Once the workload in the garden has been completed, the experienced gardener dedicates himself to his trusty garden tools. The intensive contact with earth, stones and plant residues affects longevity and functionality. A short care program brings spades, scissors and lawn mowers into shape. This guide explains how to properly care for your gardening tools.

Garden tools should be cleaned after each use

Cleaning and maintaining garden tools - this is how it works

If residues of soil, stones or plant sap stick to garden tools for a long time, rust will form or the mechanism will no longer function smoothly. You can effectively prevent these annoyances if you clean and care for your garden tools after the work is done:

  • Remove soil from hand tools with a brush and water
  • Dry carefully with a cloth and hang up
  • Remove rust spots with a wire brush, steel wool or sandpaper
  • Remove stubborn resin residues with white spirit

Before the winter break, spade blades, knife and scissor blades are additionally sharpened. Secateurs, (17.82€) such as pruning or rosettes can be easily disassembled to thoroughly clean all components and the blades with a hand file and grind. Then seal the metal surfaces with machine oil or wax. Rub the wooden handles and handles with linseed oil.

Clean garden machines work better - care tips

Water is taboo for the care of machine-operated garden tools. Please clean lawn mowers, hedge trimmers (€24.99) or grass trimmers with a brush and cloth after each use. Disconnect electrical devices from the power supply beforehand. Pull out the spark plug connector on the motor lawn mower.

With each maintenance check that screws, cables and protective covers are tight. Loose parts are immediately reattached. Knives and blades are sharpened at least once a year. You can carry out this care work yourself with special sharpening stones, a hand file or a grinding machine. Again, machine oil should be on hand to lubricate moving parts after cleaning and grinding.

Store garden tools correctly

Your efforts to keep your machines and tools in top condition are in vain if you store the devices in a damp environment. Moisture is poison for wood and metal. Therefore, choose a dry, airy storage place, such as a garden shed (€24.90) or the boiler room.

tips

Ideally, lawnmowers and other gardening tools with combustion engines should be stored without fuel in the tank in winter. Vacuum the fuel before loading or let the engine idle until it stops.

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Care tips