One of the lastgarden tasksto do in fall ( and often one that is put off ! ) is to clean your garden tools and salt away them for winter . It ’s really not that hard , especially if you rinse or pass over off your tool from time to time during the season .
To scavenge garden tools that are not rusty , here ’s my approach . First , I pass over or rinse off any dirt on the tool . A wet brush is a good tool to use as you clean your garden creature and it is easier to get the slime off if you do it after the dirt has dried . Once I ’ve brush the shaft off , I rinse or souse them and scrub them with a scouring pad or blade wool . A spritz with some form bubbles lavatory clean may also be necessary to dispatch stain or stuck on dirt . Then , rinse them again , dry out them thoroughly with an old bath towel and enforce a trivial 3 - in-1 rock oil to the alloy part and mechanism . If they have woodwind handgrip , you’re able to also rub the handle with a little flaxseed oil to keep it moist and politic . In wintertime , I stash away most of my garden instrument in the cellar , but a garage , shed or other lieu that keeps them out of the element is fine .
deal with Rust
Well-used and loved tools are cleaned and ready for storage for the winter.
If you accidentally depart a tool out ( guilty ! ) or maybe lose it and do n’t clean it for a year , you could terminate up dish out with rusting and a thick stratum of grime . For that , vinegar and baking tonic is a good option . Our DIY editorialist Eric Johnsonexplained this methodin full in a tower two years ago . fundamentally , you soak your rusty tools in a vinegar - infuse rag for anywhere from two hours to overnight . The battery-acid in the acetum crop to loosen the rust , then you rinse it off and and apply broil soda as an abradant to dispatch the relaxation of the rust . A toothbrush or other small light touch works really well for experience into the chap of the tools . If the tool is really rusty and grungy , take it apart so you may get at all the tight spots . This method works really well , but it ’s crucial to use the baking soda snag with the vinegar to balance the sourness and preclude corrosion .
Sharpening prick
Some peter gain from sharpening from time to time . white the tool , then practice a Indian file and run it across the bevel square on the leaf blade a few time at a 45 degree slant . Among your garden tools that need sharpen are shovels , lopper and loppers . It ’s easier to show how to heighten tools than excuse it , so below is a video on sharpening tools that you might observe helpful .
With the colder - than - usual October and November we ’ve had , this week may be a good meter to get your tools cleaned and button up the garden for winter .
Mary Lahr Schieris a longtime Minnesota garden writer .
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