5 Useful Tips on Cleaning Your Rusty Garden Tools

Every gardener has at one point or another fallen victim to a rusty tool. Whether it’s a trowel, hoe, transplanter, pruner, or shovel, they are all susceptible to rusting. Working with a rusty tool is no walk in the park either and replacing them can be expensive. So what’s the solution? Below we’ve compiled a few rust removing solutions we know you’ll appreciate.

Garden Tools

Caffeinated Tools
Caffeine has been known to remove rust from surfaces. To use this technique simply submerge your tool in a tea filled container for an hour or longer, depending on the amount of rust you need to remove. When time elapses remove the object and wipe clean. Repeat this process if necessary.

The Acid Trick
Vinegar has long since been a go to natural cleaning solution. To use the acid trick simply scrub your rusty tools with vinegar and water until all the rust is removed. Lemon and salt can also be used as a substitute. However, the substitution may not prove as effective as vinegar.

Sand and Oil
Burying your tools in a mixture of sand and motor oil is a common rust solution said to be an automotive trade secret. This method can also be used as a storing solution to prevent your garden tools from rusting.

Surprising Rust Solution
A mixture of 1 part molasses and 10 parts water used as soaking agent can remove rust. However, depending on the severity of your rusty situation soaking lengths may run longer than a week. While surprising it’s definitely not a quick solution.

The moral of our garden tool story is that you don’t necessarily have to chuck your expensive tools or purchase equally expensive and harsh chemicals to get them clean. To achieve optimal results you might consider using more than one listed technique.