If you’re one of the many who’ve discovered their tools are covered in rust, there’s a simple way to restore them. Sending in the useful tip, a Better Homes and Gardens reader said she has been using vinegar to remove rust from her gardening tools.
“I have been using the cheap white vinegar from supermarkets to remove rust from pruning shears, saws, screwdrivers, drill tips, files and rasps, and other metal tools, which I have accidentally left in the garden and forgotten about.”
Simply place your rusty tools in a container, submerge in vinegar and leave for up to two days.
“The vinegar dissolves the rust and all you have to do, wearing a pair of plastic gloves, is brush the article with a stiff metal brush, wash it in soapy water, rinse well and dry. When the shears are dry, you obviously have to give them a good oiling,” the reader explained in an email.
“This also works on rusted screws, nuts and bolts, anything metal, such as hose connectors and taps.”
Warning: Vinegar reacts differently with certain metals. Steel tools should be fine to submerge, however, vinegar may cause stainless steel and enamelled cast iron cookware to corrode.
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