How-to
Cleaning, sharpening and storing garden tools
Before winter, scrub off the soil and sap, sand away rust, file the edges back to their original angle, oil the metal and the wooden handles, and hang the tools somewhere dry.
Satisfy+ Editorial · Published September 25, 2026 · 3 min read · 2 hr to do · Under $100
At a glance
- When
- Before storing them for winter
- Sap
- Mineral spirits, alcohol or soapy water
- Edges
- Filed back to the original angle
- Wood handles
- Boiled linseed oil, rags handled with care
Clean, sharp tools take less effort to use than rusty ones caked with soil, and they last longer. Clean, sharpen and oil them before you put them away for the season, so they're ready in spring.
What you need
- A wire brush, a putty knife or paint scraper, and a stiff brush
- Steel wool and sandpaper
- Mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol
- A 10-inch mill file, and a whetstone or small file for pruners
- A bench vise or clamps
- Safety glasses and leather gloves
- Light oil or a rust-inhibiting spray
- Boiled linseed oil and clean rags
Steps
- 1
Knock off the soil
Rinse or soak the tools, or blast caked soil off with a hose. Scrub what's left with a stiff brush or wire brush, then dry each tool with a rag.
15 min
- 2
Clean off the sap
Scrape heavy sap off pruners and shears without gouging the metal. Wipe the rest off with mineral spirits, alcohol or soapy water, and follow with fine steel wool.
10 min
- 3
Remove the rust
Work rust off with steel wool or a wire brush. Use sandpaper or a putty knife carefully, since deep scratches give rust a new place to start.
15 min
- 4
Disinfect the pruning tools
Wet the blades for at least 30 seconds with rubbing alcohol, which is about 70 percent alcohol, or a 10 percent bleach solution. Alcohol is less corrosive.
5 min
- 5
Sharpen the digging tools
Clamp a shovel or hoe in the vise and push a 10-inch mill file away from you in long, steady strokes, at the edge's original angle. The file cuts only on the push. Turn the tool over and take off the rough burr on the back with a light, flat stroke.
20 min
- 6
Sharpen the pruners and shears
Sharpen the beveled edge at the same angle as the bevel, with a file or whetstone. A bypass pruner with two cutting edges needs both sharpened. An anvil pruner needs only its sharp blade. Skip power grinders, which can overheat the metal and make it brittle.
15 min
- 7
Check the edges and handles
Look along each edge for nicks, cracks or burrs you missed, and look over the handles for splits.
2 min
- 8
Oil the metal
Once the tools are clean, dry and sharp, wipe every metal surface with a lightly oiled rag or a rust-inhibiting spray.
5 min
- 9
Treat the wooden handles
Sand rough spots and splinters smooth, then wipe on boiled linseed oil until the wood stops soaking it up. Polish with a dry cloth. Read the label first, because rags soaked in linseed oil can catch fire on their own if handled wrongly.
10 min
- 10
Hang them up
Store the tools in a dry shed or garage, off the ground. Hang long-handled tools on a rack, which protects the sharpened edges, and keep wooden handles off soil and concrete.
8 min
Get the garden tools ready for winter
- Clean the garden tools and oil them before winter
- Wipe boiled linseed oil on the wooden handles
- Hang the long-handled tools off the floor
Through the season
Clean tools after each use, before soil and sap build up. Fill a 5-gallon bucket about four-fifths full of sand, mixed with about a quart of motor oil if you like. A few plunges after each day's work clean and coat shovel and fork blades. Wipe them with a lightly oiled rag afterward.
Pruning saws and bow saws usually aren't sharpened, because replacement blades are inexpensive. Many pruners also have replaceable blades. If a pruner is sharp but tears the stem or leaves a ragged cut, the blades are likely out of alignment, and it needs to be taken apart and adjusted. For the mower and string trimmer, see Mower and trimmer care at each end of the season.
FAQ
How do I keep garden tools from rusting over winter?
Clean and dry them, then coat the metal with light oil or a rust-inhibiting spray, and store them somewhere dry, off the ground.
What should I put on wooden tool handles?
Boiled linseed oil, wiped on until the wood stops absorbing it. Read the label, because linseed-soaked rags can ignite on their own if handled wrongly.
What angle should I sharpen a shovel to?
The edge's original angle. A stamped shovel with a blunt, square edge needs a new edge filed on, typically at about 30 degrees.
Sources
Checked October 20, 2026
- University of Illinois Extension. Proper maintenance extends lifespan, saves money on garden tools (2021)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension. Maintaining lawn and garden tools (2013)
- Oregon State University Extension Service. Care and maintenance of garden tools (2016)
- University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. Winterizing your garden tools (2017)
- Yard
- Owner
- Fall
- Under $100
- Beginner
- Tenant
- DIY
