How to clean rust from garden tools?

  7 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on May 07, 2018

    use WD 40

  • Shoshana Shoshana on May 07, 2018

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

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on May 07, 2018

    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...........

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on May 07, 2018

    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.

  • Kathy Kathy on May 07, 2018

    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.

  • Honour Honour on May 07, 2018

    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.