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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Removing salt stains from corrugated iron

we have several sheets of corrugated iron that are salt stained.Has anyone any ideas how to clean this at home.

elizabeth kerkhof
- australia
2000

Because you noted that you are a homeowner-hobbyist rather than an industry professional, I would want to start by making sure that when you call something 'corrugated iron' that you are sure that is what it really is.

If you are actually referring to galvanized steel corrugated roofing material, what you are looking at may be 'white rust' (the zinc corroding), not salt stains. You can search this site for other threads about 'white rust', but I don't think there is any way to remove it and restore the galvanized zinc finish; I think you'll need to paint it.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2000

If I were in your situation I would use full strength vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] solution. I would use a spar varnish (outdoor/exterior) to seal the metal. Good luck!

JM Davis
- Dallas, Texas, USA
2004

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