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If you have read many of our blogs there is one thing we always tell our customers and that's the importance of regularly cleaning your shears to prolong the lives of their haircutting shears.
Not only can you prolong the life of your haircutting shears through proper maintenance and care but also the results you can get from well maintained scissors is an extra added bonus too.
You would never buy a car or boat without servicing it over time as you run the risk of that car failing you and not lasting the years. So it would only make sense to transfer that same logic to any tool you have invested in for your career as a hairstylist.
Nothing is really designed to last forever but everything is designed to have some sort of cleaning or maintenance done to last, so that leads us into going over today with you the best way to clean your haircutting scissors.
Wipe away hair
The first step to always follow when cleaning your scissors is wiping away any excess hair that you see on your haircutting shears with a soft cloth.
Wet hair especially carries water, dirt and chemicals that can potentially cause damage to the steel if left on the steel frequently and for long periods of time. That's why we will always try to encourage you when you are not using your scissors to try and remember to wipe any excess hair from the hair scissors.
Sterilize your scissors in between clients
I mean we sanitize our hands these days as often as we see a new sanitizer bottle everywhere we go, so it only makes sense to sanitize your scissors in between clients too right?
We have found that the best sterilizing solution or rubbing alcohol to use on your scissors isIsopropyl Alcohol. Solutions like Barbicide can cause corrosion over time. Make sure after your sterilizing to wipe away any excess solution with a dry and hair free cleaning cloth.
Wipe away any chemicals
You hair cutting scissors are exposed to several different chemicals a day that can be harmful to your scissors. Chemicals can only be harmful if you do not frequently and properly clean off those chemicals through the day.
Chemicals like hair products, hair color, perming or straightening solutions and the list goes on.
Water can cause corrosion
Water is the number one problem to cause corrosion to your haircutting shears. If at any point through the day or even night that water could stay present on your scissors for a long period of time, it's always important to dry them with a paper towel or cloth to soak up that water.
Storing your scissors away from wet areas or any water bottle is always a smart idea too.
Never let your scissors soak
you may have seen or have been told that you scissors are perfectly fine to soak in solutions like Barbicide to sterilize. More often than we like to hear is that a hair stylist will choose to soak them instead of cleaning them.
We are here to tell you to STOP doing this. Steel of any kind is not designed to be soaked, especially in harsh chemicals. What you may find is that your scissors may weaken or start to rust after some time.
Oiling, oiling & oiling!
Well there's no proper cleaning routine without a follow up to oiling your hair scissors after. Oiling is an important part to treat the steel and ensure the cut to be the smoothest and easiest it can be.
All your scissors need is a few drops of oil at least twice a week to keep them in tip top shape for the years to come.
Professional sharpening
Now we know this blog is about cleaning but we wanted to also touch on sharpening and how sharpening can actually come under the umbrella of "cleaning".
When you book in to get your scissors sharpening 1-2 times a year you should always find a professional sharpening service that specializes in hairdressing scissors in your area. There are many reasons why a specialist sharpener is better than any sharpener but for cleaning purposes a specialist will also do just that for you.
When you visits a specialized sharpener they have the knowledge to be able to pull apart your scissors and clean them for you. They can get to "hard to reach areas" and then have the knowledge to then put your scissors back together.
Cleaning isn't always just about wiping away dirt or left over hair from your scissors. Cleaning can mean so much more, like sterilizing oil, and do and don't to cleaning. You can sometimes invest a small fortune on your tools, so if you maintain them incorrectly or not enough then that small fortune can be a waste of money in the long run.
So remember to wipe away water, don't let your hair cutting scissors soak, oil them regularly, use the proper rubbing alcohol and store them safely away from wet areas.
