The Obvious Way We Could Have Been Cleaning Gardening Supplies All Along

We use gardening tools for a variety of purposes, from digging holes and raking leaves to weeding and trimming overgrown hedges. But one thing most of us never do? Clean them properly once we are finished using them. Sure, some of us may knock off any residual dirt and store them in a tidy shed, but is that enough? It's not. But, cleaning doesn't have to be hard: simply run them through a cycle in your dishwasher.

Not properly cleaning and disinfecting your gardening tools can lead to all sorts of problems down the line and even reduce their lifespan. This can lead you to spending more money on gardening tools down the line. Edges of trowel blades, for example, may dull, pit, or rust over time. Or, any soil or sap that comes into contact with your cultivator could contribute to spreading diseases across your garden and yard. Heck, even your planters and pots need to be cleaned in between uses. This helps prevent cross-contamination of new plants from occurring when using old pots that still harbor pests or other issues, like fungus.

But after a big day working in the yard, you probably are not in the mood to drag out the hose and a bucket full of suds so you can manually scrub all the tools you used (especially if you just spent time sharpening some of your gardening tools that need regular honing). If you're up for the task, kudos, go for it! But if you aren't, kick back and let your dishwasher do your dirty work.

Most of your small gardening tools are perfect candidates for getting cleaned in a dishwasher. There are really only a couple of caveats and rules. Number one, as long as they are metal (but not made of cast iron or copper), you're good. And number two, do not machine wash anything with a wooden handle, as hot water can cause warping and cracking.

It's recommended to use the top rack of your dishwasher for cleaning smaller tools and items with plastic components. Loading this way keeps them the farthest away from your machine's heating element and ensures that they are less prone to damage during the drying cycle. And of course, you'll still use dishwasher detergent the same as you would for any other cycle, since it both cleans and helps remove sticky gunk like sap.

On your bottom dishwasher rack, feel free to put in larger items, like pots or even your rubber gardening boots (clogs and flip-flops may situate best on the top rack). Promptly remove your gardening gear from the dishwasher once it is done with its drying cycle, and use a towel to finish spot-drying as needed to prevent rust. It's also recommended to run a self-cleaning cycle or manually sanitize your dishwasher before running your next load of dishes, just to make sure everything is ready to go.