Time for tool care

Are your garden tools ready for winter? Take some time now to clean them up and protect them from the elements. You’ll thank yourself next spring when they are ready and waiting when it’s time to get into the garden again.

Once you’ve mowed the lawn for the last time this season, prepare it for sitting dormant. Disconnect the battery and spark plugs. Clean it up. If it is gasoline-powered, drain the gasoline. Consider changing the air and fuel filters if necessary. It’s a good time to change the oil and sharpen the blades as well.

You can also contact a lawn mower repair shop to do all that for you. Getting on their calendar now can save you the disappointment of a long waitlist in the spring.

Take an inventory of other garden tools and see what needs a little TLC. Lubricate your shears, pruners, or other cutting tools. Sand or replace wooden handles. If you need to replace any tools, ordering them now means they are likely to arrive by the time you need them.

To clean and sharpen your tools yourself, you’ll need rags, steel wool, oil (mineral or linseed), and a metal file.

Then, follow these steps:

• Remove all rust before sharpening the blade. Because rust shortens the life of garden tools, it’s always best to keep implements rust-free.
• Wipe off the worst grime with a rag and use steel wool to scrub off the rust. To make this step easier in the future, always wipe down your tools after use. Never put away a tool with dirt on it or while it’s still wet from cleaning.
• Wipe down both the metal tool and wooden handle with oil. Oil can help prevent rust in metal and preserve the wood.