My neighbor said I should soak my shovel in sand and oil for a month. I thought he was nuts.

My neighbor Mike told me last fall to keep a bucket of sand mixed with motor oil in my garage and stick my shovel blade in it after every use during winter. I honestly thought he was pulling my leg because it sounded so messy and pointless. But after three months of dealing with a rusty, dull shovel that would barely cut through frozen ground, I finally tried his trick. I grabbed a five gallon bucket, filled it with cheap play sand from the hardware store, and poured in about a quart of used oil I had from my lawn mower. Now I just plunge my shovel in a few times after I'm done and the blade comes out clean and slightly coated. It's been 6 weeks and my shovel hasn't rusted at all and it still slides into the dirt like butter. Has anyone else used this method for their garden tools or do you have a different way to keep things from rusting?

2 comments

2 Comments

morgan.cameron6d ago

Your neighbor Mike sounds like my uncle Fred who insists WD-40 cures everything from squeaky doors to arthritis.

simon_chen6d ago

Six weeks without rust on a shovel that you actually use in dirt, that's not exactly a scientific breakthrough. Also, how bad was your rust problem that this felt like a revelation?