How can I get rust streaks off of hard, formed plastic?

Try cleaning it with a rag soaked in white vinegar. Give the vinegar time to soak in before rubbing with the cloth or a used toothbrush.

Scrub with a solution of water and bleach.

Barkeeper’s friend.

This stuff is the bees knees. Seriously.

There is a rust removal solution that works wonders. It’s called evaporust and I usually get it at harbour freight. It basically an enzyme so it will not damage what you are using it on.

Nice guys. I will sure try it all. The ones I have in the house first, though.

I second Bar Keepers Friend!

Why couldn’t I use straight bleach?

Because bleach causes oxidization, which is exactly what rust is.

Cascade dishwasher powder I have found to be the best at stains all around. Bar Keepers is a close second. Make a paste out of either and scrub and let sit 30 mins. Moisten and scrub and rinse. Repeat until stain is gone. A paste of vinegar (or lemon juice) and baking soda is also effective if you have the elbow grease to back it up. Apply let sit 30–60 mins and then scrub.

@Cruiser powdered laundary detergent works even better. I use it to get engine grime off my hands.

@ARE_you_kidding_me I don’t think I tried powdered laundry detergent. My experience is the plastic slop sink in my mud room that has seen the grimiest of grime from my son working on his cars. The Cascade so far has been the only cleaner to get the sink white and stain free again. He is in college now so I will have to wait for summer to test out the detergent.

Use it in the same capacity, as a paste.

I was told by my jeweler to clean my rings by boiling them in water and powder laundry soap.

Maybe I’ll just try it all at the same time! Come looking for me if I don’t come back!

Jewelry is best cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaner. I picked one up at harbour freight for like $20. My wife can’t believe how clean it makes her jewelry.

I’ll keep that in mind @ARE_you_kidding_me. Thanks

It’s what jewlers actually use, also works wonders on carburetor parts.

I guess my jeweler is old school!

For the record: If you are trying to remove rust from something, never use bleach to get it out! On some surfaces, it will permanently bond the rust stain! However vinegar (and many commercial products) will remove rust, and your best chance is to use vinegar before you try anything else.

Here’s the downside. Plastic is notorious for having stains become part of the plastic itself. If that happens it’s not going to come out, especially if it’s been there a long time.