Discovering a rust stain on your tile floor can immediately cause stress. After all, you may think that the tile is ruined forever, and you may not yet be ready to replace your home’s flooring. Rust is generally considered to be a permanent type of stain, but you can get it out off of your tile rather easily. The last thing that you want is to cause other types of damage to the tile while you are removing the stains. Are you ready to learn how to remove rust stains from tiles safely?
How to Remove Rust Stains From Tiles in Four Easy Steps
You should never try to scratch the rust stain off of the tile, such as with a razor blade or a knife. Instead, you can use your choice of household supplies.
1. Gather Supplies
The most common way to remove rust stains from tile is with lemon juice and a light abrasive material. This may be salt, a rough sponge, an old toothbrush or even a pumice stone if light pressure is applied. You will also need a clean, damp cloth and a dry towel.
2. Soak the Stain
Apply the lemon juice on the stain liberally. Allow it to soak into the rust stain for approximately 10 minutes.
3. Scrub Away the Stain
You should never scrub the tile too roughly. Depending on the abrasiveness of the material or supplies selected, you will need to adjust the pressure and friction that you apply accordingly. If the stain does not fully disappear, you can repeat the second and third steps again.
4. Clean the Area
After the stain is no longer visible, use the damp cloth to wipe away the lemon juice and other debris. The acidic lemon juice should not remain on the tile for an extended period of time. When the area is clean, dry it thoroughly.
Alternative Methods for Removing Rust Stains from Tiles
Lemon juice is only one of several materials that may work well to dissolve away the rust stain. For example, tomato juice is also acidic. If you do not have tomato juice, you can simply squeeze the juice from a whole tomato onto the stain. You can also use bleach, toothpaste or white vinegar. Regardless of which cleaning agent you select, you will need to use it in combination with one of the mild abrasive materials.
While it can be alarming to discover a rust stain on your beautiful tile floor, rest assured that the stain can be safely removed. If you have concerns about damage to the tile, test a small and inconspicuous area using your preferred rust removal method.
