How do you guys clean these? I have 80 large Cinch traps that have dirt and mild rust on the working parts. I want to store them. I figured on a good brushing in water, followed by a vinegar soak to remove the rust. Then a rinse in a bath of baking soda to stop corrosion, then spraying with WD-40 and packing away. Does this sound ok?

How long are you storing them? That's a lot of work you're proposing.

I'm not sure. At least this year until I figure out what I want to do with them. I could probably shorten the question with does WD-40 have any down side on these?

The only downside is you now have it on your traps. If you are only looking to displace the water, I'd think a 5g bucket with a tight fitting lid and a dessicant pack would do the same. The pack can be as simple as a bag of minute rice.

Goes to show you what I know about gopher and mole traps- woefully little. So don't worry about surface rust, and keep the air around them dry is the answer for storage . In southern Idaho, that won't be hard. Thanks.