Cleaning tools?

[Dorothy rouse]

Just wondering if those of you with Plots, take their tools home to clean them and store for the winter? I haven't bothered before, they aren't expensive tools or anything, but I have always just left them in the shed in the past, mud n all!

Now I'm gonna get told off!

[Bren In Pots]

I always clean the soil off my tools with an old scrubbing brush but that's about all the care they get.

[Mikey]

Depends on the tool Dorothy, if its a stainless steel spade I don't normally bother, it won't rust.

[Bill HH]

Just wondering if those of you with Plots, take their tools home to clean them and store for the winter? I haven't bothered before, they aren't expensive tools or anything, but I have always just left them in the shed in the past, mud n all!

Now I'm gonna get told off!

If they are stainless steel I just wash em off, but some steel tools will rust away if you dont keep them clean and give them the occasional spray with WD40. In particular shears and secatuers can get stiff in the fulcrum pin without some loving care. Wooden handles benefit from the occasional application of linseed oil.
However the reality is they get bunged in the shed dirty lol.

[alldigging]

I did read about someone having a bucket of sand and oil and putting tools in that.

[Mikey]

Oily sand or sand then oil?

[alldigging]

Oily sand or sand then oil?

Bucket of sand to which oil has been added. Mineral/linseed/motor have all been suggested in the first few search engine results.

[roitelet]

Bucket of sand to which oil has been added. Mineral/linseed/motor have all been suggested in the first few search engine results.

Tried that but it is much better to scrape the mud off and then either a quick rub down with an oily rag or a squirt of WD40. Handles, a light sanding to clean them and then linseed oil. Pays to sharpen your tools as well, spades hoes and the like.

[andy_j]

back in the early 80's when i worked as a trainee for Brighton parks, we had our own set of colour coded tools and after use, they would be washed, dried and covered in used engine oil. We also had weekly inspections, the worst jobs were given to those who hadn't cleaned them properly.

Now, i just bung them in the shed as we live in a throw away world where noting is meant to last.

[Mikey]

I think the value of products has been eroded down Andy, if you keep trying to make them cheaper eventually you end up with something inferior which will not last and then becomes cheap enough to throw away.

[chris]

I still don't think that's the correct attitude to take - if everyone thought like that there'd be even more waste.

I don't clean mine, but they are stainless steel. I'll sometimes brush the worst of the soil off, as I take my home with me - I don't leave anything in my plot that's valuable.

[Mikey]

The fact is Chris people keep buying the cheapest, therefore they keep getting cheaper.

One of my favourite quotes is by John Ruskin

“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When
you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay
too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you
bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The
common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a
lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well
to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will
have enough to pay for something better.”

[Dorothy rouse]

Well, i've been to plot this afternoon, and have bought back a few bits that really don't need to be there, saws etc and shears, so will clean them up a bit, my shed is not very secure, and don't really want to loose them, and definitely won't get new raised beds built then!

[Dorothy rouse]

Thank you everyone.

DottyR

[Olorin2001]

Just wondering if those of you with Plots, take their tools home to clean them and store for the winter? I haven't bothered before, they aren't expensive tools or anything, but I have always just left them in the shed in the past, mud n all!

Now I'm gonna get told off!

STORE THEM FOR THE WINTER.
I find there are always things to do 365,
Although maybe a lawn mower can be put away for a while.