At the end of every garden season take time to care for your garden tools and store them in a clean, dry shed out of the harsh winter weather. Follow these garden tool tips:
- Use steel wool to clean up the metal surfaces of your shovels, rakes and hoes. Rub the steel wool over the metal until all debris and rust is removed.
- Wipe down the metal surface with a small amount of mineral spirits to remove sap and give the tool a final cleaning.
- Spray a small amount of WD-40 over the metal surface and use an old rag to rub it evenly over the entire metal surface.
- Using a clean rag, add a small amount of linseed oil to the rag. Wipe down the wooden handles of your garden tools. This will help keep the wood from splitting or drying out during the cold winter months when not in use.
- Store all your garden tools in a dry shed when not in use.
- Some gardeners like to store their garden shovels in a bucket of sand in the shed on a regular basis. Just push the shovelhead into a bucket of sand and it will help keep it from rusting.
