How to sterilize pruning shears? Pruning shears are used for pruning branches and small trees up to 1/2 inch in diameter. There are two types of shears: loppers and scissors. When pruning shears cut into the bark of a tree, they can fall into very sensitive areas.
Such wounds can easily become infected because some trees do not grow tissue. It is essential to use sterilized scissors because the tools can easily spread disease between branches or plants, which can cause widespread problems in your garden.
Contents.
Medical alcohol
Bleach solution
Disinfectants
1. Medical alcohol
Get rubbing alcohol from a drugstore or big box store. It has the necessary properties to disinfect your trimmer.
Pour 1/2 cup of alcohol into a bowl or shallow dish. This should be enough to cover the pruning shears.
Open the pruning shears to their widest point. Soak in the alcohol for 1-2 minutes.
Remove the shears from the solution and rinse them with water. Dry with a towel to ensure that all sap or wood residue is removed.
2. Bleach solution
Buy bottles of bleach. Wear gloves to protect your hands from harsh chemicals.
Dilute the bottled bleach with water to make a 10% bleach solution. Pour one part bleach and nine parts water into a bowl large enough to hold scissors.
Open the shears and disassemble them if they disintegrate easily. Soak the scissors in the bleach solution for 1-2 minutes.
Remove the scissors, taking care not to drip the bleach onto clothing or other fabrics as this will cause color loss.
Rinse the scissors under cool water until no bleach remains. Wash the blades with soap and water, as bleach will corrode the metal.
Use a penetrating oil spray or machine oil purchased at a hardware store. This will further protect the metal from corrosion. Follow the instructions on the label.
3. Disinfectant
Buy hand sanitizer gel at the grocery store or big box store. This usually comes in the form of a pump with a clear gel inside.
Pour a drop of the gel onto the cloth. Try to open the scissors as much as possible, or take them apart if possible.
Apply the hand sanitizer to the cutting surface of the trimming tool. Coat every part of the blade. Hold the gel in place for 20 seconds.
Wipe off the gel with a clean cloth. At the same time, remove any wood particles or sap leftover from the most recent tree pruning.
Dampen the cloth and wipe along the blade. Make sure there is no residual hand sanitizing gel. Dry thoroughly with a clean, dry cloth.
