5 Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Tools Functional For a Long Time

For anyone with an interest or passion in home improvement, buying a new tool or set of tools is exciting. You can’t wait to use it in a current or future project. But as the initial excitement wears off, you may forget about it and neglect it again.

In reality, working with tools is a long-term engagement. Your initial investment should pay off for years to come, with tools that keep their function for a long time. The only way to accomplish that is with proper care, so here are 5 maintenance tips to help you extend the life of your tools.

1) Wipe Off After Use

Our first tip is the most obvious. Anytime you use one of your hand tools, you should be sure to wipe off any excess materials you left during your work.

For example, if you used your pliers on old pipes, wipe off the residue after use. Similarly, if you use your screwdriver not just for its original purpose but also to dig out wood, be sure to clean it off right after use.

2) Keep them Sharp

It’s not a shocker that sharp tools work best. But when should you sharpen them? Our suggestion is to do it after use instead of right before the next use. Otherwise, you risk wearing down your tool unnecessarily.

In addition, be sure to sharpen your tools the right way. Single-beveled tools, for example, should only be sharpened on the beveled side to lengthen their lives.

3) Keep Away from Moisture

The last thing you want is for your beautiful new tools to become unusable shortly after the purchase because of rust. Even tools that are resistant to it will ultimately succumb to rust if they are stored in the wrong spot.

The key to avoid this downfall is simple: keep your tools away from moist spot. If you have a choice between your garage and your basement, choose one with lower humidity levels. In addition, be sure to keep your tools away from any water lines and pipes that could leak.

4) Store Properly

Speaking of storage: finding the proper spot for your tools is just as crucial in extending their life. That storage, of course, is two-fold. One, be sure that your tools are in a bag or box that prevents them from issues such as moisture.

In addition, that box should be stored in a part of your house that is both easily accessible and safe. Especially if you have small children in the house, that second part is crucial for not just your tool but the safety of your family.

5) Organize for Easy Access

Good tools are like fine wine: they get better with age. Over time, you will find ways to best use them, and work them into a groove that works perfectly with your style of work. To make that possible, our final tip is to organize your tools to keep access to them as easily as possible.

The more organized your tools are, the more likely you will be to use each one of them. That, in turn, leads to a greater chance that you will use all of them when the need arises, getting you more comfortable with them and increasing their benefits.

Working with tools means more than just knowing how to take advantage of their core functions. Good hand tools should last a lifetime, so taking care of them is crucial to make sure that your initial investment pays off for years to come.

In short, working with tools can become an in-depth art form. To learn more about it, and to find the right tools to help you complete any job, contact us.