Wrought iron can make wonderful decorations as well as many useful and practical items in the house. Beautiful staircase handrails for example or a wrought iron railing.
Of course, wrought iron does require some maintenance to keep it looking good, clean, and rust-free. Curiosity Insight offers below tips and tricks to properly clean wrought iron.
1. Remove dust from wrought iron
Before even thinking about cleaning, it is better to take the time to dust off the entire furniture, bars, or stair railing.
A simple trick is to vacuum the house with a soft bristle brush as a nozzle. It’s fast, efficient, and you’ll avoid spreading and scattering dirt and dust everywhere.
2. Clean wrought iron with soapy water
How to clean a wrought iron stair railing? For cleaning and maintenance of an interior wrought iron, it is best to use soapy water, quite simply.
Here’s how to do it:
- Add a tablespoon of liquid soap (dish soap) to 1 1/2 liters of lukewarm water.
- Pour the solution into a spray-type bottle and spray onto the wrought iron.
- Use a damp cloth and clean and scrub the entire stair railing.
- Dry the wrought-iron well with a dry, soft cloth to finish cleaning.
You can use this soapy water trick to clean both the interior and exterior wrought iron.
3. Use white vinegar to clean the wrought iron
Another tip for cleaning interior wrought iron is to use white vinegar. Here’s how to do it:
- Add 3 tablespoons of white vinegar to a liter of water.
- Rub the wrought iron with a cloth or sponge.
- Dry the surface to finish cleaning the iron.
4. Remove rust from wrought iron
How to clean rusty wrought iron? If your iron gate or other exterior wrought iron surface shows rust, don’t panic, it’s possible to fix it.
Here’s how to remove rust from wrought iron:
- Clean and dust the whole wrought iron with a large jet of water.
- Allow to dry and then rub the surface where the rust is present.
- You can use a mechanical brush or a manual wire brush to remove the rust.
- Use steel wool for the little nooks and crannies of the wrought iron such as: outlines, hollows, angles, circles, details and bars.
5. Acetone before painting the wrought iron
Once all the rust has been removed from the wrought iron surface a last step is necessary before painting again: acetone!
In fact, acetone makes it possible to eliminate all traces of dust but also to eliminate the grease which may still be present on the iron.
- Soak a cloth with acetone
- Rub the entire surface of the wrought iron with this product
- Let dry well before painting
As acetone is a powerful product, it is advisable to always wear protective glasses and gloves.
6. What paint to paint wrought iron?
Once the dust and grease are completely removed from the surface you can start painting the iron gate.
Here are the important steps for successful painting:
- Apply a coat of primer specially designed for iron to the iron. The primer coat acts as a sealer and is essential.
- Apply the first coat of oil paint and apply a second coat once the first has dried.
Depending on the style of wrought iron you want, you can opt for oil paint: mat, gloss, or semi-gloss.
If you are looking for an efficient way to strip a wrought iron piece of furniture, read this article: Using soda lye.
7. Galvanize an exterior iron staircase
Of course, to keep an exterior iron staircase in good condition for years to come it is important to maintain it regularly.
But that’s not all, although anti-rust paint is needed to prevent rust from forming another important step must be taken.
Indeed, why not have the iron galvanized?
On average, you will have to pay between 20 and 30% more money for a galvanized staircase. On the other hand, it will require much less maintenance in future years.
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