How to Remove Rust From Cut Steel Jewelry

Cut steel jewelry is difficult to polish and clean because of its many facets. As a result, this type of jewelry is both rare and valuable since much of it has been thrown away over the years as rust made it appear irreparably damaged. If you have cut steel jewelry that has rusted, do not give up hope. With some careful work, you can restore it to its original beautiful luster.

Instructions

1

Combine 1 cup of baking soda with 1/4 cup of vinegar in a bowl. It will make a crumbly paste. Add hydrogen peroxide one tablespoon at a time until you have made a thick, spreadable paste that will not run. Expect some fizzing as you mix.

2

Coat the cut steel jewelry with the cleaning paste. Cover all facets of the jewelry with the paste. Once it is completely covered, let the paste sit on the jewelry for about 15 minutes.

3

Scrub off the paste under warm running water using the baby toothbrush. Do not use anything tougher than a baby toothbrush to clean the jewelry to avoid scratching the finish and making the pieces look dull. The baking soda will not scratch up the finish. Do not expect to get all of the rust off on the first try. You will likely get a lot of flakes of rust off but not all the stains.

4

Reapply the paste. Once you have coated the jewelry, let it sit for another 15 minutes before rinsing. You can repeat this process as many as four or five times until the rust and the stains are all gone.

5

Dry the jewelry thoroughly. Once the rust stains are completely gone, dry the pieces with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth. Make sure they are completely free of moisture before you store them.