Metal Cleaning

Help clean and remove imperfections such as weld burns, rust, mill-scale and paint fast and effectively.

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3M Abrasives for Metal Cleaning

Metal cleaning removes undesirable coatings and contaminations from surfaces without drastically changing the surface geometry. 3M abrasives for cleaning are designed to remove rust/corrosion, mill-scale, paint and clean spot welds quickly and effectively.

Continuum herobanner with icons for Cutting, Grinding, Deburring, Blending, Cleaning and Finishing.

Winning Abrasive Combinations for Cleaning Metal

Pairing the right abrasives together can result in a winning combination that optimizes productivity, designed for worker comfort, and helps deliver high-quality results for your metalworking application.

Cleaning & Grinding on Mild Steel

Don’t let rust, paint and mill-scale hold you back with this cleaning and grinding combination that works fast while designed to deliver low vibration and noise.

Try this winning abrasive combination to help get the job done:

3M™ Cubitron™ II Fibre Disc 982CX Pro, 36+

Scotch-Brite™ Clean and Strip XT Pro Disc
Weld & Weld Spatter Cleaning on Stainless Steel

Stainless weld cleaning and weld spatter removal can be easier and quicker when using a two-step sequence from 3M abrasives. Start with a flap disc and follow with either of the Scotch-Brite™ discs below.

Try this winning abrasive combination to help get the job done:

3M™ Flap Disc 769F, 40+

Scotch-Brite™ Clean and Strip XT Pro Extra Cut Disc

Scotch-Brite™ Bristle Disc, P80

Metal Cleaning Applications Videos

Watch videos of our winning abrasive combinations to learn more and help you find the one that's right for your application.

"With winning combinations, we’ve combined the best of our abrasive technologies to help you succeed in every step of your abrasive process."

Eric Askeland,
Abrasives Application Engineer,
United States
"We continually strive to select the right products that provide total solutions. Winning combinations can help deliver the best performance for our customers.”

Taegeun Eom,
Abrasives Application Engineer,
Korea
"Achieve an optimized balance of efficiency and precision with our winning combinations, tailored to elevate your abrasive processing performance.“

Brittany Moren,
Application Engineer - Robotics & Automation,
United States
"At 3M, we have a passion for helping our customers solve tough challenges. Our winning combinations can help increase worker comfort and efficiency across the industry.”

Theo Simon,
Abrasives Application Engineer,
United Kingdom
"Everyone wants to spend less time sanding. That’s why productivity and consistency are first and foremost for abrasive users with our winning combinations.”

Nick Richardson,
Abrasives Application Engineer,
United States

Find the Right Product for your Job

Use our comparison chart to find the metal cleaning abrasives you need.

Solution Spotlight | Scotch-Brite™ Clean and Strip XT Pro

See the time-saving power of the Scotch-Brite™ Clean and Strip XT Pro disc. With fast-cutting silicon carbide mineral embedded in a nonwoven web, it makes quick work of surface prep tasks like paint removal and rust removal.

metal panel with paint removed after using Scotch-Brite™ Clean and Strip XT Pro

Paint removed with Scotch-Brite™ Clean and Strip XT Pro.

After 15 seconds, a layer of black paint is completely removed from the aluminum sheet. What’s left behind is a clean surface ready for the next step.

metal panel showing an excess of left behind paint after using wire cup brush

Paint removed with a knotted wire cup brush.

After 15 seconds with a knotted wire cup brush, large areas of black paint remain on the aluminum.

Metalworking Resources for Metal Cleaning

Tips and tricks to help make your metal cleaning process more efficient, effective, and safe.

Winning combinations for stainless steel (PDF, 3.7 MB)
Dec 1, 1901
Winning combinations for mild steel (PDF, 3.9 MB)
Dec 1, 1901
Grind and Finish Winning Combination Technology Sell Sheet (PDF, 2.3 MB)

Dec 1, 1901
3M Metalworking Catalog (PDF, 56 MB)

Dec 1, 1901
3M Abrasive for Right Angle System Brochure (PDF, 13.7 MB)
Dec 1, 1901
Scotch-Brite Nonwoven Abrasive Product Guide (PDF, 69 MB)

Dec 1, 1901
Scotch-Brite Clean and Strip XT Pro Discs Guide (PDF, 617.91 KB)

Dec 1, 1901
3M Flap Discs 769f Brochure (PDF, 2.99 MB)

Dec 1, 1901
Scotch-Brite Bristle Discs and Broshes Brochure (PDF, 3 MB)

Dec 1, 1901
3M Cubitron II Fibre Disc 982CX Pro Flyer (PDF, 429.03 MB)

Dec 1, 1901
Scotch-Brite Clean and Strip XT Pro and Pro XT Extra Cut Brochure (PDF, 5 MB)

Dec 1, 1901
Scotch-Brite Precision Surface Conditioning Discs Brochure (PDF, 13 MB)

Dec 1, 1901
New 3M Cubitron II Cloth Belt 984FX Pro Brochure (PDF, 5.1 MB)

Dec 1, 1901
Scotch-Brite Precision Surface Conditioning Disc Sell Sheet (PDF, 3 MB)

Dec 1, 1901

Abrasive Solutions for Every Step of the Way

At 3M we specialize in delivering engineered abrasive solutions for every step of your abrasive process. We help you improve productivity and safety so that you can succeed every day from first cut to final finish.