I've been cleaning up my '86 Trek 400 Elance; I've been going through the sizable paint chips, removing the rust through abrasion, and touching the spots back up. There are a fair number of spots and it is a lot of work. I'm wondering, if I leave the small rust spots alone, does this accelerate future rusting...beyond that that would occur if I simply had the same spot with bare metal instead of rust? In other words, does the presence of rust accelerate future rusting?

Also, I've been looking for a chemical or some other manner to remove the rust that isn't so labor intensive but want to leave the paint intact. I've considered an oxalic acid dip; however, it is winter here and I do not have a well-ventilated area to work in. Is there a non-toxic alternative for a not-so-well-ventilated space?