Jim Stewart wrote:

I bought a set of inexpensive gauge blocks,
mostly to be able to check the accuracy of
my motley collection of calipers and mikes.

I spent about 2 hours cleaning the rust
preventive goop from them and then I went
over them with a rag wet with LPS. If I
keep them in the living area of my house,
is that sufficient protection to keep them
from rusting?

No. Get some lanolin-based preservative made for gage blocks (probably what was
on them) and spend another 2 hours putting it back on.

Part of using gage blocks correctly is cleaning them each time and then
recoating with preservative and carefully putting them away.

GWE