Garden shears get dirty over time and may even rust. Below you will find out how to properly clean your pruning shears, which cleaning products are suitable for this and how to protect them from rust.
How do you clean secateurs properly?
To clean garden shears, remove coarse dirt with a wire brush, loosen the spring, take the shears apart and clean orsharpen the blades with whetstones. Dry the parts and apply oil to the screw and joints for smooth operation.
Clean and dry garden shears regularly
So that your secateurs last for a long time, it is advisable to clean them briefly after each use and, above all, to make sure that they are not stored wet or damp. For regular cleaning, it is best to use a wire brush and simply brush off soil, wood residues and other things. If the scissors get wet, let them dry in the sun or rub them dry with a dry cloth and then brush off any remaining dirt again.
Thorough cleaning of secateurs
You should clean your secateurs thoroughly at least once a year, or more often if you use them frequently. A good time to do this is autumn, after all the bushes have been cut down and the secateurs have been stored over the winter. So that it doesn't start to rust or the dirt gets stuck, it should now be cleaned properly.
This is what you need to thoroughly clean the secateurs
Unlike when cleaning objects made of plastic or similar, no soap-containing products are used to clean the secateurs. Instead you need:
- Screwdriver or wrench
- Wire brush
- absorbent cloth
- coarse grindstone
- fine whetstone
- Oil
How to clean the secateurs
- First remove coarse dirt with the wire brush.
- Loosen the spring and clean it with the brush.
- Now unscrew the screw of the secateurs with the wrench or screwdriver and take the secateurs apart.
- Wet the whetstone with water or even better: leave the whetstone in water for an hour before use so that it can soak up.
- Then “clean” your secateurs with the sharpening stone by sharpening the blades in a circular motion from both sides.
- You can then sharpen your secateurs with a fine sharpening stone. You can find out how to do this here.
- Now dry both parts well with an absorbent cloth.
- Last but not least, you can add some oil to the screw and joints to make the secateurs more supple.
Tip
Always make sure you have a good grip to avoid injuring yourself.