KATHY’S HOME & GARDEN TIPS – GARDEN TOOL CLEAN AND PREP

KATHY’S HOME & GARDEN TIPS – GARDEN TOOL CLEAN AND PREP

Around Chicago the weather has been a little crazy. We got literally almost all of our snow fall in the last four weeks. But the signs of spring are around. Even before the time change it was staying light later. The squirrels are losing their winter coat so it will be getting warmer soon.

It’s a good time to get your gardening tools in shape. Good garden tools are not cheap but with some care they will last you many years. Take inventory of your tools. Are some beyond repair? You might need to replace some but often a good cleaning and sharpening is all that’s needed.

Give your tools a bath in all purpose cleaner and warm water to remove dirt grit and grime. A wire brush comes in handy to remove caked on soil. For fine soil and rust steel wool does the trick. For stubborn rust try sandpaper. If you’ve neglected your tools you might have to roll up your sleeves and use some elbow grease to get them back in shape.

Sharpen your shovel with a large rough steel file. Put it into a vise and wear gloves to hold it safely while you sharpen. Put the file almost parallel to the blade pull it across and lift. Polish the blade with lubricating oil and a soft cloth. Use furniture oil on the wooden handle to keep the wood supple.

Take apart pruners to clean. Scrub the blades with steel wool and sandpaper to get rid of any fine dirt and rust. Sharpen with a whetstone pushing out towards the edge. WD40 will work well for keeping pruners moving smoothly.

Take care of your tools and they will take care of you.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO