What would cause the metal things in a bedside drawer go rusty

[Gattopardo]

So there is no source of moisture or liquid, and it is just one drawer in a set of three.

Any ideas?

[Hot Flatus]

Ghosts

[ian]

Incontinent ghosts.

[sojournermike]

Oxygen?

[hellymedic]

Batteries/electricity/electrolysis?

[caerau]

Water and oxygen


Unless you take special measures, air is not dry.


Salts will accelerate it also.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Unless you are talking about something weird, you need moisture/ electrolyte for corrosion to occur. A somewhat salty surface would be enough, because of atmospheric moisture. Most homes have high enough humidity for corrosion to occur, albeit slowly.

[hellymedic]

Water and oxygen
Unless you take special measures, air is not dry.
Salts will accelerate it also.

Relative humidity is around 50% in most indoor locations and that's a LOT of water in the air.
An adult exhales around 400ml water per day at rest.

AIUI the OP's question is about corrosion in only one of  three drawers in otherwise similar environments.

I'd like to know much more about the drawers and their contents...

Perhaps there's more heavy breathing closest to the drawer with rusty contents...

[Gattopardo]

Will take photos tomorrow, things like cameras going rusty.  USB clips that are metal.  USB Cables that go rusty.

[hellymedic]

If the affected drawer is significantly cooler than the others, atmospheric moisture would be more likely to condense on any exposed metal.

Suggest you check the temperature of your drawers - ooer missus!

[caerau]

Depends what the things that are rusting are made of, if there was something there that was already rusting that won't help.


Indeed, more information is really required.

[T42]

About 15 years ago the missus did an OU geology course, and left a bottle of dilute HCl near the router shelf in my workshop.  They rusted overnight, which prompts me to ask: what's in the drawer underneath?  Not suggesting that you might have a chemistry lab, but something in there might be the culprit. Other things than water cause oxidation.

Failing that, bung in a few sachets of Silicagel Do Not Eat and bake them occasionally in the oven. Serve when tender.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Condensation

Damp, high relative humidity air

[giropaul]

Steamy activity in the room?

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

 
Houses heated with coal or open gas fires must have been good at causing condensation and hence rust.

People often can be surprised to discover that warm air holds a greater amount of moisture than cold air.     

[ian]

I'm still sure it's incontinent ghosts. This is the exact plot of Paranormal Activity 18.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I'm still sure it's incontinent ghosts. This is the exact plot of Paranormal Activity 18.

Will ghosts remain incontinent after Brexit?

[Oaky]

Jeremy Corbyn.

[numbnuts]

Sweaty hands/fingers

[Paul H]

Neglect

[ian]

I think we've narrowed it down to it being the result of some kind of nocturnal emission.

[T42]

I once had one of those dreams you get when needing to pee, where every loo you find is unusable.  In this instance I was in some kind of palace, such as Versailles, and when I asked where the jarry might be a footman opened the top drawer of a rather nice buhl-style chest of drawers and said "here you are". However, it was already brim full so I abstained.

[fuaran]

Houses heated with coal or open gas fires must have been good at causing condensation and hence rust.

Coal or wood fires usually reduce moisture in the home. They improve ventilation, and take a lot of moist air up the chimney.
Not sure how gas compares.

[T42]

I use gas to heat my workshop and (in the absence of HCl) stuff doesn't rust there.

[Jurek]

Magnets?