Our dishwasher rack had REALLY bad rust damage in a couple of spots, and we had ignored it for way too long. So I decided to take action and fix our rusting dishwasher rack by using a dishwasher rack repair coating.
CHECK OUT THE BEFORE & AFTER
MATERIALS
This project was extremely budget-friendly for me because I already owned everything needed except for the dishwasher rack repair product.
| MATERIALS NEEDED |
|---|
| ReRack Dishwasher Rack Repair |
| Rubbing Alcohol |
| Sandpaper |
| Box Cutter |
TIME COMMITMENT
| ACTIVE TIME: About 1 hour, spread out over a few hours |
| 30 minutes to prep the area & apply the first coat |
| 5 minutes for each coat after (Our rack needed a lot of coats since it was so damaged, but you might not need as many) |
| TOTAL TIME: 24 hours of drying time |
STEP BY STEP
STEP 1 – REMOVAL & SETUP
The first step to fixing a rusting dishwasher rack is to remove the rack from the dishwasher and find a well-ventilated area to work in. I chose to work outside.
STEP 2 – SAND AWAY THE RUST FROM THE DISHWASHER RACK
Using sandpaper, file down the rust until you reach the clean metal underneath.
STEP 3 – CUT AWAY THE PLASTIC COATING
After removing the rust, you may need to cut away any loose pieces of your dishwasher rack’s original plastic coating that are still attached. Use a box cutter to ensure clean cuts and make sure to expose about a quarter inch of smooth metal on each side of the repair area.
The goal of the rack coating application is to create an impenetrable seal. Therefore, your best chance to achieve that goal is to have as smooth of a surface as possible before application.
Once the area has been prepped, clean it with rubbing alcohol and allow it to dry.
STEP 4 – APPLY RERACK TO DISHWASHER RACK
Now it’s time for the fun part of fixing your rusting dishwasher rack! Shake the bottle of ReRack Dishwasher Rack Repair well (per the instructions on the back) and then paint a coat over the rusted area. Be sure to overlap a little bit with the plastic coating on each end of the spot to be fixed. You’ll be making multiple coats so it’s okay if the first coat doesn’t completely cover all the metal.
STEP 5 – WAIT & REAPPLY
Continue to apply coats of the rerack every 30 minutes. Repeat until you can no longer see any metal and the coating completely covers the damaged area.
STEP 6 – REINSTALL DISHWASHER RACK
The bottle says to allow it to dry overnight before use, but to be extra safe I waited 24 hours to allow additional drying time. Once the time has passed, reinstall the rack in your dishwasher and enjoy your rust-free rack!
Despite the rust almost eating through the metal, the coating saved the day. Now, our dishwasher rack is back in action, rust-free, and good as new! A few months later, I’m still shocked at how well the covering is working considering just how much damage the rust had done.
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