How to Age Galvanized Metal Containers
4 Materials
$3
2 Hours
Easy
Old galvanized metal can be so beautiful and so full of character. There are many ways to quickly “age” shiny new galvanized metal, but a lot of them use scary harsh chemicals so they didn’t appeal to me so much. Read on to see how I age galvanized metal containers quickly using just basic household ingredients!
My nearest dollar store carries really shiny galvanized buckets and bins of all shapes and sizes and I’ve been walking past them for a few years now feeling like there must be something that I could do with them. I finally picked a few up the other day and decided to start my experiment in aging galvanized metal!
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Well, it turns out that there are a lot of ways to do this. Some of them really fast, some of them a little less. Almost all of the methods that I came across used scary harsh chemicals though, which you know I’m pretty freaked out by. Some of the methods listed actually used some normal, seemingly harmless ingredients, but upon closer inspection it turned out that the instructions were to mix the two chemicals together in a way that I knew was a big no-no.
The method that I used was really effective and pretty fast although it did take a few hours rather than a few minutes. It really didn’t involve any extra effort on my part though and I definitely didn’t mind waiting for the results that I got!
[Hey! Have you checked these out yet?! The Creek Line House Easy Peasy Decorating Idea Archives]
Here’s what you need to age galvanized metal using my method:
- Regular White Vinegar (I ended up using about 2 gallons)
- Table Salt
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- A Big Plastic Tub
- Steel Wool
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2 of 4 comments
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Will try...but I've been known to just run them thru the dishwasher...once or twice. The last woman way.
Frequently asked questions
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How can mixing peroxide and vinegar be safe? That makes a dangerous acid, doesn't it?
How to keep them looking nice year after year after sitting in sun and rain etc..?? Keep from corroting etc.. Thank you for any help. This was great idea. I bought mine are Walmart already aged.
To be, perhaps, contrary: how does one keep the galvanized metal shiny? Clear poly varnish? Marine varnish? Will that yellow? Will it stick, or just peel like nail polish?