TIL most people don't know how to properly clean their trowel at the end of the day

I mean, I was on a job in Cincinnati last week and saw two guys just dunk their tools in a bucket of water and call it good. Idk, maybe it's just me but that's a fast way to ruin a good trowel. The mortar gets in the heel and under the handle, and if you don't get it all out, it sets up and throws off your balance. I use a stiff wire brush and a putty knife to really scrape it clean, then wipe it down with an oily rag. My old trowel lasted me almost 8 years doing that. How do you guys clean up? Is there a better way?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim.olivia1mo ago

Honestly I just rinse mine with the hose and leave it to dry. Been doing that for years and my trowels are fine. All that extra scraping seems like overkill to me, you're just wearing the metal down faster. As long as you knock the big stuff off before it sets, you're good.

leo_mason1mo ago

You're right about knocking the big stuff off, that's key. But just hosing it down left a thin film on mine that hardened over time and ruined the finish. I had to scrub it with a wire brush and vinegar to get it back. Now I give it a quick scrape under running water right after I'm done. Takes ten seconds and the blade stays clean.

gray_patel15d ago

Try a quick scrape under water like Leo said, @kim.olivia, it beats a wire brush later.