If you have to dig in soil that clings to your shovel, especially during the rainy season, you know how frustrating it is to be scraping the dirt off the blade constantly. Here’s a tip that will pay for itself in two scoops.
Fill a 5-gal. bucket with 4 gal. of water, and set the bucket near your excavation. After every other scoop, dip the shovel in the bucket of water. The dirt just slides off the blade, making it really worth the hassle of dragging the bucket around the site. This trick also works with post-hole diggers.
By the way, if there are any small children in the area, don’t leave the bucket unattended. It can pose a drowning hazard.
Tom Wilson, Salem, OR
