A retired digger in Cairo said to soak my trowel in vinegar and he was dead right | Archaeology Discoveries

Ivan Grant · 2026-10-08T20:05:04.603582+00:00

Met a retired field archaeologist named Hassan at a dig near Saqqara in March. He saw me scraping dried mud off my trowel and told me to soak it in white vinegar for 20 minutes instead of scrubbing. I laughed it off, then tried it two days later and the caked dirt just fell off, no pitting on the blade either. My old wire brush had been scratching the metal for two seasons before that. Anyone else got odd cleaning tricks from locals that actually work on their gear?

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A retired digger in Cairo said to soak my trowel in vinegar and he was dead right | Archaeology Discoveries - Pinecone Attack