Thread: Rust from coins--can anything be done?

Hi--
I am hoping the wisdom of bhuz'ers can help me out with a costume problem I just discovered today.

I was in a group performance yesterday at two back-to-back times (two locations). The top half of the costume was a silver velvet tie halter top with a silver coin drape sewn to it (that is how it was purchased). It was very warm out and needless to say, dancing for 10 minutes in 75 degree heat and then being covered in my caftan before & after dancing & also between driving half an hour from one place to the next...I got very hot and sweaty. Since my husband and I went out to dinner right after I got home, I didn't look at my costume until today when I went to air it out.

I found several of the coins had rusted (!) and there were some rust spots on the back of one of the velvet straps where the coins had touched it -- and also rust spots along the front edge under the bust.

YIKES! Has this happened to anyone and is there anything that can fix it?
The coins are thin. I never would have thought them to rust especially overnight (what does that say about my sweat?!--or maybe it already started to rust and I didn't notice it). Are these coins something that can be carefully polished with silver polish? Or should I take a small piece of sandpaper to them to get the orange off?

And that velvet...can rust spots be cleaned off fabric? Maybe a tide stain removing pen and then woolite?
I'm at a loss (and so sad!) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! I certainly don't want to have to buy a whole new coin top.

Silver polish is intended for silver only, and it can discolor other metals. If your coins are rusting, then there must be iron in them. The coins themselves are easy enough to fix. Get some liquid rust remover and gently clean them one at a time. You'll probably want to wear rubber gloves during the process. Put a little of the chemical on a rag or cotton ball, clean off the rust spots, then wipe the coin with a damp cloth (to remove the chemical residue), and dry it off. If the whole piece is rusty, you could take it off the bra, and dip it and rinse it in bulk, and dry it with a hair dryer. If you want to prevent the problem from happening again, you can seal the rust spots with clear nail polish or a metal sealant afterward.

The fabric is more tricky. There is a method for getting rust out using lemon juice, but I personally prefer the rust remover again. Some stores carry specific laundry rust removers in the stain-fighting area of the detergent aisle. (My preference is Carbona if you can find it, but Whink and RoVer also work. CLR will work on the coins, but I don't think it's as good on fabric.) You'll want to test on an inconspicuous spot first, but there's a good chance the chemical won't damage the color.

Ditto on the commercial rust remover. (And whatever you do, do not use bleach on a rust stain. Ask me how I know... *g*)