GOODTAKE Rust Remover Powder, Concrete Stain Remover | Indoor Outdoor Surfaces | Quickly Removes Rust Stains | Safe To Use | Non-Corrosive | For Concrete, Cement Surfaces

Why I tried this powder

Rust shows up in all the predictable places at my place—fertilizer specks on the driveway, orange arcs beneath a leaky hose bib, and the tea-stain streaks that creep down stainless patio furniture. I wanted something that wouldn’t etch concrete, choke out the adjacent lawn, or make the garage smell like a chemistry lab. This powder-based rust remover promised a neutral, non-corrosive formula you mix into a paste, so I put it through a week of spot-cleaning on concrete, cement, a porcelain sink, and a couple of metal pieces.

Packaging, mixing, and setup

The product comes as a dry, white powder in a resealable pouch. There’s no ingredient list on the packaging I received, which is unusual and something I’d like to see addressed. That said, it has little to no odor, and it didn’t irritate my skin while handling—still, I wore gloves and eye protection, as I would with any cleaner.

Mixing is straightforward: about two parts powder to one part water by weight (roughly the same by volume for a paste). I found the sweet spot to be a thick, yogurt-like consistency—thin enough to brush on, thick enough to stay put on vertical surfaces. For larger patches, a small plastic putty knife speeds things up; for edges or tight areas, a nylon brush works well. The brand suggests 1 to 15 minutes of dwell time; I stuck to that, testing at 5, 10, and 15 minutes.

A practical tip: pre-wet porous concrete very lightly. It keeps the paste from drying too fast and helps the active agents migrate into the top layer without the surface drinking up all the moisture. If you’re treating an area in hot sun, tenting with plastic wrap keeps the paste from crusting and preserves performance.

Performance on concrete and cement

• Fresh sprinkler/iron stains on broom-finished concrete: After a quick sweep and a light pre-wet, I troweled on a 2–3 mm layer and left it for 8 minutes. A rinse with a garden nozzle and a light brush pass removed the orange cast completely. No obvious lightening or “spot clean” halo—helped by rinsing beyond the treated patch.

• Fertilizer specks and rust arcs: Two applications at 10 minutes each got me to nearly uniform gray. The first pass removed most of the color; the second evened out stubborn pinpoints. No etching or roughening, which is key if you’ve ever watched acids bite into paste-finished or polished concrete.

• A years-old rust bloom from an old can left on the garage slab: This was embedded. The paste lightened it by perhaps 60–70% after two rounds. A third pass plus a nylon-brush scrub improved it a bit more, but I could still make out a faint outline when the floor dried. That’s about what I expect for deep-set rust below the surface cream.

• Grease and general grime: The remover lifted surface dirt where rust was present, but it’s not a dedicated degreaser. For oil-heavy spots, I had better results degreasing first, then using this paste on the residual orange discoloration.

Net result on concrete: impressive for fresh to moderately set rust, with minimal effort and no surface damage. Older, deeply absorbed rust will likely need multiple applications and may not vanish entirely, but this is a gentle formula; that trade-off is reasonable.

On metal and stainless

I tried the paste on:
- A lightly tea-stained stainless steel chair: A thin smear, 5-minute dwell, and a microfiber wipe removed the brown film with no visible haze. Rinse and dry promptly to avoid water spots.
- A set of carbon-steel pliers with patchy rust: The paste knocked back the orange rust and smoothed the surface after a 10-minute dwell and nylon-brush scrub. It didn’t resurrect pitting—that requires abrasion—but it left a markedly cleaner, safer-to-handle tool. I applied a light oil afterward to prevent flash rust.

Compared with strong acids or dedicated chelators for immersion, this paste is slower but safer on surrounding materials and far easier to use on fixed items or vertical surfaces.

Porcelain and enamel

For a porcelain sink ring, the paste lightened the stain, but after a 15-minute dwell it was still visible. An additional round made a small improvement, not a full removal. On glossy, non-porous finishes with older rust, acid-based cleaners (used carefully) tend to outperform neutral or near-neutral formulas like this. If your goal is perfect white porcelain, set expectations accordingly.

Safety, odor, and cleanup

• Odor is minimal—no sharp chemical bite—and I had no fumes issues in a closed garage.
• Splashing onto adjacent lawn and landscape didn’t burn leaves or grass in my tests. I still rinsed thoroughly.
• On concrete, I didn’t observe etching or whitening beyond the area I treated. Rinse generously and feather the rinse water to avoid cleaning “bullseyes.”
• The paste can leave a faint white haze if it dries. If that happens, re-wet and brush lightly; it rinses away.

Always test in an inconspicuous spot. Even neutral formulas can interact with sealers or dyes in unexpected ways.

Coverage and value

Paste thickness dictates coverage. For typical spot treatments—think hand-sized patches, arcs beneath fixtures, small fertilizer scatter—a single pouch goes a long way. Because you’re mixing only what you need, waste is low and storage is simple. For larger slabs or many yards of stains, you’ll go through it faster; this is best suited for targeted cleanup rather than refurbishing an entire driveway.

Cost-wise, the powder format is efficient. Two parts powder to one part water means the working paste volume stretches further than you’d expect, and you avoid paying to ship water. It’s also easier to dial in viscosity for verticals or rough textures.

What could be better

• Ingredient transparency: There’s no disclosed ingredient list on my packaging. While it’s marketed as neutral and non-corrosive—and behaved that way—an SDS or basic disclosure would inspire more confidence for professional users and homeowners alike.
• Not a silver bullet for old, non-porous staining: On aged porcelain rust and deeply embedded slab stains, performance plateaus. That’s the trade-off for a safer, non-etching approach, but it’s worth noting.
• Pouch format: The resealable bag works, but a rigid tub with a measuring scoop would be cleaner for repeated small mixes.

Who it’s for

• Homeowners wanting to remove rust from concrete, cement, and masonry without etching or harming nearby plants.
• Facilities and maintenance staff who need a low-odor, low-risk paste for spot corrections on sidewalks, steps, and garage slabs.
• Anyone cleaning light oxidation from stainless, hand tools, and metal fixtures without disassembly or immersion.

If you’re tackling heavy industrial rust or seeking perfection on old porcelain, you’ll likely want to supplement with mechanical abrasion or a stronger, carefully managed acid-based cleaner.

Practical tips

• Pre-wet porous surfaces lightly; keep the paste moist for best results (cover with plastic in hot, dry conditions).
• Work in 5–10 minute intervals and check progress; reapply rather than letting it dry out.
• Agitate with a nylon brush before rinsing to lift residue from pores.
• Rinse beyond the treated zone to blend the clean with surrounding areas.
• On metal, dry thoroughly and apply a protectant to prevent flash rust.

The bottom line

This powder rust remover earned a spot on my shelf for concrete and cement work. It took care of fresh sprinkler and fertilizer stains quickly, improved older slab blemishes without scarring the surface, and tidied up light stainless oxidation without drama. It’s easy to mix, easy to aim, and gentle on surroundings. Its limitations show up on older, non-porous rust staining and deeply embedded concrete blooms, and I wish the packaging offered clearer ingredient information. But as a safe, low-odor, non-corrosive paste for targeted rust cleanup, it’s effective and user-friendly.

Recommendation: I recommend this rust remover for homeowners and maintenance users who prioritize surface safety and plant-friendly cleanup on concrete, cement, and light metal oxidation. It’s not the strongest option for old porcelain rust or deeply set stains, but for most day-to-day rust on porous surfaces, it’s a reliable, low-risk choice.