How to clean rust from garden tools?

use WD 40

Soak them underneath in a vinegar/water mixture and the rust should come off easier

WD-40 and Or fill bucket 1/2 full with sand and pour in used car oil. place tool in bucket after every use to keep in good order...........

Brillo pad and wire brush scrubbing recently worked for me when I inadvertently left my pruners outside.

In the past I have scrubbed all my hand tools- recoated the metal parts with spray paint, and dipped the handles with a plastic coat paint that was brightly colored to help identify them if I’ve left ( lost) them in the landscape.

My husband puts salt in a bucket and then adds lemon juice from the bottle. With a piece of steel wool, dipped in the mixture, he scrubs the rusted item with the wool. Wipes it down with paper towels to dry.

Spray with WD 40 and use fine sandpaper to rub them over.

The most popular method for cleaning rust on garden tools is with vinegar. Soak the tool overnight in a mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% water. Then with steel wool, a brush or a crumpled up piece of tin foil, rub the rust off in a circular motion. When the rust is gone, rinse the tool in soapy water and then just clear water. Hang in to dry, then rub it with mineral oil or WD-40.

Another interesting rust removal recipe involves just using a can of cola and a crumpled piece of tin foil or wire brush to scrub away the rust. The phosphoric acid in cola dissolves the rust.

There’s also a recipe that calls for using strong black tea – first to soak the tools in and then to scrub the rust away. Using salt and lemon juice is yet another popular method of cleaning rusty tools. This recipe uses 1 part table salt, 1 part lemon juice and 1 part water a homemade rust solution. Rub on with steel wool, then rinse and dry.