How to Care for Your Garden Tools Before Putting Them Away for Winter

By the time I’m done with fall cleanup and ready to put my tools away for the winter, I’m exhausted. The idea of spending time cleaning those tools feels like an insult, but I do it anyway. You might be tempted to just deal with maintenance in the spring, but by then, the damage may be irreparable. Spend the time now, and springtime will be far more enjoyable when your tools emerge from the shed ready to go. 

Manual tools should be clean and dry

The plethora of hand tools—spades, shovels, rakes, weeding tools and anything else with a handle—should be rinsed off until all the mud is gone, and then dried. Drying is particularly important since this is what will prevent rust. Rust is the enemy and tools stuck in winter lockup with mud on them will deteriorate faster. If there's already some rust, it’s worth using steel wool to remove it. I recommend a steel wool attachment for your power drill. This makes fast work of the problem, and without dirtying your hands.

Examine the wood handles, too. If they’re particularly rough, you might consider taking some sandpaper to them, but usually I find time smooths the wood, not the opposite. The wood should be cleaned and given a quick wipe-down with some wood oil, like linseed. If the wood handle is cracked, it should be replaced. 

If the tool in question requires sharpening, like an ax, address that now. Your local knife sharpener can sharpen your ax, but there are tools and tutorials for learning to do so yourself. Don’t underestimate the value of sharpening the tips of your spade, too. Doing so will make it slice through turf and dirt next spring. Your shears and loppers and other pruning tools should all get sharpened now, before they go into storage. 

To store these long-handled tools, the best solution is keeping them off the ground in a covered and secured area like a shed. Hanging racks make easy work of this. 

Repeat all these steps with your hand tools: the trowels, scoops, weeding tools, etc. Make sure the metal is clean and dry, the handles in good condition. These tools should be kept off the ground as well, I simply place them in a box for the winter. 

Don’t store your electric tools with batteries

Most people now have a collection of electric tools: power drills, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, blowers, and string trimmers. First, ensure all the tools are clean. Make sure there’s no grass or other organic debris on any of the tools. In the case of tools with many connecting parts, like string trimmers, take them apart and clean them—otherwise you’ll have a hell of a time replacing your string reel next spring. Empty the blower bag and make sure it’s dry so it doesn’t develop mold over the winter (I go to the trouble of washing and drying it). If the tool in question, such as a chainsaw, has any bar oil in it, drain it for winter so it doesn’t leak. Remove all the batteries from the tools and store them separately, off the chargers. These tools should also be stored off the ground; I use a collection of large utility hooks to do so. This works very well, but make sure they’re anchored well into studs. 

Gas tools require the most work

If you’re still hanging onto a gas mower, chainsaw, trimmer or blower, maybe the maintenance will cause you to consider changing over.

The game is the same: Clean everything. This means turning the lawnmower over and actually getting all the grass off. It will rust otherwise. Now is a fine time to sharpen the blade, too. Ensure your trimmer or blower is also clean, and then it's time to drain all the gas. You don’t want it to sit full over winter. As an alternative, you can add a fuel stabilizer, but I never risk it. Cover all your tools with their respective covers or a tarp, and place them in a dry, safe space in the shed or garage. 

Smart tools need a little care, too

On top of everything else, we now have smart tools in our yards, whether that’s birdhouses, weather stations or temperature sensors. You should check the product website for temperature tolerances of the device; if you think the weather will exceed the tolerance, bring it inside for winter. Otherwise, clean the solar panels for each, and ensure the screws or other attachments are tight enough to withstand strong winds.

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