Trojan Boat Forum

We left a planter on the counter top, and have a rust stain. What's the best way to remove it?

I see a lot of majic cleaners, etc. advertised, but thought someone here might have a good, honest answer.

Thank you in advance!

rossjo wrote:We left a planter on the counter top, and have a rust stain. What's the best way to remove it?

I find the Mr. Clean magic sponge works on almost everything @home or @boat.

Rub a lemon and salt on it

I've used "Rust Out" Its a product in liquid or powder form used to help with stains from private well water. I like the powder. About a teaspoon in a cup of water clears is a good place to start and add more on the 2nd batch if it does not do the job. Don't over-do it though, I've seen it take the other colors with it if you over-use the product.

a moist cotton (almost dry) ball with a few drops of TEA TREE oil works every time. dont rub too hard, but diluted tea tree oil is fantastic around boats. a few drops in stinky bildge water are no match for a few drops of tea tree oil. it kills fungus, mold, mildew and bacteria. it's also great to have in your vessel's medkit.
aaron

The magic sponge eraser does wonders all around the boat. If you need a little more help then use it with some glass stove top cleaner or soft scrub and water.

back to the tea tree oil solution.... my galley area was modified by the previous owner and when i removed the junk he put on, there was stain and varnish on the formica counter top. the moist dry tea tree infused cotton ball took the stuff right off and did not damage the formica counter top. try it in an area that will not show at first to see how your specific counter top will handle it. but like i said, tea tree oil works wonders.
aaron

Locally, Oxalic Acid was recommended - which is the active ingredient in StarBrite Rust Remover.

It can be purchased locally at Ace Hardware as Ace Hardware brand WOOD BLEACH ( this is pure oxalic acid per the label ).

I'll do some experiments with each before cleaning my counters.

Thanks everyone!

Some really good ideas mentioned. I have made note. I have used CLR to remove rust stains and calcium carbonate hard water deposits, might work good for your stain............John

My 76 had a large amount of rust stains all over the bow. I used west marine’s Fiberglass stain remover, it is a gel and works the best. Part# is 364069 12oz jar was $8.99 and it is biodegradable

Ok Aaron,

I wasn't familiar with Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Oil), so I look it up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_tree_oil, and its pretyy interesting.

Not sure what it will do for rust, but might offer some other interestign solutions (such as the bilge).

I had a building with white stone on it. A roof drain dropped rusty on the white stone and left a rust stain all the way down the building. I tried several things and nothing worked. I finally tried Rust Out and it did the job. I don't think I would use it on a counter top though. It is pretty powerful. CLR did not remove the stain. I used Rust Out undiluted.
That Tea Tree idea sounds interesting. I will have to investigate it for different uses for it.

hi reel, hi capt ross.... phil and i are actually reps for Melaleuca products but that's not why i recommended the tea tree oil.... although we do sell some great non toxic/bio friendly products that work wonders around the boat to be sure. i had the melaleuca sitting on the counter of the galley as i was taking off some of the woodwork that the previous owners retrofitted (a bad remodel to be sure). they had some wood work stained and varnished while still attached to the galley counter and when i removed said wood work, the stain and varnish were all over the place. i moistened a cotton ball, put some tea tree oil on the cotton ball and coated the stain and varnish. i let it sit for 5 minutes and then rubbed it off..... no more stain or varnish and the formica was not damaged. i also used it to remove 10 year old paint splatters on the the wood work in the forward cabin. it also took off the crud that was under the fabric covering the salon side coverboards above the windows.
aaron

Aaron, At what concentration is it sold at. I see according to the article on it that it can be harmful if use at furll strength in some cases. It looks like it should be a 5 percent concentration to be effective.

what i do sometimes is use the tea tree oil right from the bottle on a cotton swab and gently dab on the formica the follow up with a moist cotton ball. sometimes i also put the oil on the cotton ball then moisten it with water then ring it out almost dry. try it on an area of the formica that does not show to test for any damage that might occur. DO NOT however use it on plexiglas as it will really do a number on it. i also use a melaleuca product called SOL-U-MEL when i clean the stainless etc on the boat. sometimes right on a swab from the bottle or you can dilute it in a sprayer. i used the spray in the bildge and it took away the funk almost immediately. it also works wonders on interior fiberglass and sprayed on bunks to kill bacteria and mold and mildew. it also gets out glue from tape and de-funks pet stains. most walmarts or health food stores carry it, but, make sure it says PHARMACY GRADE TEA TREE OIL.
only pharmacy grade does not have any additives to it.
let me know if you have any other questions.
aaron