Rusty Weight Plates

[mbscn]

I just finished putting together my home gym. As per Rip's (and anyone else on this topic) I bought myself a good new bar in $300 range. I cheaped out on the plates and was able to buy a many #'s on Facebook Marketplace. Only problem- they were painted (or coated with some type of finish) and the paint chipped of in many places. All these spots are rusty. Now, i don't really care about the visuals, but i am bothered about the rust that built in the collar openings of the plates, as it rubs onto the sleeves of my new barbell and leaves rust within the grooves.
Here are my questions:
1.) Will this damage my sleeves anymore than a brand new not rusty plate would?
2.) How can i restore it? I have seen the youtube videos instructing to soak them in vinegar and then paint them, but these plates have paint on them, so do i first have to strip the paint?
3.) any tip on how to only restore the collar openings?

Thanks

[Mark Rippetoe]

Just get a wire brush and some WD40 and clean the ID of the plate.

[mbscn]

Just get a wire brush and some WD40 and clean the ID of the plate.

Excuse my ignorance, but would the order be to brush it down and then apply wd-40?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Experiment.