Cleaning the blades of secateurs, pruning shear and loppers

All of those cutting tools get clogged up at the blades with tree sap, and some of it worse than others, during the working day.

Aside from the fact that this sap tends too stop the secateurs, for instance, from working properly and makes the blades stick, especially in the case of bypass secateurs, it also, if left on the blades, will cause the blades to corrode.

Many manufacturers recommend that you use their brand (or some other) sap removing agent which, obviously, is not a cheap option. Then again neither is having a pair of expensive secateurs die a death because of lack of care.

I have found that you do not need to buy expensive sap removers; baby wipes will do the job as effective as any sap remover and, as those contain lanolin, will also put a coat of that oil on to the blade. Nigh on two birds with the one proverbial stone.

Those wipes work wonders on the blades, so I have found, and if you buy the most basic ones of the wipes, such as Sainsbury's Basics version of them, they cost about a penny a wipe. Not something too worry about using, I am sure.

On the other hand you can get it cheaper still. A cloth impregnated with vinegar, whether brewed malt vinegar, wine vinegar or whichever other kind, is irrelevant. Again here you could buy the cheapest available, as I do as a disinfectant in the use of washing dishes, for instance. At 15p a bottle it is not a fortune either.

The only thing to remember is that if removing tree sap from secateurs and other cutting tool that you will have to put some oil or grease onto the blade afterwards. Ascetic acid will not be too kind to the steel if the blades are left uncoated. A little bit of Vaseline on the finger and rubbed over the b lade will do nicely as will a little chainsaw oil or such.

There you have it: no need for expensive sap remover and still clean secateurs that will go on and on.

P.S. This also works with knives, etc.

© M Smith (Veshengro), February 2009
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