A high-quality shovel can be expensive, so it’s worth the effort to keep the old one in your garage – even if it has seen better days. Luckily, it isn’t difficult to bring a beat-up shovel back into good working condition.
Good as New. After scrubbing off the dirt, use a wire brush or 60-grit sandpaper to remove as much of the rust as you can. Then sharpen the shovel tip using a file. With the blade clean and sharp, use steel wool to rub light household oil into the steel.
You can even revive the wood handle. Start by sanding it with medium-grit sandpaper. Then wipe on a coat of boiled linseed oil. Keep applying coats until the handle stops absorbing the oil, and then wipe off any excess.
