Who cleans their tools!?

[Mr. Tool]

Anyone here take the time to clean their favorite expensive tools or just tools in general, after use?

 

[83GTMike]

Frequently and using that exact product. I dislike the grime that gets built up on my soft grip tools after a day's use.

 

[GarageGuy89]

clean tools bother me...never trust a man with clean tools...or was it shoes...

 

[AmishFury]

i give them a quick wipe with a rag before putting them away

oil, grease, and dirt in the toolbox is just a big hell no

 

[Tonyuk]

I clean mine with a rag and clean oil, usually WD40 or 3in1.

 

[FallibleFlyer]

I've got a relatively greasy grimy rag I wipe them all down with before they hit the toolbox, figure it'll help keep em oiled

 

[uncwstudent]

I clean mine after every time that I use them. I learned a long time ago that when you take care of things....they actually last.

 

[tonyciambrone]

Clean motor oil wipedowns.

Dawn and a scotchbrite sponge every once and awhile.

I do not like getting clean jobs dirty, and then having to clean my work. Easier and simpler to keep the tools clean.

 

[MTNSleder]

I polish mine to a mirror finish, then take pictures for social media.

 

[Shane6377]

I generally wipe down tools before putting them away in the box. I don’t mind if my tools are a little dirty but I don’t like oil and grease dripping off of them and getting all over.

One thing I am really picky about is putting away tools wet. Ever since I had a pipe wrench rust due to being put away wet I always make sure to dry them or hang them somewhere to dry before putting them away in the box.


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[Crazyjake8493]

I clean my home use tools. Usually with work tools there's no time to be standing around cleaning.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

I wipe them down with a rag and some WD40 if they are greasy. Every now and then I'll clean them with a hand held steam cleaner to get the crud out of the engravings and from the inside of sockets.

 

[Kasal]

I clean mine with a rag and clean oil, usually WD40 or 3in1.

This

 

[WWheeler]

I tie a rag so it stays hanging on the side of my boxes to give every tool a quick wipe down before putting away. Every once in a blue moon I give the rag a spritz of Boeshield T-9.

If the tool was wet or covered in oil/grease/whatever else I use a different rag or rags to dry it off / clean it up first, then it gets wiped with the T-9 rag before getting put away. Doing this has kept the rust away and my softgrips looking good for years and years.

 

[PFSard]

I wipe my tools down with a rag after use and put them back in their designated locations. If one needs repair, it sits in the middle of my bench.

 

[yamaha0343]

Only on tool picture days.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

Depends on the use. Being a DIY tool user and not by occupation. My tools might work on something covered in grease. Then the next project may have some of those same tools laying on the beige carpet in the house for the next one. I don't allow grime to build up or rust to form on my tools.

 

[78C-10]

I always clean them after a job, I wipe them down with brake cleaner. They really get deloused after working on a landfill machine. I don't want garbage dust in my tool box.

 

[mfewtrail]

I clean mine as I put them away. At the very least, they're getting a quick wipe down, then will be cleaned more thoroughly later on if needed. I don't like transferring a lot of grease and grime to my toolboxes.

 

[unknownroad]

I polish mine to a mirror finish, then take pictures for social media.

Just make sure you're wearing clothes when you take the pictures of that mirror finish... don't ask me how I know

Un-insulated shop in humidity central here, so unless I've really gone past my limits for the day I make a point to clean and dry anything messy (yard tools, etc) and oil anything metal at the end of a days work.

 

[jd_1138]

I rarely wipe my tools off. I am usually in such a hurry I just stuff them in the box. Then once every few months, I empty out the box and wipe 'em all down and organize them.

Then I wipe out the toolbox of all the crud that fell off the tools, then I organize the tools as I put them back.

 

[Qualitytools]

While I am working on a project (home or car), I place any tool that I use in a container so once the job is done (depending on what I was working on) I clean my tools before I place them back, the ones for the car I wipe down with WD40 and place them back. My Tool Motto is: "A clean tool is a safe tool and a safe tool is a happy tool"

 

[pogrelis97]

I always clean mine after I use them.
I also wax my trailers, clean the wheels, and put tire shine on them.
The fiancé says I have a problem, shes probably right...

