How to get the rusty shower caddy back to its polish version is a commonly asked question. Our shower caddy, which comes from metal instead of plastic, mesh, or stainless steel can get rust easily. The reasons behind rusted shower caddies are improper cleaning and daily water exposure. For the first one, one or two cleaning every month will be enough. But for the water exposure, you can barely avoid it because the caddy is in the bathroom.
However, we still can restore a rust caddy to its original version. In the article below, we will discuss a few ways to get the rust off your shower caddy. These methods are both effective and easy. You can get everything you need at home and start polishing your shower caddy.
1. How Long That You Need To Take Metal To Rust?
Before going into details, let's figure out how long it takes metal to go rust. As far as we know, different types of metal will rust after different periods. Some types can go rust after just 4 to 5 days of exposure to water. Some can take longer. The case we have here will barely exceed one month of daily exposure to water. But in the situation of the shower caddy, you hardly avoid the issue of daily exposure to water, which promotes rust.
However, this problem of rust shower caddy can be improved. There will be some spots in your bathroom that reduce the chances of water exposure. If possible, you can move the caddy to another location for less water contact. From doing so, you can lengthen the period of going rust. Despite this method, it is still impossible for metal not to rust. It is just a matter of time.
2. What Are The Ways To Get Rust Off My Shower Caddy?
Now it is time for our most important part: methods to get the rust off the shower caddy. In this article, we will mainly discuss the ways you can do it at home, manually rather than getting a service or something similar. To our best knowledge, several effective ways to remove the rust are using baking soda, lemon juice and salt,... In the upcoming lines, we will talk through these ways in more detailedly.
Frequent Cleaning On Your Shower Caddy
This is the first and easiest way to keep the rust off your shower caddy and maintain the state. For cleaning, if you are dealing with heavy rust conditions, you may have to use a special cleaning solution, which can be a cleaning liquid for rust metal.
At this step, you can go to the marts, convenience stores, or shopping centers in the housing department for further reference. Or you can search online and find the specialized cleaning liquid for rust metal. A fresh piece of cloth is a must-have. In the early stage, one cleaning per week is suitable. We always encourage this method because your rust shower caddy not only restores the shining version but also maintains it. Hence, we don't see a reason not for this way.
Using Your Cooking Spray
Cooking spray is the next solution you can take as a reference when dealing with a rust shower caddy. Apart from its wonderful function in your kitchen, it can apply to your rust caddy in the bathroom. The cooking spray used can help you remove the soap scum, which contributes a part to your shower caddy going rust. Using cooking spray frequently, including when you clean your shower caddy, will improve the caddy's rust condition significantly. When applying the cooking spray, you will have to do it several times to gain a desirable outcome.
Using Baking Soda
Baking soda is one familiar ingredient, particularly for those who bake. It gives cakes and bread a fluffy texture. Moreover, baking soda has up to 22 benefits such as freshening air, cleaning stains, removing pet or fridge odor, and whitening teeth. There are many other advantages of using baking soda in our daily life.
Baking soda can be used as a rust remover for your shower caddy. The application is simple. When dealing with rust caddies, take your baking soda and mix it with water. As you have a white-colored liquid, gently apply it all over the caddy. Once you have finished this step, wait for a couple of hours. After that, take a soft and fresh piece of cloth to thoroughly clean the caddy. Then, rinse the caddy one more time with water and let it dry.
Taking Lemon Juice And Salt To Clean Up The Rust
Lemon is a common rust remedy that has long gained its reputation. Since it has a high level of acid, it should not be left for too long on your caddy to prevent damage. If you apply lemon juice and salt, make sure you get it to cover all the rust places. Then wait for a few minutes, take the caddy to rinse with water and let dry. If you don't want to use lemon with salt, you can combine the lemon juice with vinegar. The most important thing to remember is to rinse your caddies with water for damage avoidance.
3. How To Keep My Caddy Stay Polish For Longer?
Clear Nail Polish
One tip to keep your metal caddies shining, especially those with numerous curves, is clear nail polish. This is an after-dealing bonus. Once your caddy has been rinsed with water and lets it dry in the open space, take clear nail polish and apply to every corner of the caddy. Then all you need to do is to dry it again in the open. After you have finished this step, your caddy will be as shining as it can be.
Baby Oil or Waterproof Wax
Another after-cleaning bonus is using baby oil or waterproof wax. The application is similar to that of clear nail polish. For these two, you need to apply a light layer on the shower caddy, then take a fresh piece of cloth, gently clean every corner of the caddy. This solution will help to keep the caddy shining for prolonged periods.
Paint As A Permanent Solution
Should you wish to keep your shower caddy off the rust forever, spraying a layer of paint on the caddy is the most possible choice. This solution's benefit is that it keeps the rust off for very long periods. However, the paint solution has a drawback is that it will turn your caddy appearance much different, and many people prefer not using it this way. Despite this matter, some groups enjoy their new matte shower caddy.
Conclusion
Metal shower caddies cannot avoid going rust. It is like any other metal item. Many people ask for a permanent solution. However, we are afraid that there can hardly be one. If you don't want to deal with rust, you can choose other types of shower caddy for replacement, including stainless steel, plastic, or wood. Stainless steel caddies are durable, but not as sturdy as chrome ones. Plastic will never rust but is not long-lasting. The best option is probably wood if you pick the right one. It will have long-lasting use without rust. When having a metal shower caddy, you must clean it often, at least once or twice every month. Some rust solutions you can use are baking soda, lemon, and cooking spray.
