How to Properly Clean and Look After Your Car Tools

As we've said before, tools can be a very expensive investment so it makes sense to look after them to prolong their lifespan as much as possible.

Clean, good-quality tools that work well can help you get the job done faster and can make the difference between a job going smoothly or badly.

​Here's a few simple tips on how to properly clean and look after your car tools. 

Store Your Car Tools Properly

First of all, make sure you've got a good storage system in place for all your tools.

​Having a well organised storage system just for your car tools, with a place for every tool, will help you keep them clean and keep track of them, whereas leaving them out on the floor will make them rust and increase the likelihood of them going missing (as every mechanic knows, a job goes much faster when tools are to hand).

Choose a toolbox that is the right size for your collection as well as something easy to access and move around. Tool boxes with foam linings are especially useful as they can help you easily spot if a particular tool is missing.

How to Clean Your Car Tools

1. Remove any grime from your hand tools (non electrical) by spraying them lightly with brake cleaner or any other degreaser that's not too harsh (thinner and petrol are a no go) and wiping them over with blue roll. Avoid soaking or submerging your tools because it may cause rust and wear on any tool with moving parts such as a ratchet. For power tools, try using some tool wipes
2. Once they're clean, spray your hand tools lightly with WD40 to give them a protective coat of (clean!) oil. Lubricate any air tools with the correct oil
3. Now store all your tools somewhere safe, away from the damp and dust. Keep power tools in their original plastic boxes if you have them and store hand tools in a tool box, or hang them up (never leave them on the floor)
4. Regularly inspect your tools for signs of damage and wear- especially power tools, which can be dangerous if broken, speaking as someone who's nearly been scalped by shattered grinding discs a few times now (also never buy cheap grinding discs- or a cheap safety visor!) 

TIP: Power Tool Stopped Working?

If your grinder, sander or other power tool suddenly seems to be dying but shaking it brings it momentarily back to life don't chuck it in the bin straight away- I may have a simple fix for you.

Start by seeing if you can replace the brushes. This is a really simple thing to try and cheap too- some new brushes should cost you less than £5 and we always keep some in stock for this reason.

It varies depending on which power tool you have so try searching YouTube for specific instructions on how to do this.