Using a freestanding metal firepit at home comes with its pros and cons. One of the drawbacks is that a free-standing metal firepit is vulnerable to rusting – some pretty intense rusting if you don’t take any preventative measures for a long time.
Before you decide to throw out your old rusted firepit and just buy a new one, there is still hope that you can de-rust it to look great again. Some cases may be too far gone but in most cases you can get rid of rust pretty easily.
How to Remove Rust Off a Metal Firepit
Use the Power of White Vinegar
White vinegar continues to prove itself to be one of the most versatile and useful substances on planet Earth. It is simply amazing as a non-toxic cleaning agent and is also great a removing rust.
You can soak a rag cloth and coat your fire pit, or you can pour some in a spray bottle. Either way, you have to get white vinegar all over your firepit’s rusted parts and let it work its magic. After letting the white vinegar loosen up the rust for at least 10 to 15 minutes, you should be able to use a scour pad or sandpaper to brush off the rust.
For Moderate to Heavy Rust, Use a Specially Formulated Chemical Rust Remover
In more severe cases you’re going to want some heavy duty chemicals to dissolve the rust. There are various types of rust removers out there and they are all fairly cheap. Unlike using white vinegar you will have to be careful with these chemicals as they can be harmful for your health. Wear gloves so you don’t to expose your skin and be careful not to breath it in or get it in your eyes. For this reason you may want to find a gel rust remover that doesn’t spray out a bottle.
Season Your Firepit Like a Cast Iron Skillet
That’s right, you can use some of that Pam spray. Vegetable oils are great at preventing and removing rust. Canola oil works great for this and using Pam’s cooking spray is an easy way to coat your firepit thoroughly and evenly. After applying the oil it is a good idea to fire up your pit because the heat helps with absorption and “fortifying” your firepit from rust.
Rusting is just a natural headache you will deal with from using metal outside in the elements. To help prevent rusting you should be using a firepit cover.
Another tip to prevent rusting is to always empty out the ash after use. If you leave all that ash in your firepit it will become a clump of moisture that will cause excessive rusting.