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On our last camping trip<\/a> of the season, I discovered our one and only camp kitchen knife had patina and was beginning to rust. Once home, I promptly forgot about it, as one does, until I saw this TikTok<\/a> describing a simple way to remove rust stains.<\/a> In an effort to procrastinate on more pressing tasks, I prioritized cleaning our camping knife on the cusp of winter (when we will not be camping). Because it just made sense!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In the video, Chantel Mila<\/a> encourages viewers to \u201cRemove rust spots instantly using baking soda and lemon juice.\u201d She uses half a lemon to scrub juice and baking soda on the surface of the knife, and the rust disappears. I always have lemons on hand, so I grabbed the camp knife from the garage and got to work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m going to have to call bull on the \u201cinstantly\u201d claim. There was nothing instant about this removal process. I saw so little progress initially, that \u2014 despite knowing a base neutralizes an acid \u2014 I tried the baking soda with the lemon. As expected, it didn\u2019t make a difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Next, I added some salt to the knife as an abrasive. I saw some significant improvement, but at this rate I was going to be scrubbing the knife until our next camping trip. At this point \u2014 apologies to Mila \u2014 I turned to Google. Popular knife maker W\u00fcstof cautions, \u201cDo not use abrasive sponges<\/a>,\u201d but luxury knife maker William Henry says it\u2019s OK to use steel wool<\/a>. Since this was just my camp knife, and not my santoku knife<\/a>, I decided to risk it. I gently scrubbed the lemon juice on the knife with a fresh ball of steel wool<\/a>, and the spots quickly (and finally) lifted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The steel wool did the trick, and my camp knife is no longer covered in rust and patina. It\u2019s also not scratched and no worse for wear from a gentle application of steel wool. If you\u2019re not willing to risk scratches, the salt and lemon combo will get you to the same place eventually \u2014 assuming you\u2019re more patient than I am. The lemony smell makes the work more pleasant, and if you have the time and inclination, the long route is definitely best.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re like me, however, and you want to remove the spots and get on with your life, I won\u2019t tell W\u00fcstof you used steel wool. Promise!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n