Metal furniture is furniture made of metal tubes, plates, etc., along with glass, stone, ceramics, wood, etc., or the furniture can be made entirely of the metal itself.Due to the toughness and ductility of thin-walled metal tubes, they can be processed into a variety of curved, uniquely styled metal furniture that is strong, durable, luxurious and both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Our ceramic dining tables and tempered glass dining tables and chairs use a large amount of iron, stainless steel and aluminum for the frame or legs and therefore can be called metal furniture.
Some customers may be concerned about whether metal furniture is prone to rust. Here we’d like to share our views about how to avoid rusting and keep metal furniture in good condition.
Rusting is a chemical reaction, essentially the oxidation of the metal. The most common form of rusting is when iron products are exposed to air for a long period and oxidize with oxygen, or mix with oxygen in the water and become oxides.
People have thought of ways to prevent metal rusting by coating the surface, plating, or by using other chemical methods to form a protective film on the metal surface to insulate it from water and air.
It can be said that the quality of the metal material itself and its surface treatment determines the durability and functionality of the metal furniture. For furniture manufacturers, picking up qualified metal materials is the priority task for production preparation.
Let’s see what a reliable metal furniture manufacturer will do to avoid rust of metal furniture before delivering it to you:
Option 1. Use stainless steel as furniture material.
Stainless Steel (Stainless Steel) according to GB/T20878-2007 is defined as stainless, corrosion-resistant steel with a chromium content of not less than 10.5% and a maximum carbon content of not more than 1.2%.
Ordinary stainless steel will resist weak corrosion from air, steam, water, etc. High-grade stainless steel such as 304 or 316 stainless steel will resist chemical corrosion (acid, alkali, salt and other chemical dips), the latter is known as acid-resistant steel.
Although it has excellent anti-corrosion properties, the relatively high cost of stainless steel furniture may be a factor that customers need to reconsider before purchasing
Option 2. Covering the surface of iron products with a protective layer is important and usually prevents iron products from rusting. Here are some common ways:
A. Coating the surface of iron products with mineral oil, paint, powder, plastic, etc.
In the consideration of environmental protection, we mainly spray powder on the iron to prevent rust. With the electrostatic spraying method, the powder will be sprayed onto the metal surface and then baked in an oven at a temperature of about 200 degrees to cure it.
The powder particles melt into a dense protective layer that adheres firmly to the metal surface.
Compared to traditional paints, powder coatings have the advantage of being non-toxic, non-polluting and waste-free.
B. A layer of rust-resistant metals such as zinc, chromium and nickel is plated on the surface of iron by electroplating or hot plating. These metals will form a dense oxide film on the surface, thus preventing rusting in contact with water, air and other substances.
C. Create a dense and stable oxide film on the surface of iron products by chemical means to prevent them from rusting.
As a user of metal furniture, you don’t have to worry about the complicated surface treatment mentioned above, the metal furniture factory has helped you solve this tedious work already, after getting your fabulous metal furniture, you may be concerned about how to avoid rusting and what to do and what not to do to help this furniture serve you for a long time.
If you have metal furniture with an iron frame or structure, you may take care of it as follows:
1. Wipe with a soft cloth
Iron furniture should be cleaned of dust regularly. To deal with stubborn stains such as oil, it should be wiped gently with a soft cloth dipped in a mild detergent.
For recessed areas, use a soft brush to brush away dust along the joints.
Avoid bumps and knocks as much as possible.
2. Keep dry and out of direct contact with sunlight
Use a dry cloth when cleaning and do not leave metal furniture in a damp area for long periods of time. Also avoid direct sunlight on iron furniture to prevent oxidation or fading of the paintwork, as well as drying and flaking.
3. Avoid contact with acids or alkalis
Keep away from corrosive acid and alkali chemicals, (e.g. sulphuric acid, vinegar, methyl alkali, soapy water, soda etc.) If you accidentally get these on metal furniture, rinse it off immediately with water and dry it with a soft cloth.
4. To prevent rust from appearing on iron furniture, you can always keep it shiny and new by wiping the metal parts with a soft cloth dipped in a little anti-rust oil or machine oil.
5. If rust has already appeared on the surface of iron furniture, wipe it early and repeatedly with a soft cloth dipped in machine oil to prevent it from expanding.
You can also pour white vinegar on the area with rust stains and keep it there for a few hours. The white vinegar will dissolve the rust stains and then wipe them off with a rag.
For large pieces of metal furniture that are not suitable for direct soaking with white vinegar, you can use a rag with white vinegar and wipe the rust stains repeatedly until they are removed
Stainless steel furniture also needs some maintenance to avoid rust
Stainless steel is a material formed by adding some corrosion-resistant metal elements to ordinary steel, which is considered to be more resistant to corrosion than ordinary steel, but if corrosion exceeds a certain level, stainless steel will still rust.
How to clean and maintain stainless steel furniture
1. Keep it clean
If the dust on the surface of stainless-steel furniture is not cleaned for a long time, it is prone to absorb and condense the moisture in the air, forming an environment for mold growth, producing mold and other dirt, while making the metal surface more susceptible to moisture, rust and corrosion, so it is necessary to wipe the surface of stainless steel furniture with a soft cloth frequently to keep it neat and tidy.
For stubborn stains, such as grease, you can wipe with a soft cloth dipped in a neutral detergent such as dish cleaner, then rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth or paper towel afterward.
2. Avoid direct contact with acids and alkalis
Direct contact with acids, alkalis and salts can corrode the surface of stainless steel furniture. If stainless steel furniture is inadvertently contaminated with an acid (e.g. sulphuric acid, vinegar) or alkali (e.g. methane, soapy water, soda), it should be rinsed thoroughly with water immediately and kept dry.
Also, never use bleach to treat stains on stainless steel as it contains high levels of chlorine, which has a strong corrosive effect on stainless steel.
3. Keep it dry and insulated from moisture
Humidity can make stainless steel lose its lustre, affecting the aesthetics and even causing the metal to rust and delaminate the chrome layer. Therefore, stainless steel furniture should be placed in a dry place, you can also wax the surface of the metal furniture or wipe it with a towel dipped in machine oil to keep it shiny.
How to solve the problem of stainless steel furniture rusting
When yellowish-brown net-like spots appear on the surface of stainless steel parts, it means that the stainless steel is starting to rust. You can try the following methods to remove the rusting:
1. Toothpaste
Wet the rusty area with water, apply toothpaste to the rusted area and scrub gently with a soft cloth, then rinse off with water and repeat several times until the rust is removed.
2. White Vinegar
Cover the rusty area in acetic acid or dip a cloth in vinegar and apply it evenly to the rusty area. After a period of time, wipe the rusted area with a soft cloth repeatedly until the rust is wiped off. Clean the build-up and keep it dry.
3. Stainless Steel Cleaner
Get a stainless steel cleaner and follow the instructions to remove rust or stubborn stains.
The video below shows you how we remove rust from stainless steel table legs with stainless steel rust and grease remover powder without causing any damage to the gloss of the steel, if you are interested, please contact us for a free and detailed how-to guide.
