What's the Best Way to Clean Plastering Tools?

Having quality plastering tools can make all the difference to your work. Clean tools make jobs quicker and easier, but take your eye off cleaning them for a moment and you can soon find yourself struggling to see where the trowel ends and the plaster cake begins.

Don’t fear, though – there are a few tricks that can get your plastering tools looking like new once again.

Scrub Plastering Tools Clean With Sandpaper

Your first port of call is always scraping and scrubbing. Clumps of leftover plaster can usually be scraped off with a putty knife, while more stubborn bits clinging to your tools will need scrubbing with something like sandpaper. 

A super-fine 400-grit sandpaper is usually recommended as it’s great for finishing off metal and giving it a nice shine. Scouring pads or steel wool are alternative options to consider. You can also use sandpaper to remove the plaster from non-metal parts such as plastic or wooden handles.

Make sure you wear protective gloves to look after your hands when trying to scrub down metal with sandpaper or steel wool.

Soak in Baking Soda

If you have particularly stubborn plaster (e.g. you’ve left it for ages), then the most tried and trusted method is to give trowels a nice overnight bath in baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda) solution.

All you need to do is fill a bucket with enough water so your plastering tools can be completely submerged. If your tools have wooden or cork handles, you may want to use a tray so the handles don’t sit in water for extended periods.

Once your tools are submerged, just add a sprinkling of baking soda to the water. The amount to add is debated – generally, you want to add enough to cause the water to start turning cloudy, although if the stain is particularly stubborn, you may want to add more.

After that, you have two options. The best choice is to leave them overnight, then fish them out and scrub off the loosened plaster and gunk. Alternatively, some trowels will start to loosen after a few hours, so you can return to them intermittently to scrub off a layer, then return them to the solution again and repeat until it’s all removed.

Once the plaster has been loosened, simply scrape and scrub as mentioned above.

White Vinegar Can Remove Rust

Plaster is rarely the only stain on well-used trowels. Rust is almost always something you’ll find because of how plaster holds onto moisture.

If you want spotless tools and need to remove the rust, one approach is similar to the baking soda technique discussed above. Simply submerge your tools in water and a generous amount of white vinegar overnight, which should help lift the rust, then use a metal scrubber to remove the debris. Again, if your tools have wooden handles, you might want to keep them out of the solution to prevent damage.

If that sounds like too much elbow grease to you, there are rust-removing cleaning products you can try. 

Tips for Keeping Plastering Tools Clean

If you’ve ever tried cleaning plastering tools, you’ll know it’s not much fun. So, here are some tips so you can avoid having to get the baking powder tub out every few months.

• Clean As Soon As Possible – The longer the plaster sits, the more stubborn it becomes. Clean your tools straight after the job and you’ll save a lot of work.
• Keep Them Dry – Don’t let your tools sit wet after cleaning as this will invite rust. Wipe them down to ensure they stay fresh.
• Apply Rust Protectant After Cleaning – All that scrubbing can remove any coating your tools have, leaving them vulnerable to rust. A quick spray of a rust protectant will keep your tools in good shape.

It’s worth mentioning that there are lots of other plasterers’ hacks out there for getting your tools clean, and you may discover something that works particularly well for you. However, if in doubt, these ideas should put you on the right track.