How to get rid of rust from gardening tools

Growing vegetable and fruit plants in your garden not only provides you with a fresh food supply, you can also stay healthy and active. But taking care of your plants, watering them, pruning trees, and weeding requires time and efforts. Gardening tools can help you perform these tasks with ease.

With time, debris accumulates on tools and they can get rusted. Dirt and debris also support the growth of harmful bacteria that may ruin your garden. In order to keep the gardening tools in good shape for long, you should clean them regularly.

How to clean gardening tools

Gardening tools can last a lifetime if you take care of them. In order to protect them from rust, keep them away from water. When watering your garden, make sure the tools are kept at a safe distance. When they are not in use, keep them in a storage space to prevent rusting.

However, if the tools appear rusty, don’t worry because you easily get rid of the rust. Here’s how:

Vinegar

Vinegar bath is an effective solution for cleaning garden tools. Fill a jar with vinegar and keep the tools in the jar for a day. Take them out once they are properly lubricated. Hit them with a scour pad and the rust will easily come off.

Lemon

Citric acid can also help you clean your garden tools and make them as good as new. All you need to do is to squeeze lemon juice in a bowl and sprinkle a small amount of salt. Soak the tools in this mixture for a few hours. Use a steel wool to efficiently clean the tools and get rid of the rust.

Baking soda

When it comes to cleaning garden tools, nothing can compete with the efficacy of baking soda. Pour water in a bowl and add baking soda. Stir well to form a paste. Apply this paste over the rusty tool and let it rest for a few hours. Next, use a hard bristled brush to clean the tools.

Buy a rust remover

If you don’t have time to try out DIY methods, you can go for commercial products. Buy a rust remover that can effectively clean the tools. Use the solution as per the instruction on the label to get the desired results.

But commercial products contain chemicals that aren’t safe for you. So, it’s best to try natural methods out instead of using harmful commercial products.

Sharpen your gardening tools

Gardening tools such as pruning shears can’t trim and prune plants if they get rusted. Aside from cleaning them with the help of the aforementioned methods, you should also sharpen them to restore their condition.

Open the shears wide and use a metal file to sharpen it. Scrape the file across the length of the blade until it gets smooth.