How to clean cement from tools

The easiest way to clean mortar, cement or plaster from trowels is to brush them clean using a bucket of clean water during use, but if you find you forgot to clean your trowel and the mortar/plaster/tile adhesive has set hard on the trowel you can easily clean it off using this method. Once clean if you apply a little light oil to the trowel it will stop the trowel going rusty before it is used again. There is no need to apply any oil to stainless steel trowels as they should not rust, but steel ones will because the steel is absorbent.

[@grumpy_poo]

My dad was a builder... as a child I used to sit and watch him working . He always cleaned the tools he was using and oiled them.. That was 50 years ago.... I am still using some of those tools now.. ( The rest were stolen from the shed) . I am still using paint brushes I bought 30+ years ago .... and my dads pasting brush is still going strong ( must be about 70 years old now) It pays to buy decent tools and to look after them...

[@ultimatehandyman]

+grumpy poo Blimey that puts me to shame, whilst I clean and look after my tools I tend not to care much about brushes and often end up throwing them (I only normally use cheap ones). Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@grumpy_poo]

I use cheap brushes for 'cheap' jobs like spreading wood hardener or masonry paint on stippled surfaces... but for good paint jobs I use really good brushes.. and look after them.. Less likely to have straggled hairs getting in the paint. I have done my own DIY for years until more recently . Due to health issues, now I can't get up ladders etc.... I was only replacing cracked bathroom tiles a few days ago following getting a new bathroom suite installed ( a sit down job) .... The plumber couldn't believe I had done it myself. Not bad for an old girl! hehehe. Love your vids by the way..

[@ultimatehandyman]

+grumpy poo Good stuff ;-) Thanks for the comments

[@dinghystore]

.

[@Dino_Buk]

The spray used in the video is called a WD-40. Can be bought in almost every shop nowadays.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment 👍

[@jondelacruz3rd422]

Wd 40 thanks

[@glad2bnlv]

Thank you! I had no idea what he was saying. Then later I thought he said to put 'lye tile' on the cleaned tool and had no idea what that was, then I realized he was saying "light oil". Yes, it's the same language, but...haha.

[@MAGAMAN]

@@glad2bnlv Wish these british people could speak english.

[@yensabi]

Nice one chez..........When a guy comes on to one of my jobs i usually have a sneaky look in his toolbag / box , if his tools look like they are looked after it usually means that he knows what he's doing and i dont worry too much , on the other hand if he comes with a bag of rust then that usually means he's a chancer and i watch him like a hawk and get rid of him if he's not up to scratch , which is the usual case with the bag of rust brigade... Harsh maybe , but it works for me....... : )

[@ultimatehandyman]

+yensabi It's funny that because I often judge people by their tools. When I'm on site I hate it if people have crap tools or don't clean them properly after use! Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@fesy734]

Fantastic video, I didn't think of using wd40 to clean cement off tools, but I do use it to clean my tools normally, thanks for the video!

[@ultimatehandyman]

+Faisal Y I normally wash the mortar off as soon as possible using a small stiff brush and bucket of water, but this time I left the trowel on the roof in the sun whilst I went to mix some more mortar so it hardened on. I then cleaned it a couple of days later. Thanks for the comment Faisal ;-)

[@firstnamelastname7476]

great vid thank you!.. although i had to hunt thru comments to find out what the spray can was (presenter's accent hard for me to understand/'foreign' brand/can label pointed away when placed, no mention of product in the description or title)

[@MG-kw1kb]

0:46 give it a spray with what? You mumbled the product name & I have no idea what you're spraying it with...

[@MG-kw1kb]

Please edit this video's description & add it in there that you were spraying with WD40... I see plenty folks have asked & you graciously reply to each one, would just be easier for future viewers if you mention that in the video's description...

[@stevenfaults4160]

Great tip, thank you! One question: What was the last lubricant you rubbed on the trowel for storage?

[@MG-kw1kb]

Yeah, he shows all the obvious steps in detail but then doesn't give clarity on the important "magic tip" parts... >> he coated it with "a light oil", meaning a thin, very runny (low viscosity) oil. Usually the kind of oil used on sewing machines, hair trimmers etc.

[@MAGAMAN]

0:44 what is "Svepatinsoons" ?

