If you aren’t sure how to disassemble your tool, contact an experienced friend or hardware store associate for assistance.
Dish soap is a useful ingredient for cleaning tools, since you’re trying to remove dirt and grease from the metal.
You don’t want to damage any old or antique wood handles by soaking them in water.
Only focus on the metal portions of your tools with this mixture. If your tools are antiques, consider using a sponge instead of an abrasive pad.
It’s much more efficient to wipe your tools off than to let them air-dry.
Adding a layer of oil helps protect your tools from future rusting. Camellia oil can also work for this.
If you’re working with larger tools, consider filling a basin or tub with vinegar instead. In this case, you may need more than 1 gallon (3. 8 L). If you don’t want to use vinegar, you can also fill the bucket with warm water and dish soap. [9] X Research source
If your tools are severely rusted, you might want to let them soak for 6-8 hours initially.
Steel wool can also be a useful tool to remove rust. [12] X Research source You can purchase abrasive pads or sandpaper at your local hardware store.
Depending on the severity of the rust, it might take a lot of elbow grease to get your tools clean again. Don’t give up!
This process helps you to polish and buff the surface of your tools more effectively than an abrasive pad.
Try working in an outdoor area for this process. If you don’t have enough room outside, set up a box fan in your workspace to keep the air moving. If your tools are severely rusted, you might want to use oxalic acid instead of white vinegar.
While oxalic acid isn’t as potent as other acids, it’s still a pretty strong substance. To prevent your wooden handles from getting degraded, try to keep them out of the solution altogether.
Continue wearing your protective eye gear during this part of the process.
If you don’t rinse off the extra acid, it could do long-term damage to your tools.
