CLR to remove rust near chickens?

[Eddie12109]

Hi all, I own two hens who both sleep inside my garage, each in a metal dog cage.
The dog cages have been getting very rusty and I want to remove it but can’t find much out there.
Is CLR safe to use? I would do it in the morning then let them air out for the rest of the day, but then my hens will be sleeping inside them at night.
Is anything else safer and more effective for removing rust?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't know if its a myth, but I'm pretty sure people say coke and ketchup (separately, not together) can help with rust

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Either way, I don't think it would be dangerous for the birds if they were to peck curiously at it once or twice

 

[DobieLover]

Is CLR safe to use?

CLR is extremely acidic.
And it is just for rust removal prior to painting. If you remove the rust and then don't recoat the metal, it is just going to rust again. I wouldn't bother.
Either get 'new to you' (read Facebook market place or Craigslist here) crates or build those two a proper coop and get them out of your garage!

 

[Eddie12109]

I don't know if its a myth, but I'm pretty sure people say coke and ketchup (separately, not together) can help with rust

I thought about that but it seems that the metal needs to soak in it, which is extremely hard to do if it’s a metal dog cage.

 

[Eddie12109]

CLR is extremely acidic.
And it is just for rust removal prior to painting. If you remove the rust and then don't recoat the metal, it is just going to rust again. I wouldn't bother.
Either get 'new to you' (read Facebook market place or Craigslist here) crates or build those two a proper coop and get them out of your garage!

I do own a rust preventer I could put on it afterwards. One that acts as a barrier towards rust.
Is that acidity level bad?
They do have a coop, but due to their health issues (one has arthritis so can’t grip the roost), they are both 7-8 and 9 years old, and one is sensitive to heat due to a past heat stroke, I decided it’s best to let them inside with a fan circulate their air instead of exposed to mosquitoes and all that. They do go out in their coop during the day.

 

[DobieLover]

I do own a rust preventer I could put on it afterwards. One that acts as a barrier towards rust.
Is that acidity level bad?
They do have a coop, but due to their health issues (one has arthritis so can’t grip the roost), they are both 7-8 and 9 years old, and one is sensitive to heat due to a past heat stroke, I decided it’s best to let them inside with a fan circulate their air instead of exposed to mosquitoes and all that. They do go out in their coop during the day.

Yes, it's that acidic. The pH runs between 2.5 and 3.5.
If you take the crates outside away from all animals to treat them then thoroughly rinse them and hit them with a neutralizer before re-coating them, that would be safe.
This all seems like an awful lot of work when the crates could more easily be replaced.

 

[Eddie12109]

Yes it does seem like a lot of work.

I’m just trying to find a solution so that every time I see rust, I don’t need to buy new cages.

Do you know of any other products that remove rust that would be easier?

 

[Morning_Star]

If it were me, I would use a grinder or drill with a wire brush then go to town on the rust.

 

[TinyPeaPea]

What I'm going to tell you might come off as condescending, please know that I do not mean to disparage you in any way with my comment.

You're heading down a path that will waste your time and money by committing to treat the rust with solvents. CLR, and most "rust removers" on the shelf will do almost nothing to remove rust that has penetrated past the surface.

I would replace the whole thing if I were you. Used dog crates are all over the place and very cheap. Find something finished with cheap enamel paint to avoid rust in the future.

If you insist on restoring the grate, your best bet is electrolysis.

Plenty of resources are available online, here is a video demonstrating it's effectiveness.

Here is another one

It was mentioned, but if you plan on restoring the crate, you'll need to refinish it to protect it from rust in the future.