Disinfecting Garden Tools Uk

And this one deals with that common advice to sterilise your tools.

Disinfecting garden tools uk. It is mixed at a ratio of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. All gardening tools used for trimming digging pruning or removing weeds should be disinfected consistently to prevent the spread of diseases and pests there are several methods and products that you can use to disinfect your tools and other gardening surfaces. To disinfect your gardening tools start by removing any dirt and debris with water. There are a number of products that can be used to disinfect tools and gardening surfaces and each has advantages and disadvantages.

Soak the steel parts of garden tools shovel blades rake tongs and pruning shear blades in the cleaning solution for 10 to 30 minutes. Ensure that all steel parts of the tools come in. Much like a chef or surgeon s equipment cleaning gardening tools enhances the job at hand and even secures the health of your patients caring for garden tools will also extend the life of the equipment and save you money down the road. After removing the surface dirt dip your gardening tools into the disinfecting solution and gently swish in the mixture for fifteen to twenty seconds.

Your springtime check list should include a comprehensive quick guide on how to clean garden tools. The second covered the hygiene aspects of moving plants. Cultivation tools spades hoes forks rakes and trowels use a stiff scrubbing brush to remove any soil from the blade and shaft. Extremely muddy tools may need a wash down with a hose before drying with an old towel.

Ever read this advice. Wipe the tool dry and oil it promptly to discourage corrosion. I have nearly every book or internet article mentions sterilising or sterilizing if you can t spell. Remove the gardening tools from the solution and dry.

If you have time oil the garden tool handles to help keep them smooth and prevent splinters. Bleach bleach is very inexpensive to use as a garden tool sanitizer. Disinfecting your garden tools disinfecting and sterilizing your horticultural tools is a good way to prevent the spread of disease causing pathogens in your landscape. How to clean hand tools.

Then soak the tool in a mix of 1 gallon water and 2 cups bleach for 10 minutes. The tools or at least the tool s blades are soaked in the bleach water for thirty minutes then rinsed and hung to dry. If the grime is caked on use a stiff wire bristle brush to remove the dirt and a paper towel dampened with disinfectant or paint thinner to remove any sticky residue. As part of your gardening routine get into the habit of regularly cleaning your tools after use.

This is the third of three articles on the subject of garden hygiene. The first one covered general hygiene and sensible cleaning of tools. For larger tools like shovels and shears that have been in contact with an infected plant use paper towels to remove all dirt and sap.