How to maintain and clean your garden tools properly

Knowing how to clean garden tools properly is the only way to keep your equipment working well for longer. 

If you splurge on high-quality tools from Whitaker’s Garden Centre, it makes sense to treat them with care! For our best practices, organised by the type of tool you might be dealing with, follow along. 

The basic garden tool cleaning routine

You don’t have to perform a long, deep clean to learn how to clean garden tools. But establishing a basic routine will extend the lifespan of your equipment. Here’s a closer look: 

1. Remove soil after every use: Never put your tools away dirty. That’s the simplest way to prevent rust. Wet soil holds moisture against the metal, which accelerates corrosion. Keep a stiff brush near your shed door, and make it a habit to scrape off any large clumps of dirt from your blades before putting them away for the day. 
2. Wash muddy tools when needed: When scraping just isn’t working, give your tools a proper wash. Plunge them into a bucket of warm, soapy water or blast them with the garden hose to remove sticky mud.
3. Dry thoroughly before storing: Any good advice on how to clean garden tools should stress the importance of this step! Putting wet tools into a damp shed is a recipe for disaster. Keep an old towel or a stash of microfibre cloths in your gardening kit. 
4. Oil metal parts lightly: Once the metal is clean and dry, it needs a protective barrier against the damp air. Wipe a light coat of oil over the metal surfaces (we highly recommend using an eco-friendly option like Linseed oil). 

How to clean digging and planting tools

Here, we’re covering everyday essentials, like spades, shovels, trowels, forks, rakes and bulb-planting tools, all of which need regular cleaning after use.

1. Brush off compacted soil: Digging tools often suffer from baked-on, compacted mud that a simple scraper just can’t remove. Use a wire brush to scrub the blade of your fork, and pay special attention to the area where the metal head meets the handle.
2. Scrub metal heads and blades: When you’re first learning how to clean garden tools, you might notice spots of surface rust beginning to form: it’s time to bring out the wire wool. For older, neglected tools, you can soak the metal head in a mixture of white vinegar and water for an hour before scrubbing to help loosen corrosion.
3. Check handles for cracks or splinters: Wooden handles provide great shock absorption, but they can dry out, splinter, or rot. 
4. Run your gloved hand down the shaft to check for damage. If the wood feels rough, give it a quick sanding with medium-grit sandpaper. Then, grab your linseed oil from earlier and rub in a generous coat to stop the wood from cracking. 
5. Store away from damp floors: Did you know that concrete garage and shed floors hold a surprising amount of moisture? It’s these little-known facts that will teach you how to clean garden tools. Leave your spades and forks leaning on the ground, and the moisture will seep into the handles and rot them from the bottom up. Install wall hooks or a sturdy tool rack to keep everything elevated. 

How to clean cutting tools

Next, we’ll move on to tools such as secateurs, garden snips, hedge shears and loppers, which help with pruning around the garden. 

1. Remove sap from blades: Plant sap is sticky (and highly corrosive). If left on your secateurs, it’ll act like a glue that makes the blades stiff and difficult to open. Use warm soapy water and a scourer to scrub the sap away.
2. Disinfect after cutting diseased plants: If you have been cutting back a plant suffering from blight, canker, or mildew, you must sterilise your blades before touching another plant; this is arguably the most important step for cleaning garden tools. Wiping the blades with rubbing alcohol or a mild, diluted bleach solution will instantly kill any lingering pathogens. 
3. Oil the pivot point: Cutting tools have moving parts that need to be lubricated. Apply a few drops of multipurpose oil directly to the central pivot point of your shears and loppers, then open and close the tool a few times to work the oil deep into the joint.
4. Sharpen when cuts become ragged: A sharp tool is a safe one. If you notice your loppers are tearing bark, it’s time to sharpen! Use a whetstone or a diamond sharpening tool, remembering to always follow the original bevelled edge of the blade. 

Shop for premium gardening tools with Whitakers Garden Centre!

There comes a time in every tool's life when no amount of maintenance will do. 

If yours are old or full of rust, we can replace your retired tools with premium products. We supply customers across the country with rust-resistant stainless steel digging tools and precision-engineered secateurs, everything you need to keep your garden thriving. 

For gardening tools you can rely on, shop with Whitaker’s Garden Centre.

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