Really helpful video I will be trying this to restore one of my old pruners I also purchased some centurion snippers and all though they are stainless steel I will take great care of them
Epic Gardening Dad was FANATIC about tool care. He’d come back from the grave to get me if I EVER misused a tool like that! Good demonstration! Now I know how to restore tools bought second hand.
At least 40 years ago, my grandfather taught me how to care for tools. His tools were probably 40 years old then. I am still using them today. When he was done for the day hoeing, he would wipe the hoe down, Then oil it with an oil saturated rag he kept for that purpose. This was one example, this was how he treated ALL his tools! He was a full time dairy farmer and in his spare time, grew a large enough garden to feed his family of 10 +.
Put a mail box in your garden to house your tools. Someone gave me their old mail box and I put it in my garden. It comes in handy and protects your tools from the weather. Looks nice as well.
Thank you for posting this. My sister and I both love(d) to garden. She passed away unexpectedly. I later came across her pruning shears completely rusted over. Still have them. To be able to rejuvenate ‘em and use them would be so special. Can’t wait to try this!!!
Sunshine ! I’m so sorry 😞 for your sudden loss. Every time you use the shears, you can remember her. Yep, it will be hard, but forgetting isn’t really a healthy option. Hug 🤗 to you.
From the thumbnail pic alone I thought this was a video by Odd Tinkering 😂 As a chemist I can safely say that the rate of rust removal will increase as you increase the vinegar concentration. Thank you for emphasising the importance of sealing, lubricating and protecting the tools with some oil afterwards. If you don't protect the tools with some kind of oil, the rust will return worse and much quicker.
Your opinion please ?? I found some wow rusty tools and brought them home with me. I pored straight up vinegar in a bottle and put them in and omg.. the nastiest almost like foam, but thicker was floating all around them the next day. Was wondering the salt might have something to do with the fact that he had none of that stuff in his bowl. The really super thick stuff was also stuck to the tools also, the vinegar was all the brown yuck. Thanks a bunch if you do see this and answer.
Totally guilty of letting my tools go too long without proper maintenance, this is exactly what I needed to take the rust off and get them properly sorted. This will be helpful as we finish tidying the garden before winter. Thank you for making such a clear tutorial, Kevin!
You can also fill a 5-gallon bucket half full with clean, dry sand (or buy playground sand from Lowes, etc.) then pour in about a 24 ounce bottle of cooking oil. ( I used olive oil that had went rancid and it seem to work fine.) Mix so all the sand particles are coated. When finished using a tool, knock off any dirt and stab the blade in the sand and wiggle it. The oil coats the blade in an instant without having to rub each tool. I keep the bucket in my tool shed and treat each tool when I am putting them away. Add more oil when sand gets dry.
Yep. My grandad had a wooden box of oiled sand in their garage where he stored his shovels and hoes and such. It worked well. I suspect he used old motor oil, but I was just a kid, so I don't know for sure.
Martha Stewart happened to also highlight this method years ago and it was memorable. Simple solutions are best because we’re more likely to actually use them!
Perfect timing! I need to do this to all my tools that I bought at yard sales and then proceeded to neglect them shamefully. Could you do a video on how to sharpen the various kinds of tools?
When I worked in conservation, we used boiled linseed oil for wood handles and motor oil for metal surfaces. Now I use linseed on the metal parts too. Easy and less harmful.
You can use the lower acid cheaper vinegar. The 30% is not cheap and comes with warnings because it’s so strong. If you dilute the 30% then just use the cheaper vinegar. We have used vinegar on cast iron pans and lost hoof nippers and other tools and it works well. Great job they all look like new again!
I retired May 1st with great plans for gardening, then broke my toe. So, while the weeds grow, I'll clean my tools! Going to go look for a sharpening video now. Thanks!
Great ideas. Loving all your instruction. I’m a bit lazy. Warm the vinegar first to almost boiling. Put the tool in. Within two hours, easiest cleaning. A little rubbing on tough parts. Just warm vinegar again and put back in for another hour. Wipe clean.
