How to remove rust stains from metal chairs
Q: I left a metal chair on pavers and now there are rust stains. How can I remove them?
A: From the picture you sent, it appears you have concrete pavers. There are rust removers safe to use on concrete, such as Super Iron Out Rust Stain Remover and CLR Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover. But the coloring in concrete pavers is iron oxide, also known as rust. So if you try to remove the stains, you will also be removing color from the pavers. Manufacturers of both of these products warn against using them on pigmented concrete.
It’s safest just to leave the pavers as-is.
Because some of your pavers are fairly light colored, if you cringe at leaving the stains and would rather bleach both the rust and the pigment from the affected pavers, try applying a paste made of Bar Keepers Friend, sold along with cleansers in grocery stores. It contains oxalic acid, which also works against iron oxide, so it is likely to bleach the pavers, but using this product would save you from buying a big bottle of a cleaner that you have no other use for. And by mixing the powder and water into a paste, you could spot-treat just the pavers that need it. Apply the paste, wait a few minutes, scrape off as much as you can, then thoroughly rinse the whole area with plenty of water.
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I have Silestone countertops in my kitchen. There are Super Glue spots on the surface, as well as Super Glue spots that smeared when someone tried to clean it up quickly, making a dull streak. The marks wouldn’t show in a photograph, but when you look at the countertops at certain angles, you can definitely see the spots and dull streaks. Are there any products that will take this off so that the surface will shine again?
If the dull streaks are smeared Super Glue and not damage to the surface, you may be able to remove them. Jessica Ned, a customer service representative for Silestone (866-801-2425; www.silestoneusa.com), recommends trying to scrape off the remaining glue with a razor blade held at a low angle, so it doesn't dig into the surface. Then wash with dish soap and water.
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If that doesn’t work, you might try using acetone, which softens or dissolves Super Glue. However, if acetone is left on Silestone — a manufactured countertop product that consists mostly (94 percent) of natural quartz, plus polyester resins — for more than a couple of minutes, it can damage the surface, leaving it hazy and whitish, Ned said. So if you try this, apply the solvent to just a small area, scrape with an angled razor blade and immediately wash the surface thoroughly to remove the solvent residue. If the razor blade picks up gunk, this treatment is probably working, so proceed to treat another small area. Just be careful not to tackle too much at once.
If the razor blade isn’t scraping off any glue, abandon this treatment. You risk making the problem worse. In this case, the dullness probably isn’t glue residue; it’s more likely to be shallow scratches caused by the earlier cleaning attempts. “Unfortunately, that damage is permanent,” Ned said.
Have a problem in your home? Send questions to localliving@washpost.com . Put "How To" in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo.
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