Perhaps you have rusty tools, cookware, and appliances, or even have the stuff on the side of your car. There’s no need to cry; rust can be easily removed with a cut onion accompanied by a little scrubbing action. Simply leave the onion’s skin intact, and cut off a small section. Hold the onion with the skin-side facing you, and use the exposed section to scrub the rust away. If the onion is drying up a bit depending on what you’re de-rusting, go ahead and cut off another small section and continue to make your things look new again…rust-free! It works like this: rust is the normal chemical reaction of oxidation, and is primarily made up of a bunch of hydrogen ions. Onions contain a chemical called sulphenic acid, the result of the onion’s enzymes exposed to oxygen. This sulphenic acid reacts with the rust’s hydrogen ions, breaking down the rust so it just flakes away. Pretty cool, huh? Go ahead and give it a try. Psst— Not too keen of onion-smelling hands? Neither are we. When you go to wash, sprinkle some baking soda in-between your hands. Problem solved.
Photo by: SoraZG
