Gardeners have been urged to use a 39p fizzy drink to get their garden rust-free this summer. Experts at Pergolux revealed how you can use common household items to remove rust from garden furniture and tools.
Sam Stevens, garden design expert at Pergolux UK told Good Homes: “A lot of people will be looking at their gardens to get them ready for the brighter and longer days ahead. Garden cleaning doesn’t need to be an expensive job. We all love a cheap and cheerful hack, so whether you’re buffing away stains, achieve a streak-free finish on glass or eliminate rust, you’ll find something in your house.”
One of the best, and cheapest ways to remove rust, is using fizzy drinks.
Fizzy drinks remove rust through a chemical reaction where phosphoric acid converts the rust (iron oxide) into a less harmful iron phosphate compound. This iron phosphate forms a protective layer on the metal, inhibiting further corrosion.
You can use this on everything from rusty tools and furniture, to hinges and the metal parts of your barbecue. Small tools can be soaked in fizzy drinks overnight.
For furniture and other parts of the garden, pour some of the fizzy onto a cloth and wrap it over the rusty area for a few hours or overnight, if needed.
Value brand fizzy drinks can be bought at all major supermarkets with prices starting at 39p for lemonade and 49p for cola in Tesco and Aldi.
Another household item that can be used to clean tarnish and oxidisation is ketchup.
This is great for brass or copper garden décor including patio furniture, garden gates or old metal watering cans.
Simply apply a thin layer of ketchup to the affected area and let it sit for around fifteen minutes before gently scrubbing it away and rinsing with water.