How to Clean Your Garden Tools | DIY Megastore

How to Clean Your Garden Tools

Garden tools leaning against stone wall.

Whether we’re removing piles of leaves from our drives or shovelling snow off our paths, you never know when you might need your trusted shovel or rake. That’s why it’s so important to keep your garden tools on hand, ready to be used at any time of the year. The best way to make sure they are ready to use is to clean them frequently.

But how do you clean your garden tools? This guide will look into some of the most frequently asked questions surrounding the cleaning of your garden tools, including the benefits of the process, how to know when your tools will need replacing and how to ensure that your tools are always ready for use.

Why Do I Need to Clean My Garden Tools?
Do My Tools Need Cleaning or Fixing?
How Do I Clean My Garden Tools?
How Can I Keep My Garden Tools Clean?

Why Do I Need to Clean My Garden Tools?

One of the more common reasons people don’t clean their garden equipment is that they are under the impression that the tools have been designed to get muddy. Surely, if they’re designed for constant use in dirt, water and debris, they can last for lengthy periods of time whether they are dirty or not? Well, not quite.

Garden tools, like anything else will suffer from natural wear throughout their lives. And, like other materials, different factors can speed up or slow down the wearing process. For garden tools in particular, the two most common elements that will speed up the rate of decay are water and dirt. The latter of these two elements is much easier to spot and remove than the former, though both can have an equal impact on the condition of your equipment.

It’s not just water and dirt, however. Leaves, cement, sand, fungi and more may well come into contact with your shovel, rake or trowel while you’re out in the garden. All of these will leave, no matter how small, a lasting effect.

For example, fungi coming into contact with the metal end of a shovel may not have too much of an impact, but if that fungus is allowed to dwell on the wooden handle for too long, it may lead to mould growth. This is incredibly difficult to fully remove once it takes form.

You should not be cleaning your garden tools just to avoid problems, however. There are many benefits to it too. Cleaning your garden tools can make them far more visually appealing, which is always a bonus for those of us that like to keep everything looking as neat and tidy as possible. It will also mean you can head straight to a job the next time you need your tools instead of spending time cleaning and preparing them.

Do My Tools Need Cleaning or Fixing?

It should be noted that no matter how well you look after your garden tools, they will almost definitely wear out eventually, usually to the point where they are beyond salvation. This will mean that, instead of wasting time and resources attempting to clean your tools, they will either need to be repaired or replaced.

But how do you know when a tool is salvable or not? The best way is to study the tool and look out for the following issues before deciding if it is to be cleaned, repaired or thrown away.

Cracks and Tears

If there are cracks or tears present in your garden tools, be it on the handle or in the metal, this will heavily affect the efficiency of your equipment. They can appear for numerous reasons, usually as a result of an impact or rough interaction with another object while being used.

For example, it’s not uncommon for metal shovels to get cracked or torn when digging around particularly large or strong tree roots, especially if the tool is quite old. If you spot any cracks or tears in your garden equipment they will most likely require replacing.

Rust

This can often form on the metal areas of your garden equipment, and whether or not your tools will need to be replaced depends on the severity of the rust in question. Rust severity can range from a few small blotches on the surface of the metal to being so severe that you can quite literally twist off entire sections of the metal with minimal effort.

There are several rust-removing formulas available for smaller jobs, but if it is of a larger scale, you may need to consider replacing your tools rather than attempting to salvage them.

Chips and Dents

Similar to cracks and tears, chips and dents cannot be cleaned away though they are usually less severe. However, if they are quite sharp, it is probably best to replace the tool to avoid injuring yourself. They can again form on either the handle of the tool or the metal from which the tool itself is usually made.

Colour Fading

By no means a major reason to replace your tools entirely, colour fading may still be used as evidence that you need to give your kit more care by storing them away from direct sunlight. The colour of, say, the plastic handle of your garden equipment may well be the result of sun damage, which may weaken the material considerably.

Mould Growth

Mould growth is a particular risk if your tools are partly made of wood, but it can occur on metal and plastic sections of your garden tools. Some mould growth can be cleaned away using the appropriate formulas and cleaning products.

However, on materials such as wood, it may prove harder to clear it effectively. In these cases, it is best to replace the tool altogether. Particularly if you aren’t using protective equipment such as gloves and goggles when handling the tool, as contact with your hands and eyes may result in serious health problems.

Melts and Burns

Especially prevalent when handling hot materials such as ash or the remains of a fire with a shovel or pitchfork, your garden equipment may in turn suffer from burns and melts. This can range from simple black scuffs on your handle to missing entire sections of your garden tools.

Any interaction with especially hot materials can often result in damage to your garden tools, and often cannot be fixed through cleaning, as even soot can stain your tools permanently, especially wood. Depending on the severity of the damage dealt to your tools through handling heated materials, you may need to purchase new equipment.

