Clean Your Shower Rod With Steel Wool For Effortless Rust Removal

That cute shower curtain you picked up on sale at IKEA a few months ago has lifted your bathroom decor — and, subsequently, your morning mood — more than you could have imagined. It's amazing how something as simple as a new shower curtain can make your bathroom feel bigger and better ... And on a budget to boot. There's one sad side to this renovation success story. The metal shower rod holding up your latest investment is starting to rust, and you're afraid the orange menace will creep onto your curtain, irreparably staining it. You need a rust fix ASAP, and that ball of steel sitting next to your sink will tackle the task quickly. Simply rub the steel wool along the length of the shower rod until the rust is gone.

The primary reason steel wool works to clean rust from your shower rod — and most straightforward metal objects, for that matter — is down to its abrasiveness. Steel wool is made — in a factory, of course — by pulling thick steel wire through a series of ever-smaller holes, effectively grating or shredding the wire, and exposing sharp, raw edges. These edges hook onto the lumpy rust, scraping it off the shower rod while simultaneously smoothing the metal surface below. By now, you can probably see why this steel wool method ranks among the genius hacks that will keep your shower squeaky clean. A word of warning, however. If you have a chrome or aluminum shower rod, don't clean it with steel wool. The force required to scrub the rust away scratches the finish, removing the metal's signature brilliant shine.

The steel wool grade really matters; too coarse, and it will cause a lot of damage to your rod, possibly resulting in greater rusting down the line. Freshly exposed metal plus oxygen and moisture are a recipe for corrosion! Look for a fine-grade steel wool — grades #000 (extra fine) or #0000 (finest) work best. Menards sells a 12-pack of Rhodes American extra fine grade #000 steel wool for less than $5. If you need steel wool for other purposes, invest in a 5-pound reel of Homax Super Fine Grade #0000 steel wool for just over $30 at Walmart. Safety-wise, all you really need is a pair of gloves to protect your hands from the rough steel wool and, if you're very cautious, goggles and a face mask.

Ready to tackle the one spot in the shower everyone forgets to clean? Wrap the steel wool around one end of the rod, moving it back and forth in one spot. Use gentle pressure so you don't damage the metal surface underneath the rust. Repeat the action along the length of the pole, rinse it with clean water, and check to see if the rust is gone. If not, run the wool over the shower rod again. For stubborn rust patches, soaking the steel wool in water, distilled white vinegar, lemon juice, a baking soda paste, or store-bought rust remover before you start scrubbing could help. If you have a small, cramped bathroom, remove the rod from its wall fixtures and clean it outside. This also means fewer rust flakes in the bathtub or shower stall.