Mold on my tool handles.

[Ohio Rusty]

A couple months ago Ohio had terrible rains and I had gotten water in the basement. Everything has been dry since then. I store my tools on a pallet in the basement because of water to keep them dry. I noticed a week ago a white powdery film forming on my hammer handles ---- mold. So today I cleaned all the handles with mold spray and put them out in the sun to dry. Mold hates sunlight. I have to go over the metal heads with a bit of oil to get rid of the rust that is trying to show up. I love my hammers !! Some of these I use for teaching. And those aren't the 3 favorite hammers I used on a weekly basis.

 

[Jo Melon]

You did right by getting them into the sun. The white film is often mildew or early-stage mold and even after cleanup, it can come back if the humidity creeps up again. I've had old handles do that after a wet season and wiping them down with vinegar or denatured alcohol before oiling helps keep it from returning. If any of the handles are unfinished wood, a light sanding followed by boiled linseed oil can seal them up better. Have you checked the pallet itself for moisture or mold underneath? That can sneak up on you even if the top looks dry.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

Good idea about checking the pallet. I didn't think about that. I'll do that today. If any signs of mildew, I'll take the pallet out.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[SiteSupporter]

Also think about putting a desiccant or a small dehumidifier near where you keep your tools. If you can keep the humidity under 50%, you'll really cut down on mold coming back on wood and rust on metal.

 

[FPDoc]

A couple months ago Ohio had terrible rains and I had gotten water in the basement. Everything has been dry since then. I store my tools on a pallet in the basement because of water to keep them dry. I noticed a week ago a white powdery film forming on my hammer handles ---- mold. So today I cleaned all the handles with mold spray and put them out in the sun to dry. Mold hates sunlight. I have to go over the metal heads with a bit of oil to get rid of the rust that is trying to show up. I love my hammers !! Some of these I use for teaching. And those aren't the 3 favorite hammers I used on a weekly basis.

That is a nice selection of hammers.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

Thanks ... That is quite a few years of finding nice hammers. I do teach blacksmithing at the village I volunteer at and different handle shapes and different weights helps the student select the right hammer they are comfortable using.
Ohio Rusty ><>