I love how you keep coming out with videos that directly address something I'm dealing with! I have a pair of clippers I've been wondering how to derust and refresh, and now I know what to do. Much appreciated.
Great tips. The vinegar and salt solution worked brilliantly on my old and neglected tools. Love the channel and always come away feeling inspired, more positive and re-motivated to get straight out in the garden. Thank you.
Thanks for uploading this. I put a swim spa in my garage with all my tools and installed a dehumidifier to keep the humidity down. it did not do the job. I will be using the paste method to clean off my cast iron table saw top, and the vinegar method for many hand held tools.
Never really purchased my own tools. Everything was/is my dads and he taught us from a young age to take care of and restore other peoples old stuff. A little care goes such a long way in terms of your tools' longevity :)
I keep a very cheap bristle brush (Not sure if it's copper or brass) that I picked up from the local hardware store in with my garden tools. I use it to quickly remove light rust or other gunk that gets on my garden tools before they get too nasty. Lube choice for me is a wax based bike chain lube from the local bike shop because I'm not interested in putting whatever is in 3 and 1 oil in our garden. I think it's awesome that you're promoting tool care/maintenance.
Fabulous. I'm elated that you have links for these tools. I've been pulling my hair out trying to find a sustainable pair of hand clippers. Sheesh, we make things so poorly now! Many thanks!
So comforting to see that even top-tier gardeners and DIYers goof up and have rusty tools. I won't feel so bad next time I discover one in the back yard or on the patio. I've been using vinegar and salt for years to clean pots and pans, and I've used vinegar-soaked rags to get rid of calcium build-up on faucets, but I never thought to use it to get rid of rust.
I use a cheap plastic 3 drawer chest in the backyard for the expensive hand tools so I haven't had garden shear rust issues yet, but great tips, I have a few tools in the garage I'd like to try this on.
Wow, this is truly amazing. I'm going to skip purchasing CLR or any of the other rust removing chemicals and go for these options instead. Thank you for sharing this!
I cleaned all my recently using the vinegar method and it works great. I went one step further and purchased a tungsten sharpening tool and now they are better and sharper than new.
This is exactly what I needed to see! I'm a garden lover and my favorite tools are clippers which always get rusty. I'll be starting this today! Thank you!
This is why I bought 2 gallons of vinegar every time I went to the store when it started disappearing for canners. Pickles, pickled eggs, and pickled beets are done. Now to get to work on the cast iron pans from yard sales.
3 in 1 oil was always in the house when I was growing up. My father used it for that but also for hinges that were rusty. I'm 40, so this is a product that has stood the test of time. It was very nostalgic to see it is still around. ☺️
Wow! the vinegar salt combo was amazing! I have some trowels I used once, and had no idea how to clean them right, so when I got them out to do some plastering they have surface rust.
I'm testing your salt vinegar method as we speak, found some great garden tools for €2,50 ... I hope with a little TLC it will be great again, thanks for spreading info like this ! (I hope 😉)
For wooden tool handles....use boiled linseed oil to refresh. Dispose of the rags you use to apply it properly. Linseed oil can spontaneously combust if improperly discarded. Works fantastic for wood handles though.
Oh man I live in Florida so yeah the rain is an understatement right now lol it’s been two days straight of rain and all my babies are outside 😮😮 so thanks for this gunna get to work !
Hello from Phoenix, Arizona. Good tool hacks. Thanks for the good info. I am currently embarking a new gardening adventure to expand and improve my yard into hopefully converting it to a Food Forest and or Urban Garden.
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate these nontoxic cleaning tips! I need to do this too alll the things ha ha do you find that you don't need to sharpen them as long as they are lubricated well?
Agreed, I only use nontoxic materials. To protect metal, nothing beats pharmacy-grade mineral oil. It’s sold as a laxative. But it’s definitely better than vegetable oil, because it won’t break down and oxidize.
