Your email address is safe with us. View our Privacy policy.
Q&A: Cleaning Rusty Garden Tools
Answer: The paint is there to form a protective layer against moisture, so you could repaint them or simply keep them well-oiled. Prevention is half the battle here, and it is usually recommended that you clean dirt off your tools regularly and store them under cover in a dry place. Many gardeners will clean them and then run them into a bucket of sand and a bit of oil to recoat them after use. Pruners and other blades do best with frequent sharpening and a bit of oil on the hinges. If the tools are severely rusted they may not hold up to more use safely; if they are slightly rusted you might try a bit of steel wool or perhaps a dab of "naval jelly" type rust remover (check the label directions to see if it is appropriate for the metal in question). Another option is to brush off the rust as well as you can and then use a rust inhibiting primer and paint according to the label instructions.
Content provided by the National Gardening Association
Printer Friendly Version | Send this page to a friend | Post Comment
Rate This Story:
Great - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - Bad
Posted Comments:
11-12-2008 00:27
wrote:
rust
a damp rag with a little mud on it removes rust also.works good on chrome.
Comment archive | Comment FAQ's
![]() |
![]() |
View Gardening ezine stories by date or visit the complete archive |
Featured Channel: Politics
The ArcaMax Politics channel is one of 70 content categories offered by ArcaMax Publishing on this ... |











Body Mass