Garden Tool Care and Winter Storage: Clean, Sharpen, Store

Tools put away dirty in October come out rusty, dull and sticky in April. An afternoon of cleaning, sharpening and oiling before the ground freezes adds years to pruners, shovels and mower blades, and makes spring work easier. This guide covers cleaning off soil and sap, disinfecting pruners, sharpening, protecting wood and metal, storing hoses, wheelbarrows and sprayers, and caring for cordless batteries through a Canadian winter.

Clean off soil, sap and rust

Soil holds moisture against steel, and that's where rust starts. Work through your tools one at a time:

• Soil: knock off clumps, scrub with a stiff brush and water, then dry each tool completely with a rag. A final hour in the sun or near a heater helps.
• Sap and resin: pruner and saw blades pick up sticky residue that makes them bind. Wipe it off with rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits on a rag, working with gloves on.
• Rust: scrub light surface rust with steel wool or a wire brush until you reach bare metal, then oil it (see below). Deep pitting on a cutting edge usually means a new blade.

Take bypass pruners apart if they're designed for it. Cleaning the pivot and spring separately does more than any amount of wiping.

Disinfect pruners between plants

Pruning tools can carry disease from one plant to the next, especially when you're cutting out cankers, blight or dead wood. Disinfect the blades between plants, and between cuts when you're working on diseased material. Alberta's Dutch elm disease guidance lists three options: methyl hydrate, a 25% solution of bleach in water, or 70% rubbing alcohol. It also warns that bleach can rust iron-based tools.

• Rubbing alcohol is the easiest choice for pruners. Wipe or dip, let it evaporate and keep working.
• If you use bleach, rinse and dry the tool afterward and give it a light coat of oil.
• In Alberta, elm pruning is banned from April 1 to September 30. Late fall and winter are when elms can be pruned there, and tools must be sterilized before moving to a different elm. Other provinces and cities set their own rules, so check locally before pruning elms.

If your pruners are past saving, with a loose pivot, a cracked handle or a blade too pitted to hone, our pruners, shears and loppers include many with replaceable blades and springs.

Sharpen pruners, shovels and mower blades

Pruners and loppers

Sharpen only the bevelled edge, following the factory angle with a file, a whetstone or a diamond hone, and stroke from the pivot out toward the tip. The flat back of the blade just needs a light pass to remove the burr. A sharp bypass blade makes clean cuts that heal faster than crushed ones.

Shovels, spades and hoes

Clamp the tool in a vise and file the working edge to a modest bevel. You're aiming for an edge that slices roots and sod, not a knife edge that chips on the first stone.

Mower blades

The CCOHS rotary mower guidance is clear on the order of steps. Shut off the mower, make sure the blade has stopped, and disconnect the spark plug wire before tipping it or sharpening, replacing or cleaning the blade. Wear protective gloves. Remove the battery on cordless mowers. Check your manual for which side can face up when tipping, so oil and fuel don't run into the air filter.

• Sharpen to the original angle, taking the same amount off each end.
• Balance the blade on a nail or a blade balancer. An unbalanced blade vibrates and wears the engine.
• Replace a blade that is bent, cracked or worn thin at the ends.

Our blade and chain sharpeners include files, hones and balancers. If a blade is past sharpening, look for an exact-fit replacement in our lawn mower blades. Sharpening fits naturally into the last-mow routine in our guide to fall overseeding and winterizing your lawn.

Oil wooden handles and bare metal

Dry wooden handles crack and splinter. Sand off rough spots, then rub in a coat of boiled linseed oil, let it soak in, and wipe off the excess. Give bare steel a thin film of light machine oil to keep moisture off over the winter, and put a drop of oil on each pruner pivot.

A fire-safety warning: rags soaked in linseed oil can heat up and ignite on their own as the oil dries. Fire services advise never leaving them in a pile or a closed bin. Spread them flat outdoors to dry, or put them in a metal container filled with water with a tight lid, before you dispose of them.

Store hoses, wheelbarrows and sprayers

Hoses and outdoor taps. Outdoor faucets are the first plumbing to freeze. The City of Toronto advises unscrewing hoses, turning off the outdoor water supply and letting the taps drain. Drain each hose fully, coil it loosely without kinks, and store it out of the sun, ideally indoors. A wall hanger or one of our hose reels and hangers keeps it off the floor. If you collect rainwater, our guide to rain barrels and watering restrictions covers draining those too.

Wheelbarrows and carts. Empty them, hose them out and let them dry. Touch up chipped paint on steel tubs. Store them upside down or hung on a wall so water and snow can't collect, check tire pressure, and oil the wooden handles.

Garden sprayers. Empty the tank, rinse it, then pump clean water through the wand and nozzle. Release the pressure and leave the tank open to dry. If the sprayer held a product, follow that product's label for rinsing and disposal. Store sprayers somewhere they won't freeze, because trapped water can crack seals and wands.

Cordless tool batteries in the cold

Lithium-ion batteries for trimmers, blowers and mowers do not belong in an unheated shed over winter. Health Canada recommends:

• Storing batteries at room temperature in a dry place, with about a 50% charge for long storage. CCOHS adds that you should check them every three months and top them back up to 50%.
• Letting batteries warm to room temperature before charging, and never charging them below zero.
• Using the charger that came with the tool. Recognized certification marks include CSA, cUL, cETL and UL.
• Not using batteries that are swollen, dented or have torn wrappers. Batteries are hazardous waste, so ask your municipality how to dispose of them.

Organize the shed or garage

Hang long-handled tools on wall racks, heads up and off the concrete, where they stay dry and you won't step on a rake. Group hand tools by task in labelled bins. Keep seed, fertilizer and bird seed in sealed containers so mice aren't wintering on them. Store gasoline in an approved container away from any heat source, and keep oily rags out of the pile. Make a short list of anything worn out or missing, so you can reorder before spring. If you're out of room, see our storage sheds.

Fall tool-care checklist

• Scrub off soil, wipe off sap and dry every tool completely.
• Disinfect pruners with 70% alcohol, and rinse and oil after any bleach.
• Sharpen pruners, shovels and mower blades, with the spark plug wire off first.
• Oil wooden handles and bare metal, and dry or soak linseed rags safely.
• Disconnect and drain hoses, shut off and drain outdoor taps.
• Clean wheelbarrows, and rinse, drain and store sprayers above freezing.
• Bring batteries indoors at about 50% charge, and never charge below zero.
• Hang tools off the floor and list what to replace in spring.

Frequently asked questions

What should I use to disinfect pruners?

Alberta's plant-health guidance lists 70% rubbing alcohol, methyl hydrate or a 25% bleach solution. Alcohol is easiest for pruners, because bleach can rust iron-based tools. If you use bleach, rinse and oil the blades afterward.

Do I need to disconnect the spark plug before sharpening a mower blade?

Yes. CCOHS advises shutting off the mower, making sure the blade has stopped, and disconnecting the spark plug wire before tipping it or sharpening, replacing or cleaning the blade. Remove the battery on cordless mowers.

What should I put on wooden tool handles?

Sand rough spots and rub in boiled linseed oil, then wipe off the excess. Linseed-soaked rags can ignite on their own, so dry them flat outdoors or keep them in a water-filled metal container with a lid.

Can I leave cordless tool batteries in the shed over winter?

It's better not to. Health Canada recommends storing lithium-ion batteries at room temperature in a dry place, at about 50% charge for long storage, and never charging them below zero.

How do I winterize garden hoses and outdoor taps?

Unscrew hoses, turn off the outdoor water supply and let the taps drain, as the City of Toronto advises. Drain each hose fully, coil it loosely and store it out of the sun, ideally indoors.