Will rusty tools used on my veggie garden give my customers tetanus?

I had a small veggie garden last year, so this wasn't a problem as I used some small tools I purchased myself. This year, I plan to go pro, and came upon some old tools (spade, pitchfork, rake, etc) that were here from the previous owner of my house. Problem is, they're rusty. Can I use them safely, or should I scrap them and buy all new stuff?

Will rusty tools used on my veggie garden give my customers tetanus?
You will be fine with the tools that you have. One trick is to buy a pale and fill it with playbox sand, mix in some oil and put your tools into the sand. This will prevent rust and will not hurt your garden or compost. Good luck.
Reply:If you do use oil, you better use vegetable oil as it was not clarified in the answer. Using motor oil would not be a good thing to add to your soil and just may kill some plant life!...Billy Ray Report It
Reply:Tetanus has nothing to do with rust. The old idea of getting tetanus by "stepping on a rusty nail" is misleading. The nail is only the way that the tetanus (a bacteria found in soils) is delivered into your body. You can get the same results with any deep puncture wound.



I've heard stories from "the olden days" of parents who drove iron nails into apples for a short time, to transfer more iron into them for their kids' health. Cooking with cast iron pans is another way to absorb more beneficial iron into our bodies.
Reply:My Grandparents and Parents fed us kids with food grown in the garden since way back then! The garden tools got rusty between uses, but we never got tetanus from the food. From what I understand you may get it from being cut by a rusty tool, not the produce worked by rusty tools. Which after being used in the soil won't be rusty any longer!
Reply:It will be fine. Rusty tools won't cause any harm in your gardening adventures...



...$Billy Ray$