Whether we pry up flagstone with a trowel or twist the pruners on a branch a wee bit too big, our garden tools get little respect. And the when the mercury drops, so do those tools. But just a few moments spent on maintenance in the fall will pay major dividends in the spring.
Wiping and scraping off mud and other debris may eliminate rust from eating tool surfaces. Following up the cleaning with an application of oil really helps. Rubbing linseed oil into the handles of all wooden tools may add years to their useful life and could prevent a handful of splinters. The edges of all digging and cutting tools will benefit from a sharpening as well. But, perhaps the single most valuable thing you can do is simply to put the tools away, out of the ravages of weather, where they can be found when you need them.
Kim Nelson from Sunset Magazine
To clean spades and trowels, fill a 5-gallon bucket with sand and mix in a quart of vegetable oil. Plunge the metal tool heads into the sand several times until they are clean.
To remove rust spots on pruners & saws, gently rub the blades with sandpaper. Sharpen blades with a whetstone, spray them with mineral or machine oil and wipe them clean.
