How to maintain shears
Find out how to maintain your garden shears in three easy steps.
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Keeping your shears sharp and well oiled means that they will be easier to use and have a longer life.
In addition, the sharper the blade, the cleaner the cut, which results in a neater finish and fewer chances of disease getting into the cut and therefore the plant.
Here's how to maintain your shears in three easy steps.
You Will Need
- Gloves
- Old cloth
- Scourer
- White spirit
- Sharpening file
- Vice, Optional
Step 1
Wearing gloves, unscrew the central pivot on your shears if you can (although this may not be possible on some models).
Step 2
Wipe the blades with a cloth saturated with white spirit to loosen dirt. Use a tough scouring pad to clean them thoroughly.
Step 3
Sharpen the blades by running a medium file along the length of the blade at the same angle as the ground edge. For best results, secure the blade in a vice, if you have one.
Protect your shears from rust
Rub the cleaned and sharpened blades with an oily cloth to help protect them from rust and to keep them lubricated.
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