The secret is oxalic acid. Found naturally in rhubarb and other vegetables such as spinach, ... I keep it handy in my laundry room to remove rust stains from the inside of my clothes washer.

Potatoes contain oxalic acid, which converts rust into a water-soluble salt that dissolves in water and easily rinses away. Cut a raw potato in half. Put a few drops of dish soap on the cut sides.

A reader had written to me about removing rust from concrete. I asked a chemist friend for advice and he said, “Oh, that’s easy; use oxalic acid.” I shared the advice and heard back from the ...

Oxalic acid solutions are the go-to cleaner for exterior redwood. If you recall your high school chemistry, you know that acidic solutions have a pH lower than 7. Caustic chemicals like many ...

Oxalic acid is yet another readily available cleaner that neutralizes rust stains through a chemical reaction. Finally, if all else fails, a bit of sandpaper and steel wool may be all you need to ...

A reader had written to me about removing rust from concrete. I asked a chemist friend for advice and he said, “Oh, that’s easy; use oxalic acid.” I shared the advice and heard back from the ...

Oxalic acid also dissolves rust. To try this technique, slice a potato in half, cover the cut section with dish soap, and sprinkle salt (or baking soda) onto the potato.

According to Future Market Insights, the oxalic acid market is projected to grow from USD 1 billion in 2025 to USD 1.7 ...

Oxalic acid, or oxalate, is a compound in many plant foods. In large quantities, it can inhibit the absorption of some nutrients. ... removing rust; removing stains; stripping and cleaning; ...

Every week, readers reach out to me with fantastic questions about a column of mine they have just read. Often they ask why I didn’t delve deeper into the topic. The answer is that newspapers ...