Need to remove rust on vinyl siding

Letter 28059

Need to remove rust on vinyl siding

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Wanting to get rust stains off my chimney that the metal is started to run rust down the side of the house in the front. I heard that will will manatic acid is that true and will I need to get a professional to do the work or will that work with just a hose spraying it off... I have a light beige vinyl siding ... thank you.

Deborah Large
homeowner - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Should I read here, Muriatic Acid [link is to product info at Amazon] (hydrochloric acid) instead of manatic acid? This will work most likely, as might citric acid. You would want to be careful your siding is not damaged, and so might want to try a small spot first. Rust is basically iron oxide, and that is attacked by a number of acids. The trick is to find the simplest and safest one that is effective and that does not attack the siding. I would try citric acid first, and then hydrochloric, though the latter is likely much easier to work with! Rubber protective gloves [link is to product info at Amazon], and avoiding the fumes, etc., are in order.

Vincent E. Summers
- Charlottesville, Virginia

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An easy and safe way to get rid of "rust" stains on vinyl siding is to use "Lime-A-Way [link is to product info at Amazon]" cleaner. I worked as a maintenanceman for a local mobile home sales company and one of my responsibilities was to pressure wash the houses and keep the rust stains off. All of the houses used vinyl siding. For regular cleaning, use a diluted solution of chlorine bleach and water (about 1 in 10 parts). Bleach is a surface tension inhibitor (lubricant). Any built up dirt will run off of the vinyl siding within 2 to 3 minutes, then just spray fresh water on the siding. The rust stains are not real rust, but lime deposits. I spray the deposits with Lime Away and the deposits will dissolve within 1 or 2 days.

Raymond Bliss
- Jacksonville, Florida

Ed. note: You're experienced at it, Raymond, and if it works, it works. But we have a hard time agreeing with you that the deposits are lime.

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I have been watering my yard and not even caring about the well water hitting the siding on my garage and side of my house. I've read that possibly Lime Away for a form of citric acid or hydrochloric acid might work. How would I apply these solvents and is there something in a name brand available that might be easier on me?
thanks a lot in advance!

Ted Trulley
- Mokena, Illinois

July 18, 2008

I have spent all week trying to get the rust off my vinyl siding and finally found the magic. It's called RustAid by WM Barr and Co. Spray it on in a sprayer straight and the rust is gone in minutes. Then just hose it down. It took a Gallon to do 2 sides of the house. It comes in a maroon container.It is in with the heavy household cleaners. There is also one for indoors that is in a quart bottle.I tried Clorox straight and CLR and Limeaway but it didn't budge the rust. This RustAid is awesome.

MaryBeth Ruger
- Virginia Beach Virginia

July 27, 2009

I purchased an expensive vinyl siding rust remover and a bottle of "CLR". Neither one worked....at all!
By chance I bought a bottle of "The Works" at the dollar general store because it said it will remove rust from toilets. What did I have to lose? Just $1.
I was pleasantly surprised. It removed the rust stains on vinyl siding almost instantly. It is 1/5th the cost of "lime-a-way" and "CLR" plus you can cut it to a 50/50 mixture with water and it still works great.
Apply to concrete sidewalks and driveways at 100% concentration and it will clean it to a like new finish.

John Schmitt
- Granger, IN USA

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