[header] How to clean rust and stains from a tin [title] Gather steel wool, sandpaper, a wire brush, or a crumpled ball of tinfoil. [step] These easy-to-find items can brush away small rust stains with ease. There's no reason to attempt more involved methods for lighter areas of rust when you can rub them away with common household items. 
[title] Put your back into it! [step] Vigorously scrub your tinware with one of these items using a back and forth motion. You need to put a decent amount of pressure on the tin to effectively clear away the rust.