Splinters

Mainly something to look out for if you use garden tools with wooden handles, splinters can occur in time due to wear and the corrosion of the wood. These splinters can prove very troublesome if not dealt with properly, cutting into your skin and causing serious injuries if the appropriate precautions are not taken. Splinters can usually be removed by sanding or treating your wooden materials, but if the damage is severe enough, replacement of the tool in question may be in order.

Broken Parts

This one is fairly obvious, but if there are any broken parts of your garden equipment, then they are far less likely to function properly. Even if you are only missing one of the ‘fingers’ from your rake or pitchfork, this will still reduce its effectiveness dramatically. As you’d expect, these can be very rarely repaired so you’ll need a replacement.

How Do I Clean My Garden Tools?

Cleaning is best done immediately after using your tools. This is because it’s easier to remove dirt and debris when it is fresh. This is what you’ll need to clean your garden tools with:

Scrubbing brush
Wire scrubber
Metal file
Sandpaper
Suitable disinfectant
Hose
Old towel
Oil
Gloves

Step-by-Step

1. Scrubbing Rakes, Trowels and Shovels

Use a stiff, reliable scrubbing brush to remove dirt from the blades, fingers and handles of your garden tools. Be sure to get into all the nooks and crannies when carrying out this process.

This step is one of the most important ways you can keep your garden tools clean – nearly all of your garden tasks will involve your tools coming into contact with soil, and this is the best general-purpose way to remove it from your equipment.

2. Removing Sap, Grime and Grit from Your Metal Tools

A wire scrubber is usually the best tool to use when removing these substances from metal. Make sure to apply plenty of pressure when needed as a lot of these substances can stick securely. When handling metal tools with blades such as saws and axes, be especially careful around the sharper edges.

3. Sharpening Your Garden Tools

Use a metal file to sharpen the edges of any garden tools you feel may require it, particularly axes and trench shovels. All garden tools will blunt over time, so sharpening may need to be carried out fairly frequently depending on the level of use your tools get.

It is always important to be careful when working with any sharp objects, and if you feel the task is beyond you, consult the advice or assistance of someone more knowledgeable on the subject to avoid the risk of injury.

4. Sand Your Wooden Handles

Very important when trying to minimise the risk of splinters from using wooden handles, sanding is one of the best ways to avoid injury when using wooden equipment. This is one of the processes that may need to be carried out before using the tools as well as after using them.

Splinters can form for many reasons other than general wear, including the warping of the wood in hot weather, meaning splinters may appear even when you haven’t touched your tools for a long period of time.

Sandpaper also answers the questions of how to clean garden tools with rust. Able to get rid of dirt and rust flakes from metal surfaces, which can prove especially useful if the rust is looking quite sharp and dangerous. However, if the levels of rust are particularly severe, it may be worth considering replacing your tools.

Close-up of shovel digging through soil in garden.

5. Disinfect Your Materials

Especially important if you are working in areas with a lot of dirt or mould growth, disinfecting your materials will help massively in decreasing the chances of contracting harmful bacteria from your gardening tools. Diseases such as Phytophthora can be spread through garden equipment, so it is best to keep your tools sterilised to avoid this happening.

Apply a suitable disinfectant to your blades and handles and leave for 15-30 minutes before wiping off with a cloth. Be sure to wear protective equipment when carrying this process out, as these disinfectants can irritate the skin and eyes.

6. Hose Down Your Garden Tools

Hosing down your garden tools is another way to remove dirt, bacteria and other substances effectively. If the dirt you want to remove seems to be deeply ingrained into your equipment, a higher-pressure hose or accessory for your hose may be able to dislodge it.

Once you are satisfied with the cleanliness of your tools, be sure to thoroughly dry them with an old towel – failure to do so could result in the appearance of rust, which can prove extremely damaging to your tools.

7. Oil Your Garden Tools

Once you have cleaned your tools and are about to store them, you may want to consider oiling them first. There are a number of benefits to this process – it keeps the metal of your equipment from rusting and helps to ensure a longer lifespan. Be careful not to add too much oil, as this may stain your equipment, particularly if any items possess a wooden handle.

How Can I Keep My Garden Tools Clean?

The majority of garden tools will last the longest when stored in a shed, garage or similar storage building. This will keep them dry and safe from the elements, while also ensuring they are always stored in a familiar place – great for those with larger gardens who often find they have misplaced their tools.

Storage will also help to keep any metal tool you own from rusting as quickly as they would do if they were left outside, where not only water but also particles in the air and ground can affect the speed of the rusting process. Most metal will rust eventually, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get many years of use out of the tool beforehand if it is kept and looked after properly.

Before storing your tools after use, it is best to make sure they are wiped down and free of dirt and water before putting them away. This can be done quickly with so little as a quick wipe down with a cloth or similar item. This again helps to minimise the wearing process, as well as prevent your shed from becoming dirty or even damaged by any mud, moisture or debris that you may unknowingly bring inside it when storing dirty tools.

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