Refresh and Seal Vintage Metal for Indoor Use

Lora Bloomquist
by Lora Bloomquist
3 Materials
$10
2 Hours
Easy

Love farmhouse vintage galvanized metal accessories, but are a little scared of them at the flea market? Here's a great way to clean these perfectly rusty and patinaed treasures and seal them to use in your home decor.

Vintage galvanized metal pieces are so cool. But a lot of times when you pick them up at a flea market or estate sale, they're kind of scary. Here's a great way to scrub them up and bring out their beautiful patina so you can enjoy them inside your home!

Use a garden hose to loosen dirt and junk (or worse). Scrub old metal with a Brillo or S.O.S. pad. It's a cleaning pad that's made of fine grain steel wool with soap inside. Rinse with hot water and dry thoroughly.

Don't worry about the rust. Once it's scrubbed and clean and dry, it will be beautiful when you get done...

When metal is warm (60 degrees or warmer), brush on a coat of polyurethane. Let dry. Recoat with a second layer. Watch out for drips. Poly will dry clear.

When poly is dry, the rust will be sealed and will have beautiful patina! The old galvanized will become a beautiful color, too.

This is also a great way to seal in those shabby paint chips, so the pieces history will be preserved! A great way to enjoy all those farmhouse vintage metal treasures inside your home, all cleaned and sealed!

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Lora Bloomquist
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