Excellent video and just in time. I need to do this but was not certain what to do and also, too lazy since I have many garden tools. I was going to ask for new ones for Christmas gifts but you made it look so easy I’m going to do it today in fact. Heading out to Lowe’s for the 3 in 1👍❤️😉
Everybody leaves them out once in a while, I laughed when I saw you drop your nice super clean Felco Secateurs lol nice work dude love your videos my friend :) I recently quit teaching to become a market gardener, and find your stuff and charles dowding's no dig stuff the best :) thankyou
A good addition to this would be what you use and how you sharpen them. I have a stick thing I bought where they sell the clippers to sharpen mine, but they don’t stay sharp very long with that method.
Be honest, you leave your garden tools out too, right? :)
Really helpful video I will be trying this to restore one of my old pruners I also purchased some centurion snippers and all though they are stainless steel I will take great care of them
Epic Gardening Dad was FANATIC about tool care. He’d come back from the grave to get me if I EVER misused a tool like that! Good demonstration! Now I know how to restore tools bought second hand.
Literally left out my newest tools I purchased this year... already rusted. Just get caught up in the excitement!
Nice!
Im wondering how my steel toes look under the leather... yikes.
At least 40 years ago, my grandfather taught me how to care for tools. His tools were probably 40 years old then. I am still using them today. When he was done for the day hoeing, he would wipe the hoe down, Then oil it with an oil saturated rag he kept for that purpose. This was one example, this was how he treated ALL his tools! He was a full time dairy farmer and in his spare time, grew a large enough garden to feed his family of 10 +.
I wanna b like your grandpa
What a wonderful gift of knowledge to give you. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for this. It is exactly what I needed to take care of my garden tools😊
Beautiful story
Care and compassion goes a long way
Put a mail box in your garden to house your tools. Someone gave me their old mail box and I put it in my garden. It comes in handy and protects your tools from the weather. Looks nice as well.
What a great idea!
Cool idea😮
Thank you for posting this. My sister and I both love(d) to garden. She passed away unexpectedly. I later came across her pruning shears completely rusted over. Still have them. To be able to rejuvenate ‘em and use them would be so special. Can’t wait to try this!!!
Sunshine ! I’m so sorry 😞 for your sudden loss. Every time you use the shears, you can remember her. Yep, it will be hard, but forgetting isn’t really a healthy option. Hug 🤗 to you.
From the thumbnail pic alone I thought this was a video by Odd Tinkering 😂
As a chemist I can safely say that the rate of rust removal will increase as you increase the vinegar concentration.
Thank you for emphasising the importance of sealing, lubricating and protecting the tools with some oil afterwards. If you don't protect the tools with some kind of oil, the rust will return worse and much quicker.
Thanks for adding that!
Your opinion please ?? I found some wow rusty tools and brought them home with me. I pored straight up vinegar in a bottle and put them in and omg.. the nastiest almost like foam, but thicker was floating all around them the next day. Was wondering the salt might have something to do with the fact that he had none of that stuff in his bowl. The really super thick stuff was also stuck to the tools also, the vinegar was all the brown yuck. Thanks a bunch if you do see this and answer.
@@tammyschultz3318did you try again but with salt? Different results?
Totally guilty of letting my tools go too long without proper maintenance, this is exactly what I needed to take the rust off and get them properly sorted. This will be helpful as we finish tidying the garden before winter. Thank you for making such a clear tutorial, Kevin!
I may need to do this too everything I own 🤣
LOL
I can use this on the rust on my camper. Thanks for the vinegar salt idea. Better than CLR.
I'll need to do this to my back and other joints.
@@neilsy8299
That's called glucosamine for your joints. Or Turmeric.
Neil Jay Sy Ahahahaha 😂🤣
You can also fill a 5-gallon bucket half full with clean, dry sand (or buy playground sand from Lowes, etc.) then pour in about a 24 ounce bottle of cooking oil. ( I used olive oil that had went rancid and it seem to work fine.) Mix so all the sand particles are coated. When finished using a tool, knock off any dirt and stab the blade in the sand and wiggle it. The oil coats the blade in an instant without having to rub each tool. I keep the bucket in my tool shed and treat each tool when I am putting them away. Add more oil when sand gets dry.
