How to Clean Garden Tools, by Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh on YouTube. 2 min 49 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 49 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Fill a bucket with warm water and a squirt of washing-up liquid. Put a stiff brush and an old cloth beside it so everything is within reach.
Put on gloves and brush loose soil off the blades, handles and hinge. Brush away from your body so grit does not flick up.
Wipe the metal parts with the soapy cloth, then dry them straight away with a dry rag. Water left on steel is what starts rust.
Scrub sap and sticky residue off the secateur blades with the brush. A little white spirit on the cloth shifts stubborn patches.
Check the tool is completely dry, then put a few drops of oil on the pivot, spring and hinge. Open and close the handles to work it in.
Sharpen the cutting blade with a stone or diamond file. Hold the file at the angle of the existing bevel and push along the edge, not into it.
File only the bevelled side of bypass secateurs. Leave the flat side alone, or the blades will stop meeting cleanly.
Wipe off metal filings, test that the blade closes smoothly, and store the tool dry and oiled in a shed or toolbox.
Tips and common mistakes
Sharpen a little and often rather than waiting until the blade is blunt.
Never leave tools standing in a bucket of water, as the steel will rust overnight.
Clean the blades with methylated spirits between plants to avoid spreading disease.
Use a wire brush on rusty handles but keep it away from the cutting edge.
Questions
How often should I clean my garden tools?
Wipe them down after every use and give them a proper clean and sharpen at the end of each season. Tools used on wet soil need cleaning more often.
Can I use WD-40 on secateurs?
Yes, a light spray on the pivot and spring keeps them moving and pushes out water. Wipe off the excess so it does not build up on the blades.
Do I need a special sharpening tool?
A small diamond file or a medium sharpening stone is enough for most hand tools. A file is easier to control on curved secateur blades.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