[@ultimatehandyman]

Spray penetrant 👍

[@Nocturnes1984]

Learned something....the good mighty WD 40 ;)

[@ultimatehandyman]

+Airborne Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@laurentiuborcea3001]

Ultimate Handyman the same thing

[@w6263]

thank you for the mute on the scraping......much appreciated!

[@ultimatehandyman]

You are welcome Thanks for the comment

[@williamsauder1823]

I'm a retired tile setter, I just scrape the trawl with a 4 inch razor scraper

[@CraigTalbert]

Re: 1:50 that’s Lucas Oil Tool Box Buddy if you’re curious (screen capped and zoomed in there so I’m pretty sure).

[@ultimatehandyman]

Correct, I think I got that free with a bottle of Lucas oil stabaliser 👍

[@threatassessment216]

Just leave your masonry tools in a bucket of vinegar for two days the murderer will turn back into sand use a light metal brush to scrape off any excess

[@ultimatehandyman]

I’ll try that, the next time I lend something out and the borrower forgets to clean it 👍

[@vidalife118]

I subscribed! I am a divorced woman and never knew how to use tools or take care of them. I am actually having fun learning how to fix things on my own. Bless you!!

[@ultimatehandyman]

I'm glad the videos help ;-) Thanks for the sub and the comment

[@zedman442]

Nice tip. I always find my plaster paddle mixer has a crust at the bottom where I fail to clean it properly. I few light taps with a trowel normally breaks it off loose.

[@ultimatehandyman]

+Zed Man I think all paddle mixers accumulate a build up there. The mixer in the video was only used for dry mixing, yet it was caked with cement and difficult to remove. Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@JasonDunlop247]

Good stuff. Look after your tools and they'll look after you. 😀

[@ultimatehandyman]

+Jason Dunlop Absolutely, it's a pet hate of mine when I see people not looking after their tools! Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@disconeil]

WOW! That's a great tip, thank you for sharing. Before watching the film I was thinking, brick acid or something of that sort so I was surprised by just using WD40 and a hammer restored that pointing trowel to "as new" condition. Amazing! N.

[@ultimatehandyman]

+Neil “Slugger” George Thanks for the comment Neil ;-)

[@digital4282]

Thank you for muting the sound! :)

[@ultimatehandyman]

+Telvana You are welcome. The sound was going through me when editing it LOL Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@theandroids]

what about dried adhesive in bucket?

[@ultimatehandyman]

Bend the bucket to remove as much as the hardened cement as possible, the rest should then scrape out with a trowel.

[@MarkGould-e6j]

Wire brush and oil them

[@LordBort]

Hahahah the commercial. the dude is selling mud water bahahahahaha

[@ultimatehandyman]

😂

[@mmmbbop9351]

1:23 I get off on that sound. You just deprived me of that shit.

[@ultimatehandyman]

😂

[@hectorcalderon3011]

I caught what you said he was wrong once but he was mistaken

[@ultimatehandyman]

🤔

[@Derpherppington]

Have u see the price of lubricants.

[@ultimatehandyman]

😂

[@jimjimskimmer1935]

Baking soda and vinegar NEAT.

[@ultimatehandyman]

😱

[@mihir1700]

Great video. Thank you. My grandpa always cared for his equipment n tools since he was a mining supervisor. As a son of a single mother this channel helps me out a lot.

[@ultimatehandyman]

I'm glad the videos help Thanks for the comment 👍

[@gregrobinson2753]

Great to keep the tools clean and in good working order. What about the waste materials? What's everyone doing in terms of safe and environmentally responsible disposal?

[@ultimatehandyman]

🤔

[@PowerScissor]

What does he say at :48? Spray with xxxxxx? I've listened a dozen times but can't figure it out.

[@ultimatehandyman]

WD-40 or a decent spray penetrant. Thanks for the comment

[@PowerScissor]

@@ultimatehandyman Thanks! The auto-generated caption text said "Straight Penningtons" is what threw me so far off. Spray Penetrant makes much more sense.

[@rickygora6166]

which spray did you use??