 

[Tallpilot]

I clean mine after every time that I use them. I learned a long time ago that when you take care of things....they actually last.

Exactly. I use Grime Boss wipes on comfort grips and brake cleaner on metal. I put Kroil on non chromed metal to reduce rusting.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

I clean my tools, cars, guns, house, desk, and everything else.

It's self discipline to take care of one's belongings.

I don't know where the train of thought came from that since tools get dirty it's okay to leave them dirty.

Like Andy Frisella says, "There's not a self made millionaire that leaves pee dribble on the toilet."

 

[Snakebyt]

mine at least get a wipe down before going back in the box

 

[PelicanPines]

If you don't clean them... they could get a rash...

 

[JRC3]

Yep, I clean my tool every day. Good hygiene is just good sense.

 

[niget2002]

I generally wipe down tools before putting them away in the box. I don’t mind if my tools are a little dirty but I don’t like oil and grease dripping off of them and getting all over.

One thing I am really picky about is putting away tools wet. Ever since I had a pipe wrench rust due to being put away wet I always make sure to dry them or hang them somewhere to dry before putting them away in the box.


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I have silica packets in all of the drawers of my toolbox. Once a year or so, I bake them to 'reset' them. Not sure how much they really help, but they can't hurt.

 

[Richard Cranium]

my tools get dirty when In use, but they are cleaned before they get put away.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

my tools get dirty when In use, but they are cleaned before they get put away.

This, but especially the ones that go in the cab with me.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Absolutely. I don't need a handful of grit and grease when I grab something... whether it's K1 and a rag or scrubs in a bucket or whatever... that way if its cracked or worn or whatnot I know it, before it cuts loose all the way and bites me hard.

 

[fsae0607]

Any job I do, I throw the tools I use into my service cart. At the end of the job if I have energy and time, I'll crack open a cold one and wipe down my tools with a clean rag and WD-40.

At least in the cart, the dirty tools are corralled to be cleaned at another time if need be.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I don't know where the train of thought came from that since tools get dirty it's okay to leave them dirty.

Oh, that is putting that train of thought way too politely. In fact, I was waiting to see how long it would take for this thread to devolve into some version of the inane, juvenile, false macho 'Tool Polishers ****, Real Mechanics Leave Their Tools Dirty' B.S. that I have seen on GJ in the past. Dirt and grime on tools is not just a matter of cosmetics or preservation. A dirty tool is a dangerous tool, and may inhibit functionality. The idea that mechanics who clean their tools are somehow inferior to mechanics who don't is patently ridiculous.

 

[Parrothead]

I "clean" mine, in the sense that I wipe them down.

Given some of the pictures on here, there's no need to clean them as they've never actually moved. lol

I can say that because I've done a decent amount of swapping out new stuff in my home box and it doesn't look like I use mine either. lol

 

[Bockscar]

I have a go home drawer.....at the end of the day throw everything I used in there and leave......when I get there the next day is when I wipe them down and put them away.....the tools got dirty on the clock they are gonna get cleaned on the clock

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[McFarmer]

Each drawer has an old towel soaked in WD-40 covering the tools. I wipe when I'm finished.

 

[Finky198]

Pretty much All my tools get some form of cleaning, and I purposely buy tools that are easier to clean. I tend shy away from comfort grips, when I can. I found petroleum resistant screw drivers, from Wiha and snap on plier grips and hammer are easy to clean as well. That combined with Chrome and hard handles makes the process super simple.

Lightly used stuff gets wipe down with a clean rag and spray cleaner.
Heavily soiled stuff goes to the parts washer ...

 

[225]

My tools unfortunately, don't have a climate controlled area to stay in.

I keep mine looking like new, and wipe them down. Most get a monthly coating of T-9 Boeshield.

I even watch where I place my tools when working on concrete so they don't get scratched. Call me OCD, but when you pay for SO tools, I like to keep them as pristine as possible.

 

[tin medic]

After every use they get wiped down before going back into their assigned spot in the drawer.