How to keep garden tools clean and in good shape

The tools we use in our gardens range from basic implements to high-tech motorized devices with computer-controlled innards.  Here are some guidelines for helping them all last longer and work better.

• To ensure safe, effective operation, especially of power tools, read and keep your owner's manuals. Refer to them often.
• To keep dirt from becoming caked-on, clean tools after each use.
• Remove grass, leaves and dirt with a brush of appropriate size and stiffness, and wipe the tools with a dry or damp cloth.

• To keep tools from rusting, don't leave them outdoors.
• Put them away after each use and store them under cover.
• Organize a special place to hang them so they're easy to find and easy to put away.

• To stay on the cutting edge, sharpen cutting tools regularly. Sharp tools not only work better but are also safer. Dull tools are more likely to miss the mark, break or kick back, not to mention frustrate the user.
• Most hand tools can be sharpened safely and effectively with a file, which you can buy from a hardware shop.
• For power tools such as chainsaws and hedge trimmers, consult your owner's manual for sharpening instructions or take them to service centres that do the job.

• Pay special attention to handles, especially of power tools. Make sure they are dry and free of oils and grease, which can build up over time. A slip of your grip could result in a serious accident.
• Inspect screws and nuts periodically to make sure they're tight.

• Before putting tools away for the season, follow a thorough cleaning and maintenance routine to ensure long life and trouble-free operation.
• To care for hand tools, wipe wooden handles with a mixture of equal parts vinegar, boiled linseed oil and mineral turpentine. The latter two items are available from hardware and paint stores. This treatment will help keep the handles from becoming brittle and breaking off.
• Wipe the metal parts with a rag dampened with kerosene or old motor oil.
• To make tools such as shovels and saws really glide, polish their metal working surfaces with car wax.
• To prepare gas-powered tools for storage, empty the fuel from the tank and run the tool until it stops. That will use up the fuel in the carburetor.
• Take the fuel to a recycling centre — don't save it for future use.
• Wipe metal parts with a damp cloth followed by an oil-dampened cloth. Follow any other instructions in your owner's manual, such as for cleaning air filters, spark plugs and mufflers.
• To prepare electrical tools for storage, first unplug. In fact, unplug them whenever they're not in use, but especially when you're working on a tool.
• Follow any other instructions in your owner's manual.
• To remove rust from your garden tools, scrub them with a steel-wool pad that's been dipped in kerosene or mineral turpentine.