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My Top Cleaning Garden Tools Tips 2022

Stylist Mama
January 21, 2022

Gardening is one of the most challenging or enjoyable activities you can do. Why is that so? Like Matthew McConaughey said, “It’s a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates.” If you take care of your gardening tools, they will definitely care for you. The most smiling gardeners know the trick, and this trick lies in taking care of your gardening tools. In this article, you will learn cleaning garden tools tips to help keep them in good condition at all times.

But do you think it’s hard to keep your gardening tools in their prime condition? To help you have the tools in excellent condition, I’ll share my cleaning garden tools tips with you.

My gardening tools cleaning tips will add value. How? I’ve got these gardening tool cleaning tips from my grandpa last year — a passionate gardener in his 70s.

Are you feeling impatient to know? Let’s dive into the article and find how you can keep your tools working with their youth.

How To Clean Your Garden Tools

Your garden tools are different for their material as well. Therefore, every gardening tool needs specific cleaning, as I’ll share here.

Gather Your Cleaning Tools And Material

To keep your gardening tools clean, there can be a long list of cleaning tools. Among the cleaning items, I’ll list some easily available tools here, besides their purpose.

Sandpaper to remove rust and splinters
Detergent
Sponge
Steel wool
Old towel or rag to dry
Wire brush for hard cleaning
Motor oil for lubrication
Any spare toothbrush
Oil sprayer
Turpentine or mineral spirit for removing saps
Linseed oil for wood handles conditioning
Isopropyl alcohol or bleach to disinfect tools
Tools dumping sand bucket mixed with 1⁄4 of motor oil or linseed oil

Cleaning Garden Tools Tips

Once you have all the tools and ingredients for cleaning the gardening tools, you can clean your tools. So, let’s know how to clean garden tools for seasonal or routine cleaning.

How To Clean Digging Tools

Your digging tools are made of wood and steel/iron material. Because of digging, these tools are in more contact with wet soil. Thus, they’re prone to rust as well. Though you can get steel tools, yet they can also catch rust, eventually. So cleaning is the only solution.

To clean the digging tools like a trowel, hand fork, fork, and rakes:

First, wash them as soon as you end your gardening routine.
If you find any rigid soil, use steel wool or steel brush to remove it.
Then dry these tools using a towel or rag.
Check the tools for the rust and remove rust with sandpaper or steel wool.
Now, lubricate your tools with the light motor oil-soaked cloth.
To keep the wooden handles in excellent condition, rub them with medium sandpaper to remove splinters, then wipe with the linseed damped cloth.
Hang your tools on the drywall. Or you can also bin the smaller tools into the sand-oil bucket. Be aware, placing tools on the floor can get them corrosion.

How To Clean Cutting Tools

Your cutting tools like pruners, shears, saws, and lawnmowers are tools with plastic or wooden handles and metal blades. Besides catching rust, these tools are prone to sap as well, which affects the cutting performance of the tools.

So, how to clean tools like trowels? Follow the steps:

Wash them after regular use, and dry them with the cloth.
Then wipe with an oiled cloth.
To prevent the screws from rust, unscrew the nut before you wash the tools in water.
Remove the rust using steel wool.
To remove the tree sap, apply mineral spirit or Turpentine with a cotton ball.
Then, rub the tool with linseed oil and join the parts.

Similarly, you can also clean the blade of your lawn-mower, and saw for sap.

How To Clean The Wheelbarrow

An essential part of our cleaning garden tool tips is your other gardening tools, which include wheelbarrows as well. To clean your wheelbarrow, just treat it like your other tools, except washing it.

Remove soil using a brush.
To remove rust, use sandpaper.
Then wipe the wheelbarrow with the oiled cloth.
To clean the tires, however, you can wash them. Similarly, clean the screws and nuts from the tires and use the lubricant afterward.

How To Clean Watering Cans

Would you love clogged and smelly water cans with slime? Never!!! So, it’s essential to keep your watering-can clean, which is quite easy to do.

To clean and disinfect the plastic watering can:

Fill the watering can with a dilute of bleach and water.
Then wash it with the brush inside and out.

To clean your galvanized water cans:

Fill the watering can with a dilute of detergent and hot water.
Then wash it with the brush or steel wool inside and out.

In case, your watering cans have hard water, use the solution of vinegar and water, and clean it later.

How to Disinfect Garden Tools

Can you catch an infection? Of course..! The same is true for your plants as well. Therefore, it’s necessary to disinfect your gardening tools to have happy and healthy plants.

