Learn How To Maintain Your Shears With These Tips

Properly cleaning and maintaining shears can extend their lifespan and enhance their performance. Adding lubricant to the blade will increase the smoothness of operating your scissors. Hairstylists and barbers incessantly use their scissors, leading to tarnished shears over time if cleaning and maintenance aren’t performed properly.

Here are easy-to-follow steps for keeping your shears in good working condition:

Cleaning Your Shears Before and After Using

First, all barbers and hairstylists are required to clean and sterilize their shears between cuts with EPA-registered, hospital-level disinfectant. You can submerge or spray your shears in disinfectant. Wipe down shears with a microfiber towel to remove any hair or oil.

Lubricating

Lubricating your shears daily is essential in preventing corrosion and keeping your scissors in mint condition. Make sure to thoroughly oil near and around the fulcrum of the shears. Using a small brush will aid in reaching in and around the screw of the scissors where hair can easily get trapped. Add small amounts of the oil around the parts of the shears that rub together where they open and close. A small amount of oil will go a long way and allow you to massage the oil into the shears. You can use a microfiber towel to wipe off the excess oil.

Sharpening Your Shears

Like kitchen knives, shears need sharpening too. Keep your blades sharp by regularly tending to your blades. In order to do this properly, you’ll need to take apart your shears by unscrewing the blades. Taking apart your blades also lends the opportunity to clean your blades adequately.

An indication that your shears need sharpening is if you’re met with some resistance when cutting hair. This means your shears are not cutting properly. Scissors are sharpened by filing off a thin top surface layer, which will create a new, sharper cutting edge. Using blunt scissors can compromise your work and just won’t cut it.

You can sharpen scissors with a whetstone or sharpening stone or invest in a professional sharpening set. If you use alcohol to clean the scissors, thoroughly dry each section. It is certainly possible to sharpen your shears back to their original sharpness, if not sharper. Before sharpening hair-thinning scissors, remove the teeth. Invest in high-quality steel. Premium steel will need sharpening, but not as often as lower-quality steel.

Side note: When you reassemble your shears, ensure that the screw is screwed on tight. If the scissors are loose at the rivet, your shears won’t cut effectively.

Storage

After cleaning and drying your shears, you can store them inside their case or flat on a mat. Don’t store your shears with other tools standing vertically.

Now that you know how to take care of your babies, you can count on having your barbering or haircutting tools for a very long time. A good-quality pair of shears that is well tended can last a lifetime.

For more beauty and barbering tips and quick reads, visit the Evergreen Beauty Blog penned by industry professionals. Our topics encompass everything from preparing for cosmetology school to trendy hairstyles and the latest skincare routines.