What do you use to clean your MT and how do you do it?

[Passive101]

There are a lot of parts in these MT and I'm wondering how everyone cleans them and lubricates them to protect them from the elements and such. Do you soak them, spray them, rub them down, and what do you use?

[Gadget Guy]

I spray them with "break Free" and wipe them down with a soft cloth and that's it.    If one of my multi's is really dirty I put it in the dishwasher and then dry it with my air compressor. I then spray it with break free and wipe it down with a soft cloth. 

[Passive101]

I have CLP and that could work out great. Do you spray where all the parts pivot on or just wipe down the tool parts?

[Teofilo]

I spray WD40 to my drawer queens  then wipe them off with a clean dry cloth and put them inside plastic ice bags then back to their thrones
As for my EDCs, I leave them with dirt and stains , depending on mood .  Felt good to carry a user sometimes

[Benner]

I spray WD40 to my drawer queens  then wipe them off with a clean dry cloth and put them inside plastic ice bags then back to their thrones
As for my EDCs, I leave them with dirt and stains , depending on mood .  Felt good to carry a user sometimes

Although I can't say I am happy about the whole drawer queen thing  , I don't want anything you have getting ruined. 

Keep an eye on these tools buddy as Dunc did the same thing as you and he ended up with rust spots.  Personally I'd just leave them as they are in a drawer as I think all that care on a tool is all too much and can in fact make things worse (as with Dunc).

[duckman1975]

I wash my dirty multitools with hot water and dish washer liquid soak it for awhile them brush with old tooth brush, wipe it dry use hair dryer then WD40 spray wipe it dry again sun dry for awhile then lubricate with gun oil. Lot of work so just do it maybe once or twice a year.

[Anthony]

I use compressed air to get any lint or sawdust out of them, but other than that I don't do anything.  If sand or something gets between the tools, I just open and close it under running water and work it out.

[DaveK]

I'm really bad at cleaning my tools, but when I do nee , there's no special treatment or ceremony!

I have an old toothbrush that I use to scrub them with a disinfectant / degreaser (I sometimes use them to cut fruit, chocolate etc whilst I'm out and about), then it's wash like any cutlery and chuck them on the draining board.

Eventually, I'll get yelled at and go and fetch them, at which point I apply a tiny amount of the Nano Oil that John gave me, and I'm done.

[Teofilo]

I spray WD40 to my drawer queens  then wipe them off with a clean dry cloth and put them inside plastic ice bags then back to their thrones
As for my EDCs, I leave them with dirt and stains , depending on mood .  Felt good to carry a user sometimes

Although I can't say I am happy about the whole drawer queen thing  , I don't want anything you have getting ruined. 

Keep an eye on these tools buddy as Dunc did the same thing as you and he ended up with rust spots.  Personally I'd just leave them as they are in a drawer as I think all that care on a tool is all too much and can in fact make things worse (as with Dunc).

Thanks for the advice, Ben! I thought all the while that oiled Mts inside plastic bags are safe from rusts. I'll check all my tools. Thanks again buddy.

[Chako]

I use a cheap ultrasonic jewelry cleaner with water. I may use soapy water if it needs it. A few cycles and the use of a small jewelers brush usually does the trick. I use a precision oiler in the joints, and then work the oil into the joints until everything moves freely. On stainless steel, I often use a Silver cleaning/polishing rag. Tools are then stored in a drawer. Often times, I find the Silver polishing rag does the trick.

[turnsouth]

I wash my dirty multitools with hot water and dish washer liquid soak it for awhile them brush with old tooth brush, wipe it dry use hair dryer

Ditto 

[turnsouth]

I use a cheap ultrasonic jewelry cleaner with water.

Excellent idea.   

I'm going to have to get one. Though I can hear my wife once again saying "What do you need that for?"

[turnsouth]

For those that use the automatic dishwasher.

Do you notice any side effects on the surfaces of the metal, from the phosphorous in the dishwasher detergent?

[Gareth]

I use a cheap ultrasonic jewelry cleaner with water.

Excellent idea.   

I'm going to have to get one. Though I can hear my wife once again saying "What do you need that for?"

You could always try passing it off as a device for cleaning her jewellery?