[@ultimatehandyman]

I used WD-40

[@rickygora6166]

thank you very much:)

[@ultimatehandyman]

You are welcome ;-)

[@parmitachoudhary4124]

From where I can get that spray

[@1stinlastout165]

I was donated a small tench shovel with a high build up of cement on it ,going to try your method of removel wish me luck lol

[@ultimatehandyman]

Good luck with it ;-) Thanks for the comment 👍

[@jamesrobinson7548]

What his the light oil called?

[@ultimatehandyman]

Anything similar to this will do- fave.co/2OHUQfD Any type of oil will probably work, such as chain saw oil, hydraulic oil etc. Thanks for the comment 👍

[@BlahBlahManYeah]

Sorry, I dint get what you did spray on thin set stains before hammering it? Is it just WD-40?

[@ultimatehandyman]

Yes, I just used WD-40, but any spray penetrant should work ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@justyjust]

thought this was pretty funny... sorry to make a joke out of it but after you said about everyone saying all your new tools you scrape your trowel then pull out a shiny new hammer lol. thanks for the tips.

[@ultimatehandyman]

+justyjust LOL, thanks for the comment

[@johncoope3279]

I`m a Bricklayer by Trade, and always clean My Tools after use, it pays to........One thing I`m struggling with though is cleaning My Cement Mixer out, I loaned a Friend mine and it came back in a bit of a state, after half hearted attempts at cleaning it by the looks of it. Any tips ?

[@ultimatehandyman]

+John Coope I have had that problem too. I managed for years by using it with the mortar caked on the inside of it, until I lent it to a mate from work and he chiseled it all out. If you have an air compressor you can remove most of it easily using a pneumatic chisel. I did try putting a few bricks in it with some water before that, but it tends to just break the bricks up and make them smaller! Someone once recommended using brick acid, but I have not tried it! Good luck with it ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@terry4144]

acid

[@israrquranacademy]

amazing

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment 👍

[@lmilne4859]

A wee bit natural sandstone in bit water cleans up well so a guess with bit wd40 with sandstone will work a treat.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment 👍

[@annasawant3436]

what was that spray..??

[@Cavalier_Steve]

WD40 I believe 🙂

[@ultimatehandyman]

Sorry. I missed this comment until Steven replied to it.

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks Steven, I did not see this comment until you answered it. Thanks ;-)

[@TomHowbridge]

I'm not a bricky but thanks for the tip (joiner the better one !)

[@ultimatehandyman]

+Tom Howbridge You are welcome Thanks for the comment

[@CraigTalbert]

Re: 0:45 is that the same as WD40?

[@ultimatehandyman]

Yes, I think it actually was WD-40, but I just say spray penetrant when I remember, or I get people commenting, saying “ WD-40 is not a spray penetrant”, even though the WD-40 website says it is 😉

[@CraigTalbert]

@@ultimatehandyman Ah... yeah I didn't know there was any other kind. :)

[@alandobb950]

I have had a Bosch chop saw for about 10 years, it has had a good deal of use but like yourself, I look after my tools (I was a shopfitter for about 14 years) my nephew came to visit 2 weeks ago, we were in my workshop (shed) and he thought I had bought a new one, he couldnt believe it when I told him how old it was. I still have and use a Panasonic 15.6v drill driver, I have had that for nearly 18 years, so, the old saying, LOOK AFTER YOUR TOOLS AND THEY WILL LOOK AFTER YOU. rings true.

[@ultimatehandyman]

+alan dobb Absolutely ;-) I have not used any Panasonic tools, but everyone that I know that has used them always say that they are very good- particularly the batteries! Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@alandobb950]

At the time I got mine (I have 2,) the 15.6v 3Ah batteries were well ahead of thier time, I could wind 4inch screws in all day. They still wind them in but dont last as long before having to chanrge them.

[@ultimatehandyman]

+alan dobb Thanks for the info ;-)

[@caskwith]

My grandad used to say if you look after your tools then they will look after you. That sentiment speaks volumes when you realise we are still using some tools that he was given by his father.

[@ultimatehandyman]

+caskwith Absolutely, good tools will last a few lifetimes if they are looked after properly. Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@laurentiuborcea3001]

Ultimate Handyman pm

[@병도이-b1k]

그것에 진동모터을 장착 진둉 밢브레더 작동 합시다

[@ultimatehandyman]

🤔

[@marcomartinez7931]

What was the oil that you used near the end? Great video!

