Gardening is a lovely pastime, whether you do it to grow pretty flowers or to grow vegetables for the table. You may think once you’ve dug and weeded then that’s it, but you’d be wrong…
So why is it important to clean your garden tools, especially if you’ve absolutely had enough and your back is killing you? Let’s find out.
Why Is It Important To Clean Your Garden Tools?
Keeping your garden tools clean, although it may not be the first thing on your mind, is actually quite important for both the health of your tools, and the health of your garden.
You will almost certainly notice mud and dirt on your garden tools which needs to be cleaned off – but even more important is what you don’t see.
Bacteria, fungi, viruses and other pathogens can linger around on your gardening tools, and this can be bad news for your plants.
If you have used your tools to deal with a plant that is sick, and you do not clean them before you move on to the next plant, you will be spreading diseases.
You can prevent the spread of diseases between plants by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting your tools after each use.
Another good reason for cleaning your tools is that it can actually help them to last longer, and be more effective.
Leaving great clods of mud all over your tools is a pretty fast way to encourage rust and damage to the tools themselves.
No one wants to have to keep buying garden tools repeatedly, so keep them clean and maintained and they will last much longer.
Here is a useful article telling you all about the different ways to clean your garden tools, and why it is so important.
How Often Should I Clean Garden Tools?
In an ideal world, you should really clean off your garden tools after every time you use them – but in reality this doesn’t always happen!
Perhaps they didn’t look too dirty, of you had to rush off and do something else – there are actually not many of us that clean tools after every use.
One time you should always, always clean your tools is if you have been working with an infected plant. You really don’t want to spread diseases, or your whole garden may be at risk.
If you don’t get around to cleaning your tools after every use, you should definitely do so before you put them away for the winter.
If you put your tools away into the shed for the cold months, make sure you clean them before you do so – this way they are likely to be in a better state when you get them out again.
OK, so you’ve forgotten tot clean them in the winter and now you want to use them – you should at least clean your tools in the spring!
Starting the season with freshly cleaned tools is a great thing – and you can then remember to try and clean them after every use. Think of it as a New Year’s resolution!
What’s The Best Thing To Clean Tools With?
When you are cleaning your tools, you don’t really need anything fancy or to go out and buy things that you don’t already have lying around.
Just about the best thing to clean tools – and in fact anything – is warm soapy water. And that’s pretty much it!
It is important to remember to dry your tools off well after you have cleaned them, or you may end up with rust problems.
Giving them a wipe over with an oily cloth, or a quick spray with some WD-40, will really help with their longevity.
If you have tools that are starting to rust then wire wool is your friend – give it a vigorous scrub and you should start to see clean, healthy metal emerge from under the rust.
Antibacterial spray or gel is another useful thing to clean tools with, especially if you have been working with sick plants, to avoid spreading pathogens.
How To Properly Clean Tools?
Cleaning tools properly after each use is the best way to make them last longer, and also to keep your garden and plants healthy. But how to do it?
- Start by brushing away any large clumps of mud, dirt and discarded plant parts like leaves, stems or roots.
- Get a bowl filled with warm water mixed with dish soap, and sponge the tools clean using a cloth or towel.
- Check the tools for rust and any damaged parts; this is a good time for a little bit of maintenance too.
- Give them a wipe down with rubbing alcohol or disinfectant spray – this is especially important if you have been working with poorly plants.
- Finally, rub them over with a thin layer of oil over the metal parts, to give them a bit of a pampering and keep them in their best condition.
- You should always, wherever possible, store your tools in a dry area – perhaps in the shed, conservatory or greenhouse.
- Some of your tools may need to be sharpened from time to time, so keep it in mind.
Keeping tools clean can be a bit of a faff, but it is definitely worth doing if you want to keep them in working order.
This useful little video shows you the most effective way to clean your garden tools:
Is WD-40 Good For Cleaning Tools?
In short, yes! WD-40 can not only unstick parts that have rusted, but it can also act as a protective layer too.
You can also use a bit of steel wool when you get the WD-40 involved; this will help to remove any rusted areas.
WD-40 is great for removing grease, so if you have any tools that are particularly sticky, this should be your go-to.
Another great thing about this product is that you can use the attached nozzle to get into hard-to-reach areas, ensuring that everything is clean, rust free and working well.
Final Words
Keeping your gardening tools clean is absolutely key to keeping them in good working order, so that you can garden more effectively.
We know it’s one more chore that you don’t want to do after a day of hard digging, but trust us, it’s well and truly worth it!
