Cleaning tools.

[Tosh]

To what extent should I be cleaning my tools?

Should I literally be cleaning 'everything' in jeys fluid, inc spanners, screw drivers etc, or is it only the things that would have come into contact with wood and garden materials.?

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

[calNgary]

Grease and oil are frowned upon too so its not just garden tools. An easier way for non electrical tools is to put them through a hot engine wash, most garages will have one and it saves loads of time.

 

Cal x

[gumster]

Jeyes fluid the lot! They opened every tool box of ours but I'd cleaned everything throughly with jeyes! I can still smell the bloody stuff 8mths on & ive still got the contact dermatitis it caused !

[Tosh]

Thanks for your responses. what about surface rust on some tools and a couple of old metal tool boxes. Even if I clean them with Jeys and wd40 them the rust is still there. should I bin these?

[Alaska]

All the shipping companies told us that customs don't like rust so we did leave a few things behind for that reason.

Jeyes fluid on everything else and it all got through fine.

[Suzukiscottie]

Rust shouldn't be too much of a worry. It's bio security that customs are interested in (things that have been in contact with animals, soil, made of wood, plant material etc.)

 

I emptied all the dust out of my tool boxes, wiped them down with a rag and wd40, wiped down my tools with the same rag, and everything got through just fine.

[jasoncheesemanuk]

I didn't clean mine at all and they all went through fine. I mean if your tools are full of grease then it might be a good excuse to give them a wipe down and start afresh. I bought myself one of those Sealey Cabinets and put all of my tools in there. And bought a couple of the wheeley Stanley boxes for my electrical and plumbing tools.