How to Clean Garden Tools for Winter
A good first step in preparing garden tools for winter is to thoroughly clean all your tools. Use a coarse metal brush, like one used for cleaning grills, to scrape dirt off of the metal parts of your tools. Follow up with a dry rag and, if necessary, a damp rag. Rub any rust away with a piece of sandpaper. Once your tool is clean, wipe it down with an oiled rag. Motor oil is fine, but vegetable oil is just as effective and less toxic. Remove any splinters from your wooden handles with a piece of sandpaper, and then wipe the whole handle down with linseed oil. Garden tool storage is important for your tools’ longevity, too. Store your tools on a rack to keep them from falling over, or worse, falling on you. Make sure your wooden handles aren’t resting against soil or cement, as this can lead to rot.
Preparing Additional Garden Tools for Winter
Winter garden tool maintenance doesn’t stop with shovels and hoes. Disconnect all hoses and sprinkler systems; if left outside over the winter they’re likely to burst. Drain them of water, patch any holes, and loop them up neatly to avoid kinks that may wear into holes over the winter. Run your lawn mower until its fuel runs out; leaving fuel to sit over the winter can degrade plastic and rubber parts and rust metal ones. Remove the blades and sharpen and oil them. Scrape or rinse away all built up grass and dirt. Disconnect its battery and spark plugs to keep it from accidentally starting over the winter.
