Just rinse mine. Never had an issue.

Used to think fixing broken tools was a waste of time, like just buy a new one. But seeing your grandpa's wrench-hammer mashup actually makes a ton of sense. That's not just a repair, it's creating a whole new tool for a specific job. It shows real cleverness, using what you have to make something even more useful. Changes how I look at the broken stuff in my own garage now.

But what kind of work are you doing most? If you're building wheels or bleeding brakes all day, that low bench is a killer. If it's just occasional cable housing cuts, maybe you can tough it out. Your back will tell you what's wrong before your fingers do.