All Cleaned Up

Step 3

Keep handtools at hand. Other than your trusty pruners, no garden goods get more of a summer workout that your handtools. First, give them a thorough cleaning, removing all the build-up crud over the past few months. Dry well. (Yes, you should go through these steps after every use, but don't beat yourself up over it -- we're all guilty.)

In a covered container (a toolbox or a 5-gallon paint bucket), mix a bag of play sand with one bottle of any motor oil, and then plunge in cleaned tools. Stored out of the elements in this gritty, lubricated mix, your tools should stay rust free until spring.