While rusty garden tools can be aesthetically pleasing to look at in an antique shop, rusted tools aren't so fun to use. They just don't make tools like they used to and rusted tools weaken and break easily and don't cut through the soil as cleanly. Clean your rusty garden tools safely and they will serve you well for years to come.
Instructions
- 1
Put on rubber gloves.
2Scrub rusty tools with a steel-wool pad that has been dipped in white vinegar. If the rust is heavier, you can soak the tools in a bath of distilled white vinegar. The acid in the vinegar helps to lift the rust and the steel wool works into the finer cracks and crevices. Rusty garden tools can be cleaned easily this way without harsh, expensive chemicals.
3Fill a 5-gallon bucket 1/2 way full with sand and mix in some used motor oil. If you do not have used motor oil you can use some inexpensive baby oil for this job. Mix the oil and sand well and store your tools with their metal heads sunk in this bucket. The sand will act as an abrasive deterring future rust and the oil keeps your newly cleaned tools conditioned. This is also an effective way to store garden tools through the winter time. Mechanic's tools can be cleaned and conditioned the same way.
4Treat tools with significant rust damage -- or damage you don't feel like scrubbing free of rust -- with a rust-inhibiting spray paint designed to protect metal. A rust-converting primer may also be necessary.
