Easy Techniques To Clean Garden Tools & Woodworking Tools

The phrase “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” has been said so much that it sounds like a cliché when heard nowadays.

Believe it or not, when it comes to tools especially woodworking and gardening tools, if kept clean, they will surely give you godly results.

Woodworking and gardening are two areas that correlate in making sure our backyards look appealing and pleasing to the eye.

Therefore, the tools involved in both areas require maximum attention in maintenance by making sure they are clean.

How to Clean Woodworking Tools?

1. Table saw

Woodworking consists of power tools like a table saw which are often attacked by rust. Rust on a table saw can easily be removed by scrubbing the affected area with a Scotchbrite pad together with a considerable amount of mineral spirits (Don’t use too much oil since you will have to wipe off the excess after scrubbing). Later on, apply SLIPIT Tool Lube from tool review center to lubricate the top surface, rip fence of the table saw and not forgetting the slots of the miter gauge.

2. Blade

However, since the blade is the heart of a table saw, you should observe extra attention while cleaning the blade. The blade is first carefully removed and then dipped into a solution of Simple green (a cleaning agent). After it has soaked for a few minutes, use a toothbrush to scrub the surface of the blade especially around the teeth area. Lastly, rinse and dry it thoroughly before positioning it back on the table saw.

3. Drill

Even though a drill is at times used as a cleaning tool, ironically it is also another woodworking tool that is highly susceptible to dust accumulation and needs to be cleaned from time to time. You can remove the dust by blowing the drill using a compressor which forces all the dust in its interior out without even opening the drill.

How to Clean Garden tools?

Unlike some woodworking tools, gardening tools must be at all times cleaned immediately after use. This is because most gardening tools like the trowel are made for literally digging in the dirt. Therefore, gardening tools will always be surrounded by dirt and possibly be exposed to moisture if the soil is wet.

Although it is so obvious that cleaning is important, am still going to outline to you some signs of keeping your gardening tools clean. At least getting familiar with the benefits you can achieve from cleaning your tools, might give you that boost of motivation that you need to get serious when you embark on the idea.

Why Should You Clean Your Gardening Tools?

•  It increases the lifetime of the tool.
• Removes rust which if accumulates in abundance may weaken the tool. Rust is also harmful to your health.
• Maintains the sharp ends (or edges) to remain sharp.
• Soil that embedded on the tool is removed. The soil might be from a poisonous plant that is harmful to human life.

How to Clean Gardening Tools?

1. Moving parts

Use a wire brush to scrub off dirt and unwind trapped plants that are around moving parts of a tool. Lubricate the moving part of the process.

2. Digging tools

It is advised when cleaning spades, shovels, trowels, and pruners to soak them in a bucket full of hot soapy water for about 15mins. Secondly, rinse with clean water and dry out all the water and moist from each tool completely. Finally, apply WD-40 on the metallic surfaces and make sure not to apply too much till its excess.

3. Wooden handles

Wooden handles are cleaned using medium-grained sandpaper (for smoother) then applying linseed oil (to preserve the wood)

4. Disinfecting

Use a sanitizing spray to disinfect and sanitize pruners before working on each plant. This technique will help to prevent spreading of plant disease through transferring of bacteria and pathogens from one plant to another.

5. Getting Rid of Rust

When rusting occurs on your tools, start by wire-brushing off the removable layer of rust as much as possible. Then, use a primer for inhibiting rust and finish by painting the tool as per the recommendations of the manufacturer. Note: don’t let your tools get to this point, just clean regularly and store properly and this mishap can be avoided.

Safety Tips

Since cleaning is an indirect way of seeking safety, it would not be okay if you got injured when cleaning your tools. Here are a few aspects you should observe:

• You should not be reckless when handling cleaning agents. Some of the cleaning solutions may have ingredients that are harmful to your well-being, therefore, use gloves all the time when cleaning and follow the instructions carefully as specified.
• Be careful when cleaning the sharp edges to avoid cutting yourself. A cut from a rusted metal can cause tetanus.
• Where safety goggles when blowing out dust from a drill using a compressor to prevent some of it accidentally getting into your eyes.

It is no brainier that not cleaning your tools has many consequences. For instance, just seems to be the common defect of both woodworking and gardening that’s killing the vibe when tools are kept unclean. And apart from giving you an illness (tetanus) or weakening a tool, a tool that has caught rust is really uncomfortable to work with because the tool gets heavy to lift and also the sharp ends get blunt.

Granted, tools have the ability to improve work efficiency. More often than not, tools that accumulate rust become inefficient and could translate to inefficiency while completing tasks. It’s even financially detrimental not to clean your tools. At the end of the day, you need your tools working for you at all times. A simple cleaning regime can go a long way in improving work efficiency.

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And from the above-detailed information on how to clean your tools, you can see there very simple ways to clean your tools and avoid all the bad stuff that could happen to you. Be safe, Clean your tools.

Now, It’s Over To You!

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