Don’t freak out if you take your golf clubs out of the bag after a long, cold winter and discover that they are rusty. There are various methods for getting rid of rust and making your clubs seem as good as new. Learn how to clean rusty golf clubs.
How to Get Rid of Rust
You need to know how to clean rusty golf clubs so that you can clean up your club before using it next playing time.
Rusty Wedge, Cobra’s Trusty
Rusting might occur if you leave your club outside or store it in unsuitable conditions. According to common perception, a little rust is not the end of the world. Some rust may even be good for some worn clubs, particularly wedges. Rust, as made famous by Cobra’s Trusty Rusty wedges, can increase friction and spin on the surface of a wedge.
If you want to make the clubs look younger, there are numerous methods to remove the accumulated rust. If you use this process to clean your rusty golf clubs it will be the best process of cleaning.
Steel Wool And Wire Brushes
Surface rust can be removed with steel wool and effective wire brushes. However, if these materials are applied incorrectly, they might cause harm to the surface of a golf club. Make sure to use a wire brush made of a substance that is not as hard as the material from which your club is manufactured. Similarly, beginning with ultra-fine steel wool can help to ensure that your clubs do not become scratched or damaged.
Soap and Water
Simple solutions such as soap and warm (but not too hot) water can be used to clean most rusted golf clubs without putting your equipment at risk of further damage.
Fill a bucket halfway with warm water, then add some dish soap or liquid soap to the water. After that, soak your clubs for around five minutes. Finally, take a cloth and gently wipe away the rust residue.
If the rust has gotten into the grooves of your club, you could try using a toothbrush to clean them out. The bristles will be able to reach down into the grooves and should be able to remove all of the rust from the surface.
Hopefully, the soap, water, and brushes will be sufficient to remove the rust from your golf club shafts and clubs. If that is not the case, it is time to bring in the main guns.
Coca-Cola
Oh yes, you can use Coca-Cola to eliminate rust from your golf equipment. Do you prefer Pepsi over Coke? It’s not a problem. Any cola will suit (as long as it contains phosphoric acid). Clean your rusty golf clubs with this coca cola, it will be a easier help to clean your clubs.
Fill the bottom of a container with several litres of cola – enough to at least submerge the heads of your golf clubs if you want to.
Take your clubs and soak them for around 24 hours to obtain the most cleaning power out of coke’s cleaning properties. After that, take your clubs out of the water and wipe them with a microfiber cloth. Most of the rust should have been removed by this point; however, there may still be some residues, in which case you should use a scratch-free scrubber.
It’s possible to remove rust off shafts by soaking some towels in your cola solution and wrapping them around the shafts. Allow them to sit for 24 hours before wiping them down and rinsing them thoroughly with water.
When you’re finished, get yourself a refreshing glass of Coca-Cola and raise a glass to your freshly cleaned clubs.
Vinegar and Lemon Juice
Alternatively, if you happen to have some vinegar or lemon juice lying around, you can use the acidity of these substances to remove rust from your clubs quickly.
Fill a small container halfway with vinegar or lemon juice and soak your clubheads for an hour or two – this should be enough time to disinfect them. Then, gently clean away the rust using a cloth and a brush.
Pitting Corrosion
Surface rust can commonly result in further corrosion due to the presence of moisture. It is known as pitting corrosion, and it is the most harmful type. A specific type of corrosion that results in holes or dives in the metal surface is localized corrosion. Although it is feasible to remove rust from the surface of these divets, it is extremely difficult to restore them.
Rust Remover
If none of the techniques listed above are successful, it may be necessary to visit your local hardware store and get some industrial rust remover. These products contain harsh chemicals that can be extremely destructive to the metal if they are not handled appropriately, so make sure you carefully read the instructions that come with each product before using it.
However, if nothing, including commercial rust removers, appears to be effective, there may be nothing else that can be done. Take your clubs to a specialized golf store and ask them to inspect the damage, but the likelihood is that the rust is so deeply embedded that a repair is not possible in this case.
Is it possible that only your shafts have been affected? Alternatively, you may have the clubs re-shafted, which would be less expensive than outright purchasing a new set of clubs. Aside from that, it’s time to make a big decision and invest in a new set of clubs.
How to Prevent Rusting in Golf Clubs?
Cleaning rust from your clubs is one thing, but it would be far preferable if you could prevent them from rusting in the first place. Here are some tips to help you keep your clubs looking their best throughout the year.
- Dry your club after each shot you take with it with a towel before placing it back in your golf bag. Although it is unlikely that you will need to do so on a dry, sunny day. However, if you are playing in the rain or on a dew-covered course, you should be mindful that moisture will quickly accumulate on your club, eventually leading to rust.
- As soon as you arrive home from your round of golf, inspect the condition of your golf clubs. Remove the mud and let the moisture evaporate. You should remove all of your clubs from your bag and let them dry separately if you’ve been trapped in exceptionally severe rain for a long time.
- Always keep your golf clubs in a cool, dry location. Humidity is a one-way ticket to rusty clubs, so stay away from places that become too hot to be comfortable. Basements and garages are probably the most convenient places to keep golf equipment when not in use. It is never a good idea to leave them in your trunk.
- Check the condition of your clubs regularly during the off-season or any time when you are not usually playing. If they’re wet, dry them well before moving them to a new area.
Wrapping up: How To Clean Rusty Golf Clubs
Any golf club made of metal is vulnerable to rust, but fortunately, there are a variety of simple, quick, and effective methods for getting rid of it quickly and effectively. Start with some steel wool, and if that isn’t enough, try some soap and water to see if that works better. When everything else fails, crack open a couple of cans of coke and wait for the miracle to take place on your behalf.
However, the most effective technique to deal with rust is to avoid it from occurring in the first place. By keeping your clubs clean and dry, you can significantly extend the life of your equipment.
