STEP BY STEP

Give secateurs a quick clean and sharpen

There’s plenty of pruning to be done at this time of year, so you’re likely to be using your secateurs regularly. To ensure they cut cleanly and easily, it’s important to keep them in top condition. If you don’t have time to do a full annual dismantle, sharpen and deep clean now, then this quick blade-care regime is ideal. It’s best done regularly between pruning jobs and should improve the quality of pruning cuts.

SHARPEN using a circular motion on the sharpened side, then turn it over to wipe the back of the blade to remove any metal burrs. 3

RUB the blade with wire wool or fine abrasive paper to remove plant resin. Use a proprietary solvent on the toughest residue. 1

OIL the blade ready for sharpening. Remember to use a cloth to dry the handles, to prevent your hand slipping as you sharpen. 2