[@ultimatehandyman]

It is just a light lubricating oil, but any type of oil will work. Thanks for the comment 👍

[@snaypi3367]

1:26 thank u so much its my worste nightmare sound 😊

[@ultimatehandyman]

😂

[@icespeckledhens]

Thanks for the useful tips I did not quite hear what was in the spray. I like restoring old tools and many have seen better days when I get my hands on them. One suggestion is not to lend your precious tools to anybody, I have and I have regretted it. thanks again

[@ultimatehandyman]

+icespeckledhens The spray was just WD40. Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@hassanBinTariq443]

bro please tell me what i do???how i remove white cement clot from water pipes??? please tell me

[@ultimatehandyman]

I'm not sure what you mean exactly?What is the water pipe made from?

[@hassanBinTariq443]

+Ultimate Handyman sir that is saverage pipe made of pvc hard platic kids put the cement in that pipe and now that pipe is close...sir tell me how can i remove that cemenet from that pipe and sir that cement clot is in underground pipe

[@ultimatehandyman]

Very difficult if you can't get to it to chisel it away. You can get an acid that will eat away at the cement which is called "Brick acid" in the UK, but that will probably damage the pipe!

[@katyfauri]

Very useful. Thanks!

[@ultimatehandyman]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SHECALLSMEGONZO]

Hmm!

[@TheTerminator423]

Hi, great video! What did you use to clean the trowel and what was the oil used to prevent the rust

[@ultimatehandyman]

I used a spray penetrant first (I often use WD-40, as I have a few tins in the garage). Once cleaned I gave the trowel a light coating of oil, you can basically use any kind of oil for doing this. It will protect the surface and stop it rusting. When you come to use the trowel, just wipe off the oil. Thanks for the comment

[@1XY52]

​singer sewing machine oil type "C" works best

[@mungomunro8579]

Brilliant! What about a grouting float?

[@ultimatehandyman]

Not sure, I have never had that problem yet ;-) Thanks for the comment 👍

[@mungomunro8579]

​@@ultimatehandymanNice one! So does nothing harden on a grout float? I've just done my first bit of grouting ever, and I rinsed it under the tap. Is this the total extent of my cleaning duty towards it? Cheers!

[@cheshardlow2809]

Diesel is ten times better

[@ultimatehandyman]

Thanks for the comment

[@user-lc7xb5ch5t]

ive got more cement under my finger nails

[@ultimatehandyman]

That figures ;-)

[@askarptni]

How I get this in Uae

[@ultimatehandyman]

I think some sellers on Amazon will ship to UAE- fave.co/2IAwknU

[@alaziz1793]

موقع رائع ومفيد جداً

[@ultimatehandyman]

+haasan ail شكرا للتعليق

[@amirhussain1449]

love your vids thanks

[@ultimatehandyman]

+amir hussain I'm glad you like them ;-) Thanks for the comment

[@egglyph]

I’m sure I could rebuild our whole civilization with a can of WD40, some plastic bottles and a roll of duct tape. The recipe works wonders, cleaned my badly neglected trowel. Had to repeat it a few times since oil couldn’t penetrate all the way in, but at the end it was all shiny metal. Thanks a lot!

[@ultimatehandyman]

There is nothing that cannot be fixed with duct tape ;-) Thanks for the comment 👍

[@CraigTalbert]

Duct tape was the the Gen-X version of the 3D printer. We made wallets with it, shoes with it. Girls used to make corsets with it. :)

[@paulekstorm-hughes1894]

Great advice! Thanks

[@ultimatehandyman]

+Paul Hughes You are welcome Thanks for the comment ;-)

[@1m7y]

neat

[@ultimatehandyman]

+1m7y Thanks for the comment

[@69virgin1966]

Very nice tip. I'm going to have to remember that one. Take care and be safe. Thanks for sharing Roy

[@ultimatehandyman]

+Roy Wrenn Thanks for the comment Roy ;-)

[@rustynuts686]

I found the best way to keep my tools spotless is to get the apprentice to clean them it works wonders guys....

[@ultimatehandyman]

LOL