Would love to see a picture? 😊
I use old motor oil in the sand bucket.
Yep. My grandad had a wooden box of oiled sand in their garage where he stored his shovels and hoes and such. It worked well. I suspect he used old motor oil, but I was just a kid, so I don't know for sure.
Martha Stewart happened to also highlight this method years ago and it was memorable. Simple solutions are best because we’re more likely to actually use them!
nice clear voice with good enunciation that's easy to understand -- easy instructions 👍.
Great video Kevin. I like a bucket of sand for tools that dont have working parts, its a great way to remove the attached soil and keep them rust free
@@sheriszajna-mckeon9902 Just kids play pit sand or silver sand is best to use
@@simplifygardening Thank you! I don't do it, lol, but now I have no excuse not to. Thank you!
Yeah, I need to use that tip so badly
Simplify gardening Thanks for the tip 😉😄
@@katzwhite5962 Anytime Katz :)
Perfect timing! I need to do this to all my tools that I bought at yard sales and then proceeded to neglect them shamefully. Could you do a video on how to sharpen the various kinds of tools?
You bet
Would love a video about this as well!
Terry Hickman Yes indeed to the sharpening of tools. I don't think my secateurs are very sharp.
Yep, that would definitely be a good one.
Came here to request the same thing! My shears aren't super dirty but they cut terribly anymore. I've been using my kitchen scissors instead 😬
When I worked in conservation, we used boiled linseed oil for wood handles and motor oil for metal surfaces. Now I use linseed on the metal parts too. Easy and less harmful.
This is wonderful! Just inherited some of my father's, grandfather's, and great grandfather's tools. Going to clean the disston saws first, carefully.
You can use the lower acid cheaper vinegar. The 30% is not cheap and comes with warnings because it’s so strong. If you dilute the 30% then just use the cheaper vinegar. We have used vinegar on cast iron pans and lost hoof nippers and other tools and it works well. Great job they all look like new again!
I retired May 1st with great plans for gardening, then broke my toe. So, while the weeds grow, I'll clean my tools! Going to go look for a sharpening video now. Thanks!
Great ideas. Loving all your instruction.
I’m a bit lazy. Warm the vinegar first to almost boiling. Put the tool in. Within two hours, easiest cleaning. A little rubbing on tough parts. Just warm vinegar again and put back in for another hour. Wipe clean.
Epic Gardening you just save my plant tools, i am sure i am not alone on this one.
Something to do on a rainy day, for sure!
Omg this was so satisfying to watch!!
I do use the vinegar to take the rust off my tools, but I never thought to oil it. That is a great idea, will look for your recommended 3 in 1 . 😊
I love how you keep coming out with videos that directly address something I'm dealing with! I have a pair of clippers I've been wondering how to derust and refresh, and now I know what to do. Much appreciated.
here to serve
I learned something new and good to know. Thank You.
Glad to hear it!
Great tips. The vinegar and salt solution worked brilliantly on my old and neglected tools. Love the channel and always come away feeling inspired, more positive and re-motivated to get straight out in the garden. Thank you.
I appreciate the all around knowledge for the total gardener!!!
Thanks for uploading this. I put a swim spa in my garage with all my tools and installed a dehumidifier to keep the humidity down. it did not do the job. I will be using the paste method to clean off my cast iron table saw top, and the vinegar method for many hand held tools.
Never really purchased my own tools. Everything was/is my dads and he taught us from a young age to take care of and restore other peoples old stuff. A little care goes such a long way in terms of your tools' longevity :)
I keep a very cheap bristle brush (Not sure if it's copper or brass) that I picked up from the local hardware store in with my garden tools. I use it to quickly remove light rust or other gunk that gets on my garden tools before they get too nasty. Lube choice for me is a wax based bike chain lube from the local bike shop because I'm not interested in putting whatever is in 3 and 1 oil in our garden. I think it's awesome that you're promoting tool care/maintenance.
That vinegar and salt routine was awesome!
