Easily Restore Your Rusty Garden Tools – They Will Look Brand New With a Little Help From My Favorite Products
Rusty pruners? A few simple tricks will give them new life and prepare you for your next gardening jobs. Learn how to revive old, rusty tools.
Every gardener has their favorite garden tool. My personal favorite is my trusty soil knife. It lives on my belt through spring, summer, and fall as I dig, chop, divide, weed, and plant. It gets quite the workout in my pollinator garden and raised vegetable beds. But even the sturdiest tools need a little TLC after being put through their paces in the garden.
Cleaning gardening tools is important so they last a lifetime. In particular, rust can ruin a tool that otherwise could be passed down to the next generation. Rust spreads quickly and can destroy your precious pruners, trowels, and loppers.
Luckily, not all might be lost. You can clean rusty garden tools and get them back in tiptop shape with a little effort. Then you just need to be sure to take care of your basic tool maintenance going forward. Here’s how to restore your rusty tools so they are ready for many more years of use.
Clean Your Tools
First, it is important to clean rusty garden tools and assess their condition. Lay out a tarp or take your tools outside for a preliminary cleaning. Use a stiff brush to knock off any old dirt that is clinging to blades and handles. A grout cleaner brush, like this one from Amazon, has a v-shaped bristle edge that allows you to get in the nooks and crannies of your pruners or loppers. A larger plastic scrub brush, also available from Amazon, will easily clean larger tools like shovels.
Once your tools are free of dirt and debris, assess the condition of your tools. Have rust spots gone all the way through the metal? If so, those tools are done and no longer safe to use. Check with your municipality to find out how you can recycle them.
If your tools have some rust but are in stable condition, you can move on to treating the rust.
Treat Rust on Tools
A simple and effective way to take the rust off your gardening tools is an overnight soak in vinegar. The acetic acid in vinegar will break down the rust and make it easier to scrub away.
Place the rusted metal parts of your tools in a bucket and fill with vinegar. Submerge the rusty part of the tools completely in the vinegar, but be sure to not soak any plastic or wood handles. Alternatively, you can soak a rag in vinegar and wrap the rag around the rusted metal and let it sit overnight.
After soaking the rusty tools overnight, use steel wool or a good scouring pad to remove any remaining rust. Rinse your tools well with water to ensure that the vinegar is neutralized and doesn’t corrode the good metal on the tools. Dry your newly cleaned tools thoroughly.
Prevent Future Rust
After restoring your rusty garden tools, it is time to prevent any future rust from forming. A good multipurpose oil like 3-in-ONE can be found on Amazon or from your local hardware store. It will protect the metal from moisture that will lead to corrosion. This will extend the life of your tools. It’s also great at lubricating any moving parts on pruners or loppers. Store your tools in a dry environment and they will be ready to use for the next season’s gardening jobs!
My Rusty Tool Restoration Essentials
Don’t let rust get in the way of your gardening ever again. Some cleaning, simple rust removal, and a little preventive maintenance will keep your garden tools rust free for years to come.
