Have rusty old pruning shears or other gardening tools? Don’t junk them…cleaning rust off of your old tools is easier than you think.
Learning how to remove rust is as simple as getting together a few ingredients:
– Vinegar
– A scrub pad
– Some anti-rust lubricating oil
Using vinegar as a rust removal technique is just one of the many uses of vinegar in the garden 🙂
Thanks to WD-40 for contributing products for this video!
IN THIS VIDEO
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Other links may be affiliate links in which we receive a commission.
→ 3-IN-ONE Oil Corrosion Protection: https://www.3inone.com/
→ Lava Soap: https://www.lavasoap.com/products/lava-bar/
→ Scotch-Brite Scour Pads: http://amzn.to/2w5uZ3v
→ White Distilled Vinegar: http://amzn.to/2xdZ1SR
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The best way …mix these –
Vinegar lemon juice salt baking soda and water 5ml then mix and scrub …then sharpen by cutting Aluminium foil and then oil and paint …. Now you got a new pair of scissors enjoy !!.
Like who agrees
Your from San Diego, nice!!!. I live in Chula
Thanks for the tips! What do you use to sharpen your tools?
PEACE! lol
Hi Kevin, cool, & thx. I applied vinegar to a Felco 8 pruner that was beginning to develop some rust. I followed your advice, however, I decided to disassemble the pruner first, before soaking the rusting parts in vinegar, AND, I only soaked the 4 just a few minutes. The green scouring pad did the rest 😉 But it worked marvelously. Thx again.
Hello! What kind of vinegar you used; White or of home? And how many percent? 3%, 5%, 9%, 15% or 20%? Thank you.
can i use hydrogen peroxide instead of vinegar? Thanx in advance
Can we use WD 40
Vinegar also removed metal hardness
Hi, Great tutorial…..but how do you sterilize your pruner? I watched how you take off the rust with vinegar, does that vinegar bath sterilize the pruner? Thanks so much
Nice looking outside, unknown state inside. Worth disassembling for cleaning, lubricating.
Do you have a video about sharpening your tools?
Oh.My.God! This really worked!!!! I was super skeptical about the vinegar but holy moly it was totally effortless. I forgot and left a pair of pruning shears outside for a couple (ok maybe a few years) and was about to throw them away when I googled. Thank you so much for this. Just wish I had some lava soap!
Thank you for the excellent video! I do have a question/concern. I soaked my Felco pruning shears in vinegar for 24 hours and scrubbed, but the blade is now black/dark grey, not shiny silver like yours ended up. Does it just need more scrubbing or soaking, or has Felco changed the type of metal they use since you made this video?
The way I'd go about doing this would be to place the rusted parts in boiling water for about 5 min, or steam them, then remove the rust with a scrub pad or steel wool till a matte black/blue surface was exposed. This is a process called rust bluing, and the red rust is converted to a stable black rust, and the black rust helps prevent future corrosion on the tool since the surface is already "rusted". Its similar to how some firearms were/are blued, and is one of the best ways to prevent future rust. If you google it you can learn tons more about it. The tool would be black afterwards, though, but that wouldnt bother me, personally.
Is the oil safe for pruning? I know we have to sterilize pruners before making cuts, right?
I don’t like how 3 in one oil feels on my skin and sometimes time it makes me gag
Hi Kevin. Nice work. IMHO, a Felco #2 or Felco #4 pruner (depending on size of your hand) is a great investment! You can purchase and replace every single part of it if it should break. Martha Stewart recommends storing them in sand mixed with a little motor oil to keep them in good shape! Just adding my two cents. I love my FELCO! I've had it for about 15 years and it still looks good!
Thanks for the cleaning tip. I had left it out in the yard when it rained > I have all the ingredients Thanks again
Why wouldn't you take them apart? That rust you see on the surface is for sure on the inside, which is even worse. You got now nice looking shiny Felco that is slowly rusting away..
it's crazy seeing this vid vs your newer rust vid, and seeing how the production quality is improved over the past 3 years lol
Why didn't you take it apart?! So easy with the cheap felco tool you get with the felco.
Try to do it with Woodglut plans 🙂
PLEASE DO NOT USE WD-40 on FELCO tools (WD-40 is a corrosive agent). Vinegar also is an acid and if FELCO tools are left too long in such a solution you will absolutely ruin your tools.
Can I use a plastic container with vinegar to soak the tools?
Felcos come with a tool to take Felco secateurs apart. I have used Felco secateurs as a professional horticulturist since 1994 and I recommend they are taken apart as dirt/grit/plant liquids/moisture does get within that mechanism and does the same damage as externally seen. My first pair lasted 22 years and one day I lost them in a client's large garden. My current pair will 'see me out'. They cannot be as well, as accurately, sharpened when the blade is still fixed in place.
If mine get moisture on them, I put 3-in-1 all over secateurs before the day is done. Almost never any sign of rust even starting. Protection avoids curing an issue.
Thanks, I need to do a couple of mine, hoping I get good results.