Dial-a-Maid
In Evanston, Il 6020, caring for your garden tools is less about appearances and more about making them last. Start by investing a little more money for sturdier tools every time you need a new one. If you do, they'll be less likely to corrode and you won't have to spend time and money replacing them in the near future. Then, keeping your tools clean is simple, says garden expert Lance Walheim. Here's the bare minimum cleaning routine .At the end of using them, lay your garden tools out on the ground. Use a putty knife to scrape off any caked-on dirt. Hose the tools off, wipe them dry, and store them out of the weather, preferably in a shed, for instance. A quick hose and wipe will keep your outdoor power tools looking sharp as well, since most of them are made watertight, says Dr. Trey Rogers, professor of turf grass management at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.
A thin coating of oil on your shovels, hoes, and trowels will prevent rust and make dirt less likely to cling to them. Try this old gardener's trick for giving your tools a super quick oiling, says Walheim. Keep a bucket of oily sand in your shed. You can dump your used lawn mower oil or machine oil in there. Whenever you have used one of your gardening tools, dunk it into the sand for an instant coating, then hang it up. Or pour a little machine oil onto a rag and keep it handy for wiping off your tools. Wipe linseed oil onto the wooden handles of your tools to keep them from drying our, shrinking, and getting loose.
Sheds are all about organizing, protecting and storing your tools. Even a small one is well worth the effort and money for your outdoor, essential needs. Dial-A-Maid suggests covering every inch you can with pegboard and shelving. It will make your gardening life a lot more beneficial.