Fabulous. I'm elated that you have links for these tools. I've been pulling my hair out trying to find a sustainable pair of hand clippers. Sheesh, we make things so poorly now! Many thanks!
Aaahhh, perfect! I finally got some small pruning scissors, and forgot them outside... Now I know how to save them🙌
So comforting to see that even top-tier gardeners and DIYers goof up and have rusty tools. I won't feel so bad next time I discover one in the back yard or on the patio. I've been using vinegar and salt for years to clean pots and pans, and I've used vinegar-soaked rags to get rid of calcium build-up on faucets, but I never thought to use it to get rid of rust.
I use a cheap plastic 3 drawer chest in the backyard for the expensive hand tools so I haven't had garden shear rust issues yet, but great tips, I have a few tools in the garage I'd like to try this on.
This video reminded me I needed to go to Home Depot and Albertsons. Added everything in this video to my shopping cart.
I tried it and worked very well. Thank you so much!
Whole drawer full of these things! Ty for the tips!
Is there anything vinegar can't do?!
Amazing isn't it!!!
😂😂
Spread baking soda over steel then spray vinegar. Super foam. Very fast
Neutralize acids :p
Boil at a temperature below that of water. Just ask my salsa
Wow, this is truly amazing. I'm going to skip purchasing CLR or any of the other rust removing chemicals and go for these options instead. Thank you for sharing this!
I cleaned all my recently using the vinegar method and it works great. I went one step further and purchased a tungsten sharpening tool and now they are better and sharper than new.
Thank you for your time of putting this together for us Gardner’s Got to get busy and do my tools....here comes garden time in northern Michigan..
Awesome - it is late so I can set some things to soak before turning in and by morning be in good shape to finish. Thanks for the easy lesson.
Thanks a lot , i tried vinegar-salt method but also added pinch of baking soda to it and left it and it worked on my gardening pruners .
This is exactly what I needed to see! I'm a garden lover and my favorite tools are clippers which always get rusty. I'll be starting this today! Thank you!
You found my tools!
LOL
This is why I bought 2 gallons of vinegar every time I went to the store when it started disappearing for canners. Pickles, pickled eggs, and pickled beets are done. Now to get to work on the cast iron pans from yard sales.
Very helpful thanks! What about keeping tools sharp, can you cover this please?
That’s great I have some corona clippers probably from the 80’s but great tip on soaking with vinegar salt and water.I never thought of that 👍
I love the use of everyday vinegar, salt, and baking soda!
Sooooo Happy to see this Epic tool cleaning. And I learned to nuteralize which was awesome sauce 🤓.
3 in 1 oil was always in the house when I was growing up. My father used it for that but also for hinges that were rusty. I'm 40, so this is a product that has stood the test of time. It was very nostalgic to see it is still around. ☺️
I don’t have any rusty tools and yet am obsessed with this video. 😃
More than life Buy some rusty tools from a car boot sale or reclamation yard and practise the above methods of removing rust 🙂
I have a lot of garden tools to clean up now! Some of them are pre-loved and handed down to me. So excited to get started !
Thanks for the video, I followed this and my tools came out great. I feel pretty smug for teaching my husband about 3-in-1 oil. :-)
Hahaaa. I taught my first husband how to change oil on a car. Womansplaining. Hahaa.
Good tips for cleaning. I don’t leave the tools out but my husband does and it drives me nuts.
Wow! the vinegar salt combo was amazing! I have some trowels I used once, and had no idea how to clean them right, so when I got them out to do some plastering they have surface rust.
I'm testing your salt vinegar method as we speak, found some great garden tools for €2,50 ... I hope with a little TLC it will be great again, thanks for spreading info like this ! (I hope 😉)
I'm surprised how well the salt+vinegar method worked although I saw it in the video🤣
Seriously my tools need HELP! Thanks for this content. Will be trying them and the commenters Sand Bucket tips.
This is one of the best tutorial I have seen thanks
Great video! @epicgardening - how about a video on sharpening dull shears/tools?
Great suggestion!
