How to Clean A Dirty Shovel

How to Clean A Dirty Shovel






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Home » Gardening & Landscaping » How to Clean A Dirty Shovel







How to Clean A Dirty Shovel

Dirty garden shovels are common after a long season of activity.  Storing shovels without consideration of cleaning can often result in a disappointment when ready to use them next season. Debris and moisture left on the shovel can result in damage to your tool through unwanted rust.  Avoid this result by following some helpful steps and tips.

Instructions




1

What You'll Need:

·         Plastic bucket

·         Builder's sand

·         Used motor oil

·         Water and hose sprayer

·         Clean rags

·         Steel wool

·         Work gloves

·         Steel files

2

Clean debris from shovel and handle surfaces.  Knock shovel several times on solid earth and sidewalk or driveway to loosen dirt and debris.  Scrape off large pieces of remaining dirt and debris with piece of scrap wood.  Clean debris from handle, front and back of shovel.  Don’t forget foot stop area front and back.  Take care not to dent or bend shovel edges.

3

Wash remaining dirt from shovel and handle.  Set hose sprayer of full-on setting and while holding shovel handle close to shovel, spray shovel and handle so that remaining dirt is forcefully washed off of both.  Repeat as many times as necessary to remove all remaining dirt.

4

Wipe moisture and remaining dirt from shovel and handle surfaces.  Use clean rags to completely remove moisture from shovel and handle surfaces including foot stop. Wipe in circular motion to insure complete removal of moisture.  Place in sun until completely dry.

5

Clean dried surfaces of steel shovel with medium grade steel wool.  Use circular motion, close and small movement, to effectively clean shovel surface.  Cleaning with steel wool should remove any remaining rust-appearance on shovel.  Do both front and back of shovel.

6

Wipe shovel surface with clean rags again.   Final rag wiping should remove steel wool debris.

7

Use files to make new, sharp edge on shovel.  Stroke files with motion toward bottom of shovel.  Use work gloves to avoid skin damage.

8

Place sand in plastic bucket to three-fourths full.  Pour two or three cups of oil to surface of sand in bucket. Let oil migrate throughout sand, about 15 minutes or until sand is saturated with oil.

9

Thrust shovel surface into oiled sand in bucket.  Place foot on shovel to insure full blade of shovel is in oiled sand.  Move shovel by rocking side to side, front and back, and pushing foot stop into oiled sand.  Let shovel sit for five minutes.

10

Remove shovel from bucket, lightly brush off any sand particles on shovel with oily rag.  Store shovel for next gardening season

11

Check shovel during winter season for any possible rusting and re-clean if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

Use cheap but clean plastic bucket

Make sure rags are not old paint rags

Wear work gloves

Clean shovel on area of drive, walk, or ground covered by cardboard to collect debris and sand droppings








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Garden Tools: Choosing The Right Shovel For The Job

Choosing the Right Garden Shovel for the Job

One of the most widely used tools for gardening is the shovel, but many gardeners have little knowledge about what type of shovel to use for various projects they are working on. Using the right shovel can help you complete the job quicker, easier and also help minimize body stress--like an aching back.

Below are several of the more common garden shovels with an explanation of what each garden tool was designed for. While you may find other uses for certain shovels, the main intent is to help gardeners find garden shovels designed for specific jobs and make gardening and other farm or household chores more enjoyable.

Round Point Shovel:  The round point shovel is probably the most widely known and used shovel in any homeowners tool shed. It has a long, straight handle with a very pointed tip. The flat area on either side of bottom of the handle is great for placing one or both feet to dig deeper into the soil.  It is mainly used to move dirt from one location to another by digging, shoveling or scooping up the soil or debris.

 Garden Shovel:  The garden shovel is very similar to the round point shovel in appearance, but often has a shorter handle with a D-style grip at the end. It is slightly smaller and lighter so it is easier to handle. By using a short-handled garden shovel you are better able to get into tight, cramped areas where a long handle would be forever bumping something behind you. The general purpose of the garden shovel is to move dirt or debris from one location to another by digging, shoveling or scooping.
Irrigation Shovel:  This shovel design is also similar to your standard round point and garden shovels. The shank design is straighter so it enables the user to dig ditches or holes for planting trees, shrubs and flowers. It is easier to get a real vertical edge on the hole or ditch you are digging by using this type of shovel.
Transplanting Spade:  The name pretty much gives this shovel's purpose away--it's used for transplanting. When you are transplanting trees, shrubs and other bushes you can use a transplanting spade so you don't disturb the roots as much as you would with a garden shovel. The width of the head is very narrow and slim in appearance and it has a rounded tip. You can get transplanting spades in either a long handle or the shorter, D-handle style. If you are working in a tight area or prefer a light weight type of spade then choose the shorter, D-handled transplanting spade.
Square Point Shovel:  The tip of the shovel head is flat and the overall shape is square, thus the name square point shovel. This shovel design is often used for leveling or putting a very straight edge on ditches, pathways and other projects where you want a nice straight line. You can also use it for shoveling snow, gravel or dirt. For cleaning out a garden shed, greenhouse or even mucking out livestock pens/stalls that have corners you can't beat the square point shovel. It makes getting every bit of dirt out of the corners a breeze.
Scoop Shovel: The scoop shovel is one of my favorites. It has a huge head that can hold a lot of material. Often it is found with a shorter, D-style handle.  This shovel works best for lightweight materials such as leaves, bark, or other dried materials. Because of the load it can hold you don't want to use it for heavy or wet materials unless you have a great deal of upper body strength to lift it without straining your back. The scoop shovel is a favorite among farmers for cleaning stalls and scooping up the barn/shop floor sweepings. It is easy to get it all in one swift scoop, leaving very little debris behind.

While there are still many different types of shovels on the market, each designed for different jobs, these are the most common ones used in gardens, farms and around the house. The next time you go to the hardware store in search of a few new tools be sure to look at all the shovel designs available. Add a few new ones to your collection and you can save yourself time and body ache.