.

By repeating the process, you can remove the rust entirely. Thus, you’ll find the rust of the cutters is coming out.

Method 6: Citric Acid Powder

Using citric acid with warm water is one of the safest and quickest ways to remove your cookie cutter’s rust.

  • Take a container and put the cookie cutter inside it.
  • Fill the pot with warm water.
  • Sprinkle some citric acid powder, stir the mixture, and wait a few minutes.
  • If bubbles emerge, the powder has started its work. However, add some more to the pot if you don’t see any bubbles.
  • Usually, it takes 2 to 4 hours; however, if your cutter is heavily rusted, you may soak it overnight.
  • After soaking them thoroughly, scrub them to remove all the rust.
Why Your Cookie Cutters Become Rusty

All cookie cutters are different because the manufacturers use different materials to make them. But, steel is the standard material of most cookie cutters. Like all other steel-made products, sometimes cookie cutters also become rusty. Many people throw out their rusty cookie cutters.

But, they never think: why do cookie cutters rust? It’s a good question, and the reasons are worth knowing. Moisture and water are the most common reasons for rusty cutters. Typically, it happens when you keep your cutters wet – without drying – right after washing them.

Similarly, if you store the cutters in a damped place, they become rusty. Indeed, the cutters get rusty when they come to contact with moisture. Then, it spreads up and affects new areas of the cutters and makes the cutters completely rusty faster.

If you leave them unnoticed, they become weaker and break-prone at last. If you’re experiencing this issue, you can apply the above methods for optimum results.

Are Old Cookie Cutters Safe To Use

If you are a cookie lover, your cookie cutters are your cherished tools. But, when they get, do they remain safe to use?

Well, if your old cookie cutter is food-grade safe, you can use them. However, once they are incredibly rusty, you must change them with new ones. Rusty and broken cookie cutters can lead to burned, deformed, and contaminated cookies.

So, it’s time for new cookie cutters. However, finding the best cookie cutters to meet your needs is tricky.

No issues; we have done the vast online research to provide you with the perfect ones. So, take a look at the best cookie cutters below. 

Product Name

Pros

Cons

1. Wilton Cookie Cutter Set

  • Large range of designs
  • BPA-free
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Not sharp enough
  • Small in sizes

2. Ann Clark Cookie Cutter Set

  • Food-grade steel
  • Sharp blades
  • The USA company
  • Just Christmas themes are available.
  • Not suitable for dishwasher

3. Fox Run 3683 Dog Bone Cookie Cutter Set

  • Available in different sizes
  • High-quality materials
  • Equipped with a storage tin
  • Just one design
  • Only three cutters in a set

4. Homy Feel Round Cookie Cutter Set

  • Rustproof
  • Finger protection
  • Available in many sizes
  • Circles only
  • Not durable enough

5. Topenca Supplies Square Cookie Cutter Set

  • Innovative design 
  • Useful storage tin
  • Variety of sizes
  • Not sharp enough
  • Five pieces of cutter in a set
Why Should You Keep Your Cookie Cutters Clean & Dry

It would be best to keep your cookie cutters clean and dry before using them for a long time. If you mistake storing them correctly, the cutters can be rusty. Once it starts to build up rust, it’s almost not resistible.

Still, you can remove it as you already know how to remove rust from cookie cutters. However, it’s only possible to remove rust if you notice them at the early stage. As a result, you must keep them clean and dry to avoid potential rust.

FAQ’s:

  • Can I Use My Cookie Cutters With Rust?

No, using your rusted cookie cutters isn’t safe. Rusty cookie cutters can cut cookies with contaminated metal dust, which is unsafe for your health. Similarly, old cookie cutters do the same thing, so you should avoid them.

  • Can My Stainless Steel-Made Cookie Cutters Be Rusted?

No, typically, cookie cutters that have made from rigid stainless steel material would not rust. They go under a unique manufacturing process that makes them rust-resistant. But, they’re also at risk of rusting if they frequently come in contact with acidic fluids such as lemon juice and vinegar.

  • Which Cookie Cutters Are Better Among Metal & Plastic?

It must be metal cookie cutters because they come with high-quality material. Also, they’re less break-prone and more durable than plastic cutters. Unlike plastic, metal is rustproof, doesn’t absorb odor, and doesn’t melt by the heat of your oven.

Final Words

Cookies are mouth-watering and finger-licking. But, while making cookies, if you find your cookie cutter is rusty, it’s heartbreaking.

So, how to remove rust from cookie cutters? Well, several methods are there – rubbing salt and lemon, dipping in vinegar, soda, or potato-dish soap mixture, etc.

But remember, those cookie cutters can rust if you don’t store them after cleaning and drying well.

It means they require proper care to use for a long time without rust or breakage. Still, they can start rusting, so you should check them very often and remove their rust by applying the above-said methods.