Care methods for rust on stainless steel surfaces

To provide good maintenance references and precautions for stainless steel products.

1. When floating rust is generated due to attachment of foreign metal dust:

You can use a sponge or cotton cloth, along with neutral detergent or soapy water, to wipe the rusted part. It is easy to remove the rust, then rinse with clean water. If this level of rust removal is done in a timely manner, not only is maintenance easy and more effective, but also cost-effective.

If left unattended, it will soon form a mixture of iron hydroxide, iron oxide, ferrous sulfide, etc., and present a severe reddish-brown rusted state; in this state, you can use rust removers or dilute nitric acid 15% available on the market to completely remove it.

However, there are also rusts that cannot be removed, and at the same time may also damage the stainless steel surface. In this case, you can use fine sandpaper or a stainless steel brush (generally not recommended) to wipe it, then clean it with a stainless steel rust remover, and finally rinse with clean water.

2. Rust caused by harmful components in the air:

Its state is mostly small spot-like spots, this situation is generally caused by harmful components in the air. If the contamination is slight, it can be completely cleaned with neutral detergent or soapy water; but when it is severe, it cannot be simply treated. In this state, the same maintenance method as in 1. can be used to completely remove it.

According to the different usage environments, it is recommended to do comprehensive regular maintenance work 2-3 times a year, or at least 1-2 times regular cleaning.

3. Rust caused by salt deposits on the surface:

In coastal areas, due to the high salt content in the air and constant erosion by sea breeze, even SUS 304 stainless steel will develop red rust on the surface in a short period of time, and it will rust faster than in other areas. The specific treatment method is the same as in situation 1. The salt content in sea breeze easily damages the passivation film on the surface of stainless steel, leading to localized red rust. Therefore, it is recommended to choose SUS 316L (with molybdenum) stainless steel with better corrosion resistance.

4. Surface rust caused by adhering cleaning liquid:

If neutral detergent cannot clean thoroughly, you can use a cleaning agent to remove it, and then rinse with clean water.

5. Surface rust caused by fingerprints:

If neutral detergent cannot clean thoroughly, you can use a sponge, cotton cloth, or organic solvents (alcohol, acetone, lighter alcohol) to wipe. If this method still cannot completely remove the rust, then use stainless steel cleaning agent for removal. In any case, after using any cleaning method, make sure to rinse with clean water.

6. Surface contamination caused by protective film:

Use a sponge, cotton cloth with water-soluble neutral detergent, or alcohol to wipe. If ineffective, use diluted detergent or lighter fuel to clean, and then rinse thoroughly with clean water.