For wooden tool handles....use boiled linseed oil to refresh. Dispose of the rags you use to apply it properly. Linseed oil can spontaneously combust if improperly discarded. Works fantastic for wood handles though.
Mine are soooo rusty! I kept forgetting to put them in the shed with all this rain. Now I know what to do. Thanks!
Great to know, hand pruners always seem to rust quick. I have worked in landscaping, and it felt like my boss would buy new pruners every year.
Wow will clean mine since missed for a year. this is easier than I have done before.
Great video. I’m also adding a request for a video on garden tool sharpening!
Great video, would be great to see your suggestions for sharpening your tools as well.
I'm ashamed to admit I've always just replaced rusty pruners. I just bought a pair this year I really like and I'll be taking your advice.
Thanks. I thought it was going to be a big deal but you just made my day.
We used that oil on our bike chains as a kid, that stuff is magical
Yo... this vid was right on time. I left my pruners out recently & they got caught in the rain💧💧Thx 4 the info!
ayy thanks, just found an old felco 2 in the bottom of a drawer left by the previous owner at my new place. this will come in handy!
Oh man I live in Florida so yeah the rain is an understatement right now lol it’s been two days straight of rain and all my babies are outside 😮😮 so thanks for this gunna get to work !
Wow! Great video...my clippers are super rusty so I will definitely try this this!! Thanks so much!!
You are so welcome!
Thanks! As a new interest in gardening, I would like to take care of my tools on my own.
I'm so happy to find this video! My tools need help lol I'm trying this tomorrow
This is so helpful for taking care of the important garden tools! 🦅❤️🦅
When you said thats going to be the play I was weak. They turned out good. Great content 🤗🌍
Enormously helpful video....Thanks!....I have some garden tools in the vinegar solution right now.
This worked perfectly! I thought this tool was a lost cause. Thanks for the tutorial!
Hello from Phoenix, Arizona.
Good tool hacks. Thanks for the good info.
I am currently embarking a new gardening adventure to expand and improve my yard into hopefully converting it to a Food Forest and or Urban Garden.
Awesome way to save $$ with high quality tools! 🙏😍🥰
Excellent, Thanks
Love this video and the way you deliver the message. Thank you!
wow great stuff
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate these nontoxic cleaning tips! I need to do this too alll the things ha ha do you find that you don't need to sharpen them as long as they are lubricated well?
Agreed, I only use nontoxic materials. To protect metal, nothing beats pharmacy-grade mineral oil. It’s sold as a laxative. But it’s definitely better than vegetable oil, because it won’t break down and oxidize.
I have a super rusty axe head i could try this on. Its why i bought it actually hahaha. I'll definitely get around to it eventually. :)
Thank you for this, worked like a charm!!
This is fantastic! I thought I would have to get new tools for next year. Can't wait to try this. Thank you!
Aight imma save this video thank you very much
Excellent video and just in time. I need to do this but was not certain what to do and also, too lazy since I have many garden tools. I was going to ask for new ones for Christmas gifts but you made it look so easy I’m going to do it today in fact. Heading out to Lowe’s for the 3 in 1👍❤️😉
THANK YOU.THANK YOU.THANK YOU!!!
BLESSINGS✌💜🌺
Good timing....just what I needed to know!
Everybody leaves them out once in a while, I laughed when I saw you drop your nice super clean Felco Secateurs lol nice work dude love your videos my friend :) I recently quit teaching to become a market gardener, and find your stuff and charles dowding's no dig stuff the best :) thankyou
Thanks for sharing.
Barkeepers friend works great on stainless
A good addition to this would be what you use and how you sharpen them. I have a stick thing I bought where they sell the clippers to sharpen mine, but they don’t stay sharp very long with that method.
will do a vid!
Epic Gardening , awesome. Thanks
Perfect! Just what I needed to know and very good quality presentation.
This was Excellent amen!
Good info.
Thank you
Thanks for the tips
The baking soda paste and steel wool method reminds me of using baking soda and foil to clean stainless steel cookware...
So satisfying.