Any first hand experience fixing tail rust?

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I'm the lazy one and I just put tails in a baby food jar of CLR for a few days.  Pull it out using gloves or tweezers, wash and condition, and *wah-lah!* des-rusted tail. 

[Baby Sugarberry]

It sounds like you have decided to try toothpaste first. For posterity, I just wanted to throw in that I have used the RIT rust remover. It does take the rust out very well, even from light colored hair. However, it is very drying and can make the hair frizzy.

Toothpaste will do that too - make sure you avoid scrubbing the hair into knots while you're cleaning, usually I'll hold the remainder of the tail tightly in one hand while using the toothbrush/paste with the other, gently back and forth.  It usually takes a couple of rounds before it'll all be gone, and conditioner afterwards is very important.

[Stormness_1]

Yep toothpaste! Doesn't have to be whitening, although that works faster, because it's more abrasive. I use it all the time! It does dry out the tail though, so I condition before and after.

[Emerald]

Wellp, I have an update.

Toothpaste did nothing. I did it four times and nada. I'm 100% sure the toothpaste I used is the "right kind" but it's not touching this rust. It's still neon orange.

[Sweet_Stuff]

I have used Tom's whitening "peppermint" toothpaste for tail rust, but I only used it as a temporary fix until the pony could be thoroughly cleaned.. The original washer / tail were saved by using CLR.

[Sparkle Pony]

It sounds like you have decided to try toothpaste first. For posterity, I just wanted to throw in that I have used the RIT rust remover. It does take the rust out very well, even from light colored hair. However, it is very drying and can make the hair frizzy.

I think this is what I used but honestly I do not remember...
Something I rarely hear brought up about cleaning the rust: removing the metal clamp on the tail can be extremely difficult if it's still mostly intact.  I had to gracelessly bang it apart with a nail and a hammer, which was not the best way to keep the hair neatly together.

[Leopard_Print_Unicorn]

It sounds like you have decided to try toothpaste first. For posterity, I just wanted to throw in that I have used the RIT rust remover. It does take the rust out very well, even from light colored hair. However, it is very drying and can make the hair frizzy.

I think this is what I used but honestly I do not remember...
Something I rarely hear brought up about cleaning the rust: removing the metal clamp on the tail can be extremely difficult if it's still mostly intact.  I had to gracelessly bang it apart with a nail and a hammer, which was not the best way to keep the hair neatly together.

I used to have a pair of hemostats that I used to pry them off. It's ok, they were never actually used on a real patient. Needle nose pliers work well, too. You just have to be really careful that you don't break off the hair.

[Emerald]

I think I'm going to try CLR next, since I can get that locally and nobody here has the rit stuff. Is there a tutorial on that method anywhere, or do you just soak the tail in it for a few days? I've tried the toothpaste thing six times now and it hasn't done anything. I've used two kinds of toothpaste. I think Wigwam's tail is just too far gone for that method. Hopefully SOMETHING will save it. I'll make him a new tail if I have to, but I want to try everything I can before that.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Try to unclamp the tail if it's gotten too bad- you can replace it with 2 zip ties and he'll never rust again!

But yes, just put the tail in a little container of CLR.  Check it after 24 hours, wash and see what happens! 

[Emerald]

I have zip ties ready for after the rust is fixed. 

[blondee1982]

I have had pretty good luck soaking for a few days in oxyclean too, it depends on the tail but it has worked 85% of the time

[hathorcat]

Mix toothpaste and baking soda into a paste and allow it to dry out on the tail - rinse and then use a paste to repeat with a scrub. You may need to repeat a few times.

Also...I would try and rescue the washer you threw away if you were going to sell the pony on, a new owner may hope to have that included.

[ghouldilocks]

...

Also...I would try and rescue the washer you threw away if you were going to sell the pony on, a new owner may hope to have that included.

There are people who like to keep rusty old washers? I plan to replace all the washers/clamps on my ponies with zip ties as well, but ponies I sell or trade I don't touch - I figure the new owner can fix them up how they like. It makes more sense to me, though, to replace metal with plastic where you can, to avoid the potential for rust development later on.

[Sweet_Stuff]

...

Also...I would try and rescue the washer you threw away if you were going to sell the pony on, a new owner may hope to have that included.

There are people who like to keep rusty old washers? I plan to replace all the washers/clamps on my ponies with zip ties as well, but ponies I sell or trade I don't touch - I figure the new owner can fix them up how they like. It makes more sense to me, though, to replace metal with plastic where you can, to avoid the potential for rust development later on.

Hehehe.. I think what Cat is meaning is that some like to keep everything original on / in the pony. If washer is rusty then they can try to save it and put it back in pony. 

[ghouldilocks]

...

Also...I would try and rescue the washer you threw away if you were going to sell the pony on, a new owner may hope to have that included.

There are people who like to keep rusty old washers? I plan to replace all the washers/clamps on my ponies with zip ties as well, but ponies I sell or trade I don't touch - I figure the new owner can fix them up how they like. It makes more sense to me, though, to replace metal with plastic where you can, to avoid the potential for rust development later on.

Hehehe.. I think what Cat is meaning is that some like to keep everything original on / in the pony. If washer is rusty then they can try to save it and put it back in pony. 

That seems silly to me, as the washer can't even be seen inside the pony (except those lovely translucent sparkle girls, lol), but to each their own!