Salt, vinegar, sandpaper and elbow grease = good-as-new garden furniture and tools!

I am a 29 year old woman who recently bought a house which had been rented for several years to many tenants who hadn’t bothered to take care of anything much. With the house, I also inherited some old wooden garden furniture and a small shed full of mysterious items that had all seen better days. Being newly house-poor and unable to buy many new things, but still being rich in enthusiasm and can-do-attitude, as well as wanting to live up to my low-waste values, I decided to salvage as much as I could from the furniture and the “shed of wonders”. First, the bench: A full day of sanding, some very achey muscles, and very dusty hair later, I had stripped back about a decade of neglect to reveal a gorgeous wooden bench. I then cleaned it off and painted it with coats of wood preserver before fixing the broken seats. I still need to replace the one missing slat, but I’m counting this as a win! It didn’t end up as kindling or as landfill. Next up was restoring some old rusted (but great quality - they don’t make them like this any more!) metal tools I found in the shed because I’m an avid flower gardener. By covering them in a simple paste made of table salt and dousing them in vinegar, I’ve managed to make massive headway on removing the rust. Leaving the work to chemistry meant a lot less elbow grease for me. A bit of WD-40 on the fork, spade, secateurs which previously were rusted shut will keep future rust away and allow me to prune the jungle that is still awaiting my attention. If I am chosen to win the £1000, I’ll be spending some of the money on a new shed where I can keep these restored items safe and in good nick for many years to come. The rest might go towards a mortgage payment! I firmly believe that a bit of effort goes a long way in life - whether it’s fixing up old things or in other ways!