May 9, 2018  |    3,046 Comments

Rust is a day-ruiner. Not only does it make your car look bad, but rust can also reduce the resale value of your car and affect its performance. If not caught early, or prevented outright, rust can grow out of control and cause auto body damage.

In this blog, A1 Body Shop will show you how rust occurs, how to prevent rust, and how to get rid of rust.

how to get rid of rust

How Rust Occurs

Rust, otherwise known as the compound iron oxide, occurs when iron or steel reacts with moisture and oxygen. Most car paints are coated to prevent rust from occurring naturally. Unfortunately, if a rock or some debris manages to cut deep through your car’s paint, the exposed cut can become infected with rust.

How to Prevent Rust

In the battle against rust, there are some tactics you can use to gain the upper-hand.

Because a reaction between iron and oxygen creates rust, the simplest method to prevent rust is to galvanize the iron. Galvanization is the process of coating iron with zinc to prevent oxygen from reacting with iron. Luckily, most car frames are galvanized, so rust compromising your vehicle’s frame shouldn’t be a big concern.

Another method is to simply use paint. Unfortunately, even a simple scratch or dent can let moisture in and start causing your vehicle to rust. Always try to cover up deep cuts with rust-protected paint when possible.

Wash your car regularly. This is perhaps the quickest solution when considering how to prevent rust. Not only will your car look sparkly brand new, but you’ll be washing off any salt that might have built up. Salt, especially winter salt, can quickly erode your paint, exposing your car and making it vulnerable to rust.

A1 Body Shop will protect your car from rust with a fresh coat of paint!

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How to Get Rid of Rust

There are a couple of home remedies you can use to clean off rust.

Take note that these methods might not be entirely effective depending on the where the rust is, what type of metal the rust was created from, and how much rust has built up.

how rust occursSalt and Lime

This method is perfect if you still have your leftover margarita mix from last Sunday’s barbecue. Throw some salt on the rust, followed by some juice from the lime. Once your pesky rust spot is thoroughly soaked in lime juice and salt, just lay back and let it sit for 2-3 hours (maybe even go ahead and make yourself a margarita while you wait).

After a couple of hours have passed simply remove the rust with your leftover lime rind (a rough sponge will do too).

Coca-Cola

That’s right, a bottle of regular coke can work wonders on that pesky rust. Coca-Cola is actually pretty acidic, like most cleaning solutions. Coke contains phosphoric acid, making it a pretty useful solution when other solutions aren’t readily available.

The Best Way to Prevent Rust

Take it to an repair shop! A1 Body Shop is one of the most trusted body shops in Reno NV that will make sure your vehicle is coated with rust-preventing paint. We are also here for any of your vehicle, trailer, and RV body repair needs.

Get Rust-Preventing Paint Services

3,046 comments on “How to Prevent Rust on Your Vehicle”

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