What is the best way to remove rust from metal? If your car starts to show rust spots, it’s best to get that taken care of as soon as possible. Rust is like a disease for vehicles—it can spread quickly. Protecting your car from rust is the first step, but knowing how to remove rust from your car is important. Below, we lay out six of the best rust removers for cars. Read on to learn more, and get your car rust-free ASAP.

WD-40 Specialist Rust Remover Soak

Does WD-40 remove rust? The answer is yes, and this product comes with a big bonus: it’s completely biodegradable. That makes the WD-40 rust remover soak one of the most environmentally friendly rust removers for your car. While this soak is meant more for tools and metal parts, it should be effective against rust on EV brakes and other car parts when appropriately used.

Turtle Wax Chrome Polish & Rust Remover

One of the biggest myths about rust is that you can’t repair it once it happens. This is especially true for small specks of rust showing through the chrome plating on your wheels mirrors, hood, or grille. This Turtle Wax product is the best rust remover for chrome. This polish is specifically formulated to remove rust spots and polish the chrome plating.

Loctite Extend Rust Neutralizer

How do you remove rust without scrubbing? You can try a rust neutralizer, like this product from Loctite. If you’re dealing with a light rust problem, like a slight coating of rust on brake rotors, rust neutralizer spray can be just the ticket. These products attack the oxidized metal, either dissolving the rust at the source or neutralizing it so it can’t spread.

Xionlab 2 in 1 Rust Converter & Metal Primer

What can remove rust instantly? Unfortunately, there are no guarantees for ridding your car of rust. However, a 2-in-1 product like the Xionlab Rust Converter & Metal Primer can help tackle the problem fast. It can remove rust while sealing the metal and protecting against future oxidation.

VHT Rust Convertor Spray

This product from VHT is the best rust remover spray and one of the most convenient ways to deal with rust in cars. Rust converter (also known as rust neutralizer—see above) changes the rust at a chemical level to protect the metal against future damage. A product like this is one of the essential auto detailing accessories to have on hand if you plan to do body work.

DeWalt 5-inch Cordless Random Orbit Sander

This last item is a bit of a wild card. While a random orbit sander isn’t exactly a rust remover itself, it can play a big part in the process. A quality sander like this is one of the best rust removers for a car frame or other big projects. You likely won’t be able to spray and walk away from any large, pitted holes in the frame or exterior caused by rust. And sanding by hand with paper or a block will take forever. Family Handyman recommends the DeWalt sander for severe rust problems and auto body work.

DIY rust removal from your car, truck, or SUV

What is the best homemade rust remover? If you find rust on your car, but it’s only a small amount, you may be able to tackle it yourself without one of the specific products above recommended by Family Handyman. 

There are a variety of DIY rust remover solutions, but the best that we’ve found comes from Bob Vila:

“Simply put cream of tartar in a bowl with equal parts baking soda, then incorporate a little hydrogen peroxide at a time until you achieve a paste-like consistency. Rub this mixture over the rusty object, let it sit for an hour, then wash it [off]. Voilà!”

If you love a good before-and-after video about rust removal and major interior detailing, scroll down to keep reading about an ugly old Ferrari that was restored to its former glory.