Easy DIY Tool Cleaning Station for All Your Garden Tools

If it looks like your gardening tools have seen better days, don’t be embarrassed—dirty tools are a sign of hard work and plentiful rewards. But they shouldn’t be put away dirty.

I know, I know—who wants to clean tools every single time if all you’re doing is snipping a few stems here and there?

The trick is making a DIY tool cleaning station that takes the chore out of maintaining your tools.

What you’ll need for the storage bin

– Small storage bin, crate, or pail – Putty knife or plastic scraper – Shop towels or rags – 3-IN-ONE® Multi-Purpose Oil – Steel wool – Boiled linseed oil, pure tung oil, or      teak oil – 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing      alcohol)

What you’ll need for the “quick clean” bucket

– Sturdy bucket (at least 8 inches deep      and 12 inches across, depending on      how many hand tools you have) – 5-gallon bucket (optional, for large      tool cleaning station) – Sand

01.

Remove caked-on dirt.

Scrape off any stubborn, caked-on dirt with a putty knife, then wash off any remaining dirt with a sharp blast of water from a garden hose.

02.

Remove sap.

Apply a few drops of 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil to the sticky spots and wipe with a clean rag. Pay special attention to hinged areas and pivot joints that tend to get gummed up.

03.

Penetrate rust.

If you see rust or pitting on your gardening tools—especially if it’s causing moving parts to stick—squirt a few drops of 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil on those areas and give a good scrub with steel wool.

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