I've used vinegar, reverse electrolysis, molasses, etc etc. I like stuff called Evap-o-rust. Vinegar will work fine just be sure to neutralize the acid after they soak with soap and water and oil them to keep off flash rusting.

Dan go here vinegar has endless uses

https://versatilevinegar.org/

And get yourself a file brush,,,any hardware store will have them Just a wire brush to clean the file teeth

Wd 40

Not to get rust off but to clean the metal out I use the big rubber erasers that you would use to clean a belt sander they work great .

Do you "chalk" your files before use? I was taught to do that about 15 yrs ago by "Hawk". Same "Hawk" that did the broadhead sharpening seminar at Compton.

The chalk help keep the filed metal from clogging the file,they make a brush called a file card for cleaning.You can use liquid wrench to help clean rust then wire brush.

I haven't used vinegar to clean files but I have used it to clean sharpening-steels before (trick learned years ago from an old butcher). Suspend the steel in a liter bottle with vinegar at the bottom for a day or two, allowing the rising fumes to clean and refresh the steel.

For cleaning filings from a file: flatten a 6"-8" piece of copper tubing and push the flat edge into the file teeth. - John

Kroil...put it in a container of some sort where it's laying flat, soak it down, let it stand overnight, file card it again and wipe it down.

X2 on the file card and Kroil. John

Evap-o-rust works great, when your done just put it back in the jug and save it for the next rusty job. it can be reused many times.

Can't help with the rust, but like Big Jack and Skeets noted, chalking really helps while sharpening. One of the Wensel brothers passed that on years ago.

There are some excellent videos on You Tube on file cleaning. Really amazing, how it is done. Ya'll should check them out!!

Just curious, would you put a high-carbon (not stainless) knife in vinegar?

The file is a cutting tool, it gets dull but can't be re-sharpened. For about $7 it's a pretty remarkable tool but when it gets dull, throw it out and buy another one.

I use a file all day at work, and even so I get six months out of one. I never clean mine, no point imo. Sharpening broadheads once in a while, you'd probably get a lifetime out of one. I'd worry more about rust over the long haul. A bit of oil would do it.

I put some Kroil on mine for storage, then degrease them and chalk them before use.

X2 on EVAP-O-RUST!!

They sell a brush to clean file grooves.

file card and chalk

then throw them away when get dull- no way to re-sharpen one that I know of

Chalk and a file card. The chalk keeps what you're taking off from packing in and loading the file up. The file card is nothing more than a wire brush designed to get the crap out that didn't pack in and stick because it was loaded with chalk.

The first thing they teach an apprentice machinist is how to properly use and care for a file.......

I can't help wonder how those look under a microscope.

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