How to Keep Drywall Knives From Rusting

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

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Instructions

1. • 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.