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How to Clean Vintage Tools

The challenge in learning how to clean vintage tools is that you cannot use any old abrasive to scrub away rust and dust that accumulates over time. You must use special techniques that not only clean the tools but preserve them if you want them to continue to last. If your vintage tools are very valuable, you may not want to clean them yourself for fear of damaging them. It could be worth it to have them professionally restored instead.

Things You'll Need

Microfiber cloth
Canauba wax
Old T-shirt or sock

Instructions

- 1
  Dip the corner of a microfiber cloth into a bottle of carnauba wax until it has absorbed approximately ½ teaspoon. Scrub each tool with the corner of the cloth. When it gets overly soiled, switch to a new corner. Do not rinse it with water. Take a look at your tools after 5 minutes of scrubbing and see if all of the dirt and debris is gone. You may have to scrub pretty hard. Put aside any tools that came clean.
- 2
  Scrub tools that are still dirty with rubbing compound, which is a wax commonly used for cars. Follow the same process as in Step 1, but use an old T-shirt or sock instead of the microfiber cloth. This will allow the wax to become better absorbed into the material. Start with a teaspoon of wax. Add small dots of additional wax to the tool and continue scrubbing your tools with rubbing compound until they all come out clean. Again, do not rinse.
- 3
  Apply a thin protective layer of carnauba wax to the surface of each tool (about 1 cm thick). This will help the tools stay cleaner longer. Unlike in Step 1, you do not have to scrub. Just lightly smooth the wax over each tool until you have an even coat. Use the microfiber cloth or your gloved fingers.

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