Horticultural vinegar for rust removal?

Hi all - has anyone here tried using horticultural vinegar to remove rust?

Normal cooking vinegar is <=5% acetic acid; the horticultural variety is available with up to 20% acetic acid (gloves, mask, and goggles territory). Home Depot actually shows one at 30% but they do not carry it in stores. :blink:

Normal vinegar will remove a certain amount of rust but this sounds like it would be very effective on the heavy stuff. I may just get some and try it on principle.

Any vinegar will work. The higher the acid the better it works. Just remember it's acid....if left too long it will " clean" too well. What are you cleaning rust off of???? I cleaned a Nazi coin in a vinegar / water / salt solution and a variable power supply.........came out like new

Vinegar, water, and salt is what I used on my gravel driveway to kill weeds...I hate weeds on my driveway for some reason...

I use Apple Cider Vinegar with good success, Cleaned my '78 1000 B2 tank like new. It did take a couple soaks with fresh vinegar and about a week but turned out great.

I have used brown vinegar on my petrol tank. It works very well. When finished,you must flush with washing soda to neutralize the vinegar.Rinse it all out then a quick squirt of WD40 to stop the flash rust and Bobs your uncle,Fannies your aunt.

Why bother with vinegar? Phosphoric acid is a superior product for derusting. That's what the pro's use. It leaves behind a phosphate coating which retards flash rusting on rinsing as well. Save it and reuse again and again.

Nessism is right,phosphoric acid is the best way to remove any kind rust and it leaves behind a zinc coating on the inner tank surface.
Before you use any kind of acid and a better effect,you have to degrease the inner tank surface with a strong soapy degreaser
like Marine Clean to remove cracked fuel and dirt layers that protect the rust of any kind of chemical acid reaction.
Wear safety glasses and gloves, it will be remove your finger prints!!!




The rust remover



Michael

TwoCam wrote: What are you cleaning rust off of????

Nothing in particular. I saw an article a few days ago about a vendor who was selling horticultural vinegar as a herbicide, but got dinged for not having the license/permit to do so. I hadn't heard of it before and it seemed like a reasonable rust remover.

Nessism wrote: Why bother with vinegar? Phosphoric acid is a superior product for derusting. That's what the pro's use. It leaves behind a phosphate coating which retards flash rusting on rinsing as well. Save it and reuse again and again.

So what if I "bother" with it? I am fully aware there are lots of rust-removing solutions out there, acidic and otherwise. I was asking about this specific product because I was not familiar with this specific product and was curious if anyone had any experience with this specific product. See the pattern?