How To Treat Rust on Golf Irons
Its a heartbreaking scenario, opening up the garage, basement or garden shed and dusting off your golf bag. Taking out the clubs to give them a once over and seeing that they are tinged with orange, not because of style but because of rust. It really is a problem that should be prevented rather than cured, but accidents happen and life gets in the way, so we have some tips on treating rust on your golf irons and clubs in the article below.
Using household items like vinegar, lemon juice and even Coca-Cola it is possible to remove rust from golf irons and clubs with a little patience and a few tools. Allowing the clubs to soak or be covered in this acidic solution then scrubbing with wire wool, toothbrush or similar can effectively remove rust
We have a little more in-depth look at some methods to remove rust from your irons and clubs below, and take a look at ways to prevent rust from forming in the first place.
Why Is Rust a Problem for Golf Clubs?
Although appearance is one result of rust on a golf club, appearance does not affect the performance of a club and it this that makes rust a serious problem for golfers. It can negatively impact the following if allowed to get hold on your golf irons.
- Rust Weakens the club head: A large build up of rust on your golf club can weaken the overall structure of the club head, causing it to both bend, warp and deform. This can and likely will affect the club’s performance, leading to increased foul shots and considerably lower ball speeds.
- Less Durable Clubs: Rust can also cause pitting, marking and erosion of the clubface, making it less durable especially if it is continued to be used during your rounds.
- Less Accurate Ball flight: Rust alters the shape of the club head and the creates a rough surface on the clubface which will affect how the ball leaves the fae when hit, causing sliced or hooked shots and affecting spin and distance as well as direction of the ball.
- Lowers the value of the clubs: As a result of both the performance impacts and the appearance Rust on a golf club will significantly reduce the resale value of of it, making it both difficult to sell or trade in for a newer model.
So while rust of clubs is clearly not something you want to see, it does not mean all is lost. We take a look at some of the measures you can take to both prevent and treat any signs of rust on those club heads in the section below
What Causes Rust on Golf Clubs
To make sure you can prevent rust on your golf irons and clubs it is important to know what causes it, and yes water, but by knowing where this water may come from you can take steps to avoid it in the future.
Moisture is of course the reason your clubs will start to rust, and this can come from many different sources. Golf clubs are made of metal and are obviously susceptible to rust when exposed to moisture. This can happen from exposure to rain, dew, or high humidity, damp conditions which can include the following.
- Poor storage practices: If golf clubs are stored in a damp or humid place, rust can form on their surfaces. This can be in garages, sheds or similar, if you see evidence of mold anywhere chances are there is enough moisture around to cause rust on metal.
- Use in damp conditions: Playing golf in damp or wet conditions can also cause rust to form on the clubs.
- Chemical reactions: Chemical reactions can also cause rust to form on golf clubs. For example, if golf clubs are stored near fertilizer or other chemicals, they can react and cause rust to form.
What Do You Need to Treat Rust on Golf Clubs?
Tools and Materials Needed
- Sandpaper or wire brush: To remove the rust, you’ll need a tool to scrub the surface of the clubhead. Sandpaper or a wire brush can be used for this purpose. Make sure the Wire Brush is not so hard as to scratch up the face of the club though. ( toothbrushes, old ones of course, and wire wool also work well.
- White vinegar: White vinegar is an effective and natural rust remover. It’s acidic properties help to dissolve the rust making it easier to wipe or scrub off.
- Baking soda: Baking soda can be mixed with white vinegar to create a rust-removing solution and paste. It helps to neutralize the acid in the vinegar and can also be used to scrub away rust.
- Oil-based Rust Dissolver: An oil-based rust dissolver can be used as an alternative to the vinegar and baking soda solution. It is especially useful for larger areas of rust, but not as environmentally friendly
- Rust Prevention Spray: A rust inhibitor spray can be used to prevent rust from forming on golf clubs after cleaning and removing the rust.
You can also try Coca Cola as well, as basically it will dissolve anything over time!
Step-by-Step Guide to Removing Rust
Below we highlight the steps to take to clean off the rust from the golf irons and clubs
Table of steps to clean rust from golf clubs.
| Step Number | Action to take |
| 1 | Clean the club with sandpaper or a wire brush, not to hard but enough to get any loose rust or dirt off the club face. ( toothbrush or wire wool work well as well) |
| 2 | Either use white vinegar or a mix of baking soda and white vinegar in a container large enough to put the heads of your clubs in at least if you want to soak them, or smaller if you want to make a paste |
| 3 | or apply the solution, paste onto the rust and leave it for 10-15 minutes to do its work |
| 4 | Then scrub the rust with a soft brush or cloth and see if it removes the rust, if not repeat step 3. One the rust in gone you can rinse off the remainder of the vinegar and baking soda with water |
| 5 | Make sure you dry the club with a clean cloth to make sure you don’t have to repeat this in a couple of months again. |
| 6 | You can now store them in a dry, cool, and out of the sun place and for further security you can apply a rust inhibitor or prevention spray onto the clubs for extra protection. |
Tips for Preventing Rust on Golf Clubs
Prevention is better than cure and nowhere is this more true than with rust. It is relatively simple to keep rust away from your clubs if you take a little care and give some thought to where they are stored and what you do with them after a round.
After each use, clean golf clubs with a clean cloth to remove any moisture and dirt that can cause rust and make sure you dry them off so there is no surface moisture left over after you clean them – do this with a clean cloth like a microfibre lightweight one.
Store golf clubs in a dry place, away from moisture and humidity. This will prevent rust from forming on the clubheads in the first place and save you from spending hours scrubbing away at them when you should be at the course.
After cleaning, apply a rust inhibitor or preventative spray to the club heads to prevent rust from forming if you have them, or a wickable head cover to protect them both in storage and during transportation.
Keep golf clubs away from chemicals, such as fertilizer, that can cause rust to form. which means basically get them out of your garage! Unless you live in a very small, or very busy, house then there must be somewhere you can store them inside the actual house that it at the minimum climate controlled.
We have more on keeping your Irons and other gold clubs in top shape here on the site and you can check the link here and on the image below.
Conclusion
Removing rust from golf clubs and taking steps to prevent rust from forming, is essential to extend the life of their clubs, maintain their performance an save you potentially thousands of dollars over your golfing life.
The steps above highlight both the tools and ways of removing rust from golf clubs, and some tips on how to prevent it occuring at all. We advise taking this seriously as replacing big ticket items like clubs while enjoyable, should be done on your terms not on some rusts! .
