I was finally able to go outside to finish my front yard cleaned up. Monday and Tuesday were rainy days, but the weather was perfect yesterday. :)
The main goal for the day was getting rid of the rust spots on the concrete. Up close they were looking super disgusting :/
He used these little brushes that you attach to a drill.
And they worked like a charm! What a huge difference it made.
At the bottom of the steps the change was noticeable, but I could still see little rusty speckles that didn't go away with the wire brushing.
Of course, I was not going to be happy until I could eliminate them completely. I searched for possible solutions and this product: The Works, had wonderful reviews. It is a product used to clean toilets, hmmm the reviews were so good I had to give it a try.
I applied it ... Waited 24 hours for the product to do wonders ... kept on checking through the windows for the rusty color to go away ... nothing!
Before going to sleep..... and
...as soon as I woke up the next morning.
nope. Not with the completed 24 hour period. :(
This picture below is after using The Works. It did work on making the concrete a lot cleaner, the color is lighter than before.
But the light rusty spots were still there.
Continuing with my fight, cause I wasn't going to give up that easily, I got my new weapon against rust: CLR. Somebody recommended it to me with a -This IS the product for that- trusty attitude! CLR which Blasts Calcium deposits, Dissolves Lime and Zaps Rust stains... Here we go!
I followed the manufacturer's instruccions and I was happy I didn't have to wait 24 hours to see the results. The problem was.... I was NOT happy with the results! The rust was still there :
I felt defeated. Yes. I kind of like perfection, but that doesn't make me that blind to appreciate the big difference after all.
I haven't finished this battle. Hubby told me he didn't brush the spots that hard. He is going to do it again. :) The wire brushing was what worked best for us.
Have you done this before? What product worked best for you?
Have you tried Wink? I have used it on rust stains on fabric and they vanish. It is toxic so keep it away from children. I hope it works.
ReplyDeleteI know it would dissolve quickly, but Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works on just about everything.
ReplyDeleteWorth a try I guess?
--Katie
I have used The Works with pretty good success. Not perfect but it got rid of the worst of it. I have used it on cleaning rental properties too that had rusty bathtubs, etc. Good luck! xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI have this same problem except mine was from fertilizer that spilt! Grr! I did research online and I hear Muratic Acid is awesome (haven't tried it yet!)
ReplyDeleteI stained my concrete steps and porch
ReplyDeleteI have always always always used Sno-Bol....It is hard to find but it will eat rust like no other cleaner. I used it when we had rust in our water for the toilets and sinks. It works best pouring straight on the rust!! I would empty the water out of my toilets and it would just dissolve...You could try Home Depot, Ace Hardware or a local hardware!! HOpe this helps!!
ReplyDeleteBless your hearts!
ReplyDeleteThe after is so so so much better! Honestly!!!!
I don't have a great solution, but I definitely think it looks better!
ReplyDeleteTry bar keeper's friend. Works on everything!
ReplyDeleteWhy not just buy concrete paint and apply. It will cover the rust & you can choose a color.
ReplyDelete^^ Annette is right. Sno-Bowl toilet cleaner is the best rust remover I've come across. If you have a Publix grocery store close by, they sell it. I clean houses for a living and I have used Sno-Bowl on rust for years. The Works (blue bottle) works well too. I've found that The Works (green bottle) doesn't work that well on rust.
ReplyDelete