How to Get Rust Off a Cast Iron Chiminea

If you have a chiminea that is covered in rust you may be wondering how to get rust off a cast iron chiminea.

To clean rust from your cast iron chiminea simply take a wire brush and give it a really good scrub to remove excess rust, then use some sandpaper to finish off before applying a coat of suitable stove or BBQ paint.

How to Get Rust Off a Cast Iron Chiminea

We will now break down each section individually to give you a little more information on each part, covering the following:

• Preparing your chiminea for cleaning
• Remove excess rust from your cast iron chiminea
• Sand your cast iron chiminea
• Cleaning your chiminea
• Painting your chiminea

Preparing your chiminea for cleaning

Preparing your chiminea for cleaning is the first step you should take. Firstly, you want to make sure that there is nothing inside the chiminea so start by brushing and cleaning out any ash, dirt, or residue in the fire bowl and also inside the chimney.

Once you’ve cleaned the inside, give the outside a quick brush to remove any cobwebs, dust, or grime from the outside.

Remove excess rust from your cast iron chiminea

The next bit will take a little more effort as you will need to use a wire brush to brush off any loose rust. It’s important to remember that you will more than likely be brushing off small bits of metal when doing this part so safety precautions should be taken. Wear goggles and gloves when brushing to prevent any filings from going into your eyes.

Sand your cast iron chiminea

Once you’ve removed any large particles of rust you can give your chiminea a light sand. Now at this stage, you’re not trying to sand your chiminea down! All you want to do is to give it a light sand to remove any final particles of rust that the wire brush hasn’t quite managed to deal with.

Cleaning your chiminea

Before painting, you want to make sure that you’ve removed any dust and rust that’s left loose on the surface of your chiminea. The sanding and wire brushing will undoubtedly have left small particles on the outside surface. Leaving these bits and pieces on the surface may lead to the paint not adhering to the chiminea properly which will spoil the actions you’ve already taken.

Although you want to clean the outside, you really don’t want to drench the chiminea as you will have to leave it for a long time to dry. All you want to do is grab a damp cloth and give the cast iron a wipe all over. Once you’ve completed this part leave it to dry in the air before moving onto the final stage.

Painting your chiminea

The final stage of how to get rust off a cast iron chiminea is giving it a coat of paint. Painting a cast iron chiminea will help to prevent the rust from coming back and protect it for many years.

First, you need to make sure your chiminea is in a well-ventilated area. Next protect the floor and surrounding areas by covering them with dust sheets, paper or anything else you don’t mind getting covered in paint.

Next, using a good quality stove or BBQ spray paint hold the can a short distance from the surface and spray back and forth. Try to make sure that you are overlapping with each stroke as this will ensure you’ve given it a good enough coat. Normally you should give your chiminea several coats of paint but this will depend upon the manufacturer’s instructions so make sure you read them properly before you apply the paint.

Once you’ve finished, leave your cast iron chiminea to dry before putting it back. Don’t forget, to help protect your chiminea from rusting again, buy a good quality chiminea cover.