The Best Way to Remove Rust From Hockey Skates

Stepping onto the ice with a pair of rusty skates can not only be unpleasant but also have the potential to cause bodily harm to yourself and those around you. If you have had your skates for a while, or have not used them in several months, before putting them on your feet check all the blades for hints of rust or any chips. If rust is found, there are several things you can do to remove it.

  1. Preventing Rust

    • The first step to keeping the skates nice and shiny is to prevent rust from happening in the first place. After every skate on the ice, wipe down the blades immediately with a rag. Then, once the blades are at room temperature, wipe them down again with a rag. Let the blades air out on a soft surface, and this should prevent rust from happening in the first place.

    Sharpen

    • If rust does happen to accumulate on the skates, you will need to get them sharpened. The goal of sharpening skates is to remove metal from the bottom of the blade to renew the edges. This should be done by a trained professional because having a steady hand helps in re-sharpening, in that no part of the blade is ground more than another. Your skate blade will be clamped into a holder and moved along the rotating grinding wheel to refresh the hollow in the bottom of the skate. The sharpening machine has a special guide to keep the blade perfectly aligned with the grinding wheel. This will remove the rust, and the person sharpening the blade will remind you of some techniques to keep the rust off to begin with.

    Lemon

    • A quicker, simpler and cheaper way to remove the rust can be done with a lemon. First roll the lemon on a table and apply a little bit of pressure on it to soften it up. Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze all the juices onto a rag or towel. Finally use the rag to wipe the blades of the skates down. The acid in the lemon should penetrate some of the rust, removing it from the skates. Note that it is still highly recommended that if your blades are completely rusted over, you have them professionally sharpened, but this lemon technique can be used when there is just a little bit of something that needs removal.