Gardening tools can transmit fungi and bacteria between infected and healthy plants. Sterilizing your garden tools with a solution of bleach and water is an effective method for destroying any microbial organisms on them. The best time to clean your tools is after you have used them on a plant that shows signs of infection or before you use them on a valuable plant, but you should avoid overuse of bleach, which can be corrosive.
Take your tools and materials outside or to another well-ventilated area. Put on gloves to avoid skin irritation from the bleach.
Combine bleach and water in a proportion of nine parts water to one part bleach in a bucket. Add the ingredients to the bucket until you have enough solution to completely cover the blades or tines of your largest garden tool.
Immerse the parts of your garden tool that come in direct contact with plants in the solution. Note the time at which you place your tool in the bucket, and leave it fully immersed for 30 minutes. Remove your tool from the solution, and rinse it thoroughly with water after the soaking period is complete.
Dump out the bleach solution and replace it with fresh solution two hours after it was made if you are sterilizing a large quantity of tools. Dispose of your used bleach solution in a sink, and wash it down the drain with more water to further dilute the solution.
Things You Will Need
- Garden tools
- Rubber gloves
- Chlorine bleach
- Measuring cup or other small container
- Plastic bucket
- Clock or watch
- Avoid using bleach to sterilize your garden tools regularly, because it can corrode your tools with repeated use. Wipe the working surfaces of your garden tools with isopropyl alcohol with a concentration of at least 70 percent if you need to sterilize your tools regularly. Tools disinfected with alcohol are ready to use as soon as they have air-dried.
- Combining bleach and ammonia creates an odorless toxic gas that can cause severe damage to your lungs or even death, so be sure your containers are clean and ammonia free before adding bleach.
- Chlorine bleach is a skin and eye irritant. Always wear gloves while you are working with bleach, and avoid getting it in your eyes.
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