But, how to disinfect garden tools? For this purpose, you can wipe your tools using ethanol or Isopropyl Alcohol. Though some friends might advise you to use chlorine, yet it can cause corrosion.

Some More Cleaning Garden Tools Tips

Telling how to clean your garden tools does not aim for keeping your gardening tools shining. But it’s all about the maximum performance as well.

So, with our best way to clean garden tools, we’ve got you some more cleaning garden tools tips.

Clean garden tools are sharp as well. So, keep your tools sharp.
You can use a hand file for trowels and single blade tools. However, for complex machines, I’ll advise you to take the professional once a year.
To clean your gardening tools either isn’t any hard and fast rule about, “when?” So, do a seasonal and regular cleaning to keep your tools tip-top.
Don’t leave them under the sky.
For seasonal care, store your tools in some dry indoor place.
If you’re always tied up, you can dump your small into the sand-oil bucket.
Keep your cleaning tools and ingredients at a separate place to keep out of against kids and fire.

FAQs Regarding Cleaning Garden Tools Tips

Why is clean your garden tools important?

Cleaning garden tools is crucial for preventing rust, keeping the edges sharper, and getting rid of the soil, sap, or other material on the tools that might affect or spread disease to your plans.

Can you use olive oil on garden tools?

Yes. Olive oil keeps dust and dirt away excellently, preventing rust. You can also use olive oil as a lubricant for moving parts and polishing wooden handles.

What oil is best to clean garden tools?

You can use any type of oil. However, natural oils are the best. Natural oils include linseed oil, olive oil, coconut oil, walnut oil, tung oil, and lamb oil. You can also use vegetable oil.

How to sanitize garden tools?

There are several methods you can use to sanitize your garden tools. If you are looking for less corrosive methods, you can use household cleaners, disinfectant wipes, steam, or isopropyl alcohol. For more corrosive methods, use bleach or industrial-grade gardening sanitizers.

How to clean garden tool blades?

Wipe the blades using WD-40. You can then sharpen them. For large blades, use a 10-inch flat mill file. On the other hand, use a whetstone to sharpen your tools, having smaller and finer edges. File the edges, ensuring to follow the original bevel. Then, wipe off the metal shavings using a soft cloth.

How to clean rusty garden tools?

Using rusty tools might be impractical. The best solution to rusty tools is prevention. However, you can still revive your precious tools if it has happened. You can use various methods to clean your rusty garden tools.

One of the commonly used is using vinegar. First, soak your rusty tools in 50 percent vinegar and 50 percent water overnight. Then use steel wool and a brush to rub off the rust. Finally, rinse your tool in soapy water, then clear water and hang it to dry.

How to clean garden tools after use?

Various garden tools require different approaches when cleaning them. Nevertheless, the concept is the same; keeping the tools in good condition.

To clean garden tools, first, remove the soil, or any matter stuck on the tool. Next, soak the tool in soapy water for about 15 minutes to remove the remaining soil. Then rinse with clear water and dry them. Remember to disinfect them before storing them.

How to maintain garden tools?

Maintaining garden tools does not require higher knowledge. It is determination and consistency that matter. Every tool requires to be cleaned after every use. Ensure you store the tools in dry space. Most tools are designed to allow you to hang them easily on a wall.

Another important maintenance trick is oiling the moving components. Also, lubricate the moving parts frequently. Occasionally sharpen blades and edges. Sand handles when necessary.

How to store garden tools?

As a rule of thumb, avoid leaving your tools outside, even if you will use them the next day. For hand tools, you can insert the metal ends in a bucket filled with oiled sand. On the other hand, hang your larger tools on a wall to keep their metal parts off the floor.

How to clean garden tools for winter?

First, clean the tools thoroughly. You can refer to how to clean garden tools after use above. Once they are clean, wipe the tools using an oiled rag. Sand, the handles to remove any splinters, then wipe them too using linseed oil.

Final Thoughts

From the above cleaning garden tools tips, it is evident that cleaning your tools is essential for preventing rust, keeping your tools’ edges sharp, and increasing their efficiency and life. Your gardening tools need the same care as your plants.

Being a passionate gardener in your backyard, you can add much life to your gardening tools. You know it very well. This is the reason you learn how to clean your garden tools. As Monty Don said, “a garden is not a place. It is a journey”. You are not going to clean your garden tools once and for all, but regularly. So stop toiling and start enjoying your gardening.

A vigilant follow-up of my cleaning garden tools tips is enough to have your tools last as long as your trees. So, are you ready to show your love for your garden tools?

Further Reading:

11 Best Gardening Tools For Seniors in 2021