The weather causes a lot of damage in the garden. Here you can find out how to bring garden utensils back into shape and stow them neatly.
When the main gardening season is slowly coming to an end, garden tools and the like are neatly stowed away so that they are ready for use again next year. It's only now that you realize that many a utensil has become unsightly over the course of spring and summer. Due to the influence of rain, wind and sun, dirt, verdigris and rust settle everywhere where the hobby gardener cannot use them at all.
So that you don't experience any nasty surprises at the beginning of the new gardening season, you have to lend a hand. Start cleaning the garden - the best time for this is the beginning of September, because then most garden tools are no longer needed and the seasonal decorations "move to their winter quarters".
Remove rust on garden tool
Spades, hoes and rakes are part of the basic equipment in the garden. I don't know how careful you are with your garden tools, I personally only remove sticky soil from the tools after use and then put them in their usual place. Due to the moisture in the ground, rust can form on the metal parts. If you don't act now, you can assume that the garden tools will no longer be usable in the new year. It is therefore important to remove the rust as best as possible. In addition to using conventional rust removers or a sandblasting device, you have other options for counteracting corrosion.
Remove rust on garden tools with vinegar
Vinegar isn't just a miracle weapon for house cleaning, it also helps to get rid of rust on garden tools. Put some vinegar on a rag and rub it on the rust spots. Now let the vinegar soak for at least half an hour (overnight for large affected areas), rinse everything off with clear water and rub the treated areas dry again.
Get Rid of Rust on Garden Tools with Baking Soda
This household remedy not only helps to get a dirty oven clean again,Baking soda can also remove rust. A paste is mixed in combination with 3 percent citric acid. Apply the "cream" to the rust spots and let it work. Before you completely wipe off the paste, test on a small area to see if the remedy has already worked. If this is the case, a dry cloth is sufficient to remove the natural rust remover.
Remove rust with sandpaper or steel wool
If the rust is extremely established, the above methods may not be sufficient. Especially with larger areas, it is advisable to rub off the rust spots with sandpaper. Grade 0 steel wool is also perfect for removing surface rust without leaving any residue.
Removal of rust using a rust converter
If you want to remove the rust without much effort, rust converters are a good idea. Although this cannot convert the rust back into the starting material, a connection is created between the starting material and the rust. This connection is less porous and cannot rust again.
Algae and moss on paving, paths and terraces
Due to the weather, it is unfortunately inevitable that an unsightly moss and algae layer will form on the paving stones and terrace. Those who like it rustic might not mind, but the green, often muddy carpet is a thorn in the side of most hobby gardeners. Again, you can work with vinegar, but that only makes sense for smaller areas. So it would make more sense to use a real moss remover. First scrape off large patches of moss with a knife or a grout scraper and then spray the undiluted vinegar onto the infested areas. Then leave the surface alone and wait until everything turns brown. Now manual work is required again, because the dead moss or algae have to be scrubbed off.
If that's too tedious for you, and even if the area is too big for the vinegar variant, chemical power should be used. For he alth reasons, it is best to use the AGO Quart green deposit remover without chlorine and any addition of acids and any addition of acids. This does not affect the effect, but protects the material and surrounding plants.
Verdigris on terracotta - home remedies help
Terracotta is a popular material for flower pots and ornaments in the garden. However, the longer the objects are left outdoors, the more they begin to weather. Here, too, the unsightly verdigris settles,which you should remove before the deco is put away before winter.
You guessed it, the first method is again our household vinegar. Soak a large cloth in vinegar and wrap it around the flower pot. If you use vinegar essence, mix it with water in a ratio of 1:4. Let it soak in and then wipe the pot or decorative item with paper towels. If you don't like the smell of vinegar, simply rinse with water.
Cleaning terracotta pots with rainwater
If you have a rain barrel in the garden, try the following: Put all the terracotta objects in the filled barrel and leave them there for two to three days. The green layer will then come off by itself.
Important: Do not use tap water - it is too hard!
Cleaning plastic garden furniture
Last but not least, let's take care of the garden furniture before storing it in the garden shed. While aluminum tables and chairs are quite weather-resistant, plastic garden furniture takes on unsightly discolorations over time. Unfortunately, clear water is not enough for cleaning, you only get the surface layer of dust off with it.
Toothpaste, baking soda and dirt eraser
In addition to vinegar (as described above), you can also try toothpaste here. The paste is put on a cloth and the dark areas rubbed off with it. This is certainly a helpful method for a small seating area, but if you have a lot of plastic furniture, a tube will not do it - even the cheapest toothpaste will eventually cost you.
Alternatively, there is another home remedy. Mix baking soda or baking soda with water and use it to wipe down your plastic furniture. For stubborn stains, mix a paste of said propellants and a little water. Treat the stains with it and rinse with clear water.
So-called eraser sponges have also proven to be very effective on dirty plastic furniture. As the name suggests, they act like erasers and are used as such. Particularly dark spots on white plastic furniture can be rubbed away in no time.