How to Keep Drywall Knives From Rusting

Drywall knives can easily rust if you don't take proper care of them.

Drywall knives come in a variety of sizes and are used to apply joint compound to drywall during the finishing process. While the thin metal blades are extremely durable, the moisture that's in the joint compound can cause the blades to rust if the blades aren't properly cleaned and protected after you're done using them. It's important to keep drywall knives from rusting because if you use a rusty knife, the joint compound will pick up the rust stains and leave rusty streaks on your wall.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Paper towel
• WD-40

Instructions

1. Scrape excess joint compound off of the drywall knife, then run it under warm water and wipe off any remaining joint compound with your hands as you rinse.

2. Dry the knife with a paper towel. Never allow it to air dry because the metal blade will quickly develop rust.

3. Saturate a paper towel with some water-displacing, petroleum-based spray. Wipe all sides of the metal blade. This will prevent the blade from rusting between uses.

Tips & Warnings

• If you forgot to clean your drywall knives after you used them last, let them sit for five minutes in warm water to soften up the joint compound. Once the joint compound starts to get spongy, you'll be able to scrape it off and dry the blade.

• Remove rust stains from drywall knives by scrubbing them with a scouring pad or steel wool.