What you need
1. Bucket of water
2. Wire brush - $2
3. Sharpening file - $8
4. Household bleach - $2
5. WD40 - $5
Clean: Fill your bucket with water and start scrubbing the dirt and rust off the shears with the wire brush. No soap necessary, just water.
Sharpen: Take the sharpening file and rest it on the existing bevel. Use short firm strokes away from you to sharpen the blade. Smooth off the other side of the blade when you’re done to get rid of the burr.
Disinfect: When using pruning shears, you always want to make sure they are disinfected. It is very easy to spread plant diseases. You don’t want to infect and kill your whole garden. You should do this every time you prune. Fill your bucket with 1 part bleach to 3 parts water. Simply soak the shears in the water for a few minutes and let air-dry.
Oil: keeping your gardening tools oiled is one of the best things you can do to ensure they stay in working order. Oil displaces water and prevents your tools from rust and corrosion, as well as keeping them lubricated so they open and close smoothly. Simply spray them down with the WD40 and wipe off with a rag leaving a thin layer of oil. You can also use motor oil.
And that’s it. Fast, easy, cheap. And you can do all your gardening tools at once!
