Tips to Protect Trowels from Rusting

Use Rust Primer

• Once you have bought your trowels, immediately spray them with a rust primer. This primer keeps rust from ever beginning to form, even if you don't take care of your trowels. Spray the trowel portion with a couple coats of primer, letting each coat dry entirely in between each spraying. Make sure the primer is sprayed into each joint, fold or attachment in the metal so that liquid or rust can't accumulate and cause serious corrosion. This rust primer should be sprayed outside or in a very well-ventilated area as it can be harmful to people and animals.
  
  

Clean the Trowels

• Taking care of your tools is one of the most important things you can do to keep tools lasting longer, prevent rust, and enable them to be used effectively over time. Wiping the shovel of the trowel of all dirt and water after each use and ensuring it is totally dry is integral to keeping rust from forming. Leaving the trowels out in the sun to dry is one of the best ways to ensure the metal is totally dry and rust free. Just be sure to put them away when they are done drying.
  
  

Store the Trowels Properly

• Storing the trowels is as important as cleaning and caring for them, as a large amount of rust and corrosion that occurs to the metal of a trowel is from the metal touching another piece of metal. Also, tossing used trowels into a dark drawer where dampness can pervade will ultimately lead to rust forming on the shovels of the trowels. The best way to store your trowels when you are not using them is to hang them by themselves on the wall of your garage or gardening area with hooks or screws so that they can dry, not touch other metal, and always be in a place where you can find them.