[Benner]

I don't do anything.  If I get dirt on it, I just wipe it on my trousers and move on.    If it all gets a bit tight I do squirt with WD40 but that is very rare.

[MultiMat]

When I get a 2nd hand MT that is ; rusty , dirty or tight to open. I use an old ice cream container with warm water & detergent. I open up all the tools leave the MT to soak for a hour or so. Scrub the hell out of it with an old tooth brush & or scrubbing brush. Too lubricate I use Inox food grade lubricate but use a syringe with a blunt drawing up needle to apply small amounts just were needed. Medical alcohol swabs are good things for cleaning too if you use a 2nd MT's small screw driver to poke the swab into the hard to get places you can clean up a tool quite well.

[LatinoHeat]

For the most part, like Ben, I just wipe off the used tool and am done with it.  However, it depends on what I have done for the day.  I remember going to a lobster place, and only had my Wave to open the lobster with, since they didn't have any of those nut cracker handles (!?).  When I got home, my multitool smelled very fishy.  It was bad.  So I opened up all the tools and put it in the dishwasher.  It did the trick.  No phosphorous reaction with the metal, nothing.  Just a clean tool ready to go back to work.

[P35]

wash with your cleaner of choice
dry
lube

[turnsouth]

So I opened up all the tools and put it in the dishwasher.  It did the trick.  No phosphorous reaction with the metal, nothing.  Just a clean tool ready to go back to work.

I went ahead and did a handful of Squirt P4's, last night, that I got from a TSA auction. They were all dirty, and full of pocket lint and crud. (it seems like every used tool I've gotten lately has had a meeting with some sort of soft drink...)

They came out beautiful, I would imagine that the "stainless" part of the steel mixture is similar to what is used in dining utensils.

[Gareth]

So I opened up all the tools and put it in the dishwasher.  It did the trick.  No phosphorous reaction with the metal, nothing.  Just a clean tool ready to go back to work.

I went ahead and did a handful of Squirt P4's, last night, that I got from a TSA auction. They were all dirty, and full of pocket lint and crud. (it seems like every used tool I've gotten lately has had a meeting with some sort of soft drink...)

They came out beautiful, I would imagine that the "stainless" part of the steel mixture is similar to what is used in dining utensils.

I'm certainly not part of the "all Leatherman's rust" brigade but I think I'd be careful about giving them a good check around the pivots and special care around the file.  like I say I don't think it'll be a problem but I'd want to make sure.

[turnsouth]

I'm certainly not part of the "all Leatherman's rust" brigade but I think I'd be careful about giving them a good check around the pivots and special care around the file.  like I say I don't think it'll be a problem but I'd want to make sure.

I think that this is where the automatic dishwasher would have the advantage, for two reasons.

1. Even if you don't use the heated drying cycle, the extremely high water temperature causes any residual moisture to evaporate very quickly. Caution being that the tools should be removed immediately after the rinse is complete.

2. If you use a rinse agent in the dishwasher, this basically gives everything a non toxic, non corrosive coating of a water repellent.

But any washing should always be followed up by a thorough drying and re-lubing.

[LatinoHeat]

So I opened up all the tools and put it in the dishwasher.  It did the trick.  No phosphorous reaction with the metal, nothing.  Just a clean tool ready to go back to work.

I went ahead and did a handful of Squirt P4's, last night, that I got from a TSA auction. They were all dirty, and full of pocket lint and crud. (it seems like every used tool I've gotten lately has had a meeting with some sort of soft drink...)

They came out beautiful, I would imagine that the "stainless" part of the steel mixture is similar to what is used in dining utensils.

I'm certainly not part of the "all Leatherman's rust" brigade but I think I'd be careful about giving them a good check around the pivots and special care around the file.  like I say I don't think it'll be a problem but I'd want to make sure.

Yeah, 10-4 on this.  I would do this with ANY metal tool that has hidden cracks and crevices, regardless of maker.

[DaveK]

A simple wipe down, leave them open for a little while to "air", and a quick squirt of WD40 (as it's a water displacer) if you really feel you need to, and they'll be fine. Your dinner cutlery doesn't rust after you've washed it, and your LM won't either.

You could probably create some rust by ensuring that you get water trapped in there with nowhere for it to evaporate and waiting several days, but you'd be going some.