Discover how to care for sewing scissors and rotary cutters in this comprehensive guide. We’ll explore how many pairs of scissors you need, what to use them for, and how to clean and store them to preserve their lifespan.
Sadly, scissors and rotary cutters — indispensable tools for any crafter, quilter, or textile artist — often go unappreciated when it comes to maintenance.
Dive into this article to learn the best practices for preserving your precious sewing scissors and rotary cutters.
How to Care for Sewing Scissors and Rotary Cutters
- Use Your Scissors and Rotary Cutters for Fabric Only
- How to Clean Your Scissors and Rotary Cutters
- Avoid Pins When Using Rotary Cutters or Scissors
- Keep Your Scissors and Rotary Cutters Sharp
- Store Your Scissors in a Dry Place
- Regularly Maintain Your Scissors
- Avoid Forcing Your Scissors to Cut Through Multiple Layers
- Invest in an Assortment of Quality Scissors and Rotary Cutting Tools
- Final Words: How to Care for Sewing Scissors and Rotary Cutting Tools
- Related Posts
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Use Your Scissors and Rotary Cutters for Fabric Only
Sewing and dressmaking shears are high-quality items, so limiting their use to fabric cutting alone is best.
However, cutting through paper and fabric is sometimes unavoidable — e.g. when you have a paper pattern pinned to fabric. While the light tissue paper used for paper patterns may not cause significant damage, keep in mind that cutting paper will dull your scissors’ blades over time.
It’s best to keep a separate pair of inexpensive scissors dedicated to paper-cutting — this will be useful for pattern and template preparation. And if you plan on cutting paper using a rotary cutter, it pays to have one dedicated to that task, too. I recommend labelling the rotary cutter reserved for paper to avoid confusion about which one to use.
I have various pairs of all-purpose scissors scattered in my workspace, kitchen, sewing kit, etc.
You can use budget-friendly all-purpose scissors to cut paper and replace them when worn out or broken.
How to Clean Your Scissors and Rotary Cutters
Anyone involved in textile arts will undoubtedly have to cut through multiple layers of fabric. And occasionally, your project’s composition may lead to cutting through layers of paper, adhesives, fabric paint, or metallic threads.
When sewing, quilting, or creating mixed-media fabric art, fabric fibres will lodge in your scissor’s mechanics, leading to a buildup of residue over time, especially when mixed with glue or paint.
Wipe lint or fluff from your scissors and rotary cutters
After each use, examine your scissors for any fabric fibres, lint, or fluff stuck on the blades or within the pivot screw.
Clean the blades with a microfibre cloth or soft cotton fabric. Old, well-laundered cotton singlets are also ideal — they are perfect for cleaning tools instead of using microfibre cloths.
Remember to keep this cloth clean and reserved for cleaning your scissors and rotary cutters — no dusting or general house cleaning with it!
Remove built-up adhesives or paint
When residue builds up from a combination of fabric, fusible web, spray adhesive, or paint, cleaning your tools is essential to avoid damage.
Remove sticky residue, glue, or paint, cleaning using rubbing alcohol (available in individual packs of wipes) or sterile alcohol pads. These will not damage good-quality scissors.
Can scissors be cleaned with water?
Before cleaning with water, always check what type of steel your scissors are made from before proceeding.
The best scissors are manufactured using high-grade cutlery steel, while less expensive scissors may use lower-grade carbon steel.
➡️ If your scissors are made from carbon steel, DO NOT clean them with water. Carbon steel is prone to rust when exposed to water; rust is the last thing you want near your fabric!
If the manufacturer gives the green light for cleaning with water, ensure the blades and the pivot screw area are dried thoroughly after cleaning.
I never clean my scissors and rotary cutters with water, regardless of their quality.
Avoid Pins When Using Rotary Cutters or Scissors
Accidentally running over a pin happens to the best of us!
When the blades of your scissors or rotary cutter hit a pin, they’re likely to get damaged.
Hitting pins can nick the sharp edges of the scissors or throw the blades out of alignment. Rotary cutter blades, known for their sharpness, can get damaged easily. And a damaged rotary blade will not cut fabric cleanly or neatly.
Should you accidentally hit a pin (it happens), inspect the blades for any damage before using them again.
Keep Your Scissors and Rotary Cutters Sharp
Good Quality Scissors Need a Specialist Sharpener
The ideal way to sharpen your scissors is by taking them to a specialist sharpening service. Your local craft or quilting store should be able to point you towards a service provider in your area.
Buy Replacement Rotary Cutter Blades
Although rotary cutters can be sharpened, replacing the dull blade with a new one is far simpler.
Buy your replacement blades in economical bulk packs — available in packs ranging from 2 spare blades to many. The larger the pack, the more cost-effective they become.
Replacement blades are available in various sizes to suit all rotary cutters, such as 45mm or 60mm, so be sure to buy the correct size for your rotary cutter.
Old blades can be recycled using your local recycling service.
Can Pinking Shears be Sharpened?
Textile artists, quilters, and dressmakers often have a pair of pinking shears in their collection. Just like scissors, pinking shears become blunt after a lot of use, and yes, they can be sharpened.
However, sharpening pinking shears requires a professional, so take them to your favourite sharpening service.
Store Your Scissors in a Dry Place
Store your scissors and cutting tools in a cool, dry place, away from any hard objects — particularly metal — that may cause damage.
Manufacturers often provide a cover, case, or sheath with your purchase, which should be used when storing your tools.
- Micro-tip scissors, great for precision cutting of appliqué shapes and snipping corners, typically come with a sheath to protect the blade tip.
- Sewing and dressmaking shears sometimes come with a protective sheath, such as these Fiskars Razor Edge Softgrip Fabric Shears (which I personally love!). However, often they don’t include a sheath, so try to allocate a safe place to store them instead.
- Rotary cutters usually come with a sliding blade cover, which slides back over the blade when not in use. Cultivate the habit of sliding the safety shield back whenever you set the rotary cutter down. This practice will eventually become second nature.
Regularly Maintain Your Scissors
Have you noticed your scissors leaving uneven, frayed edges or not cutting smoothly?
The likely culprit is dull, worn-out or damaged blades. The easiest solution is to have your scissors professionally sharpened or fit a new rotary blade to your cutter.
- Periodically, examine the scissors and rotary blades for any nicks or scratches.
- Ensure the pivot screw is tight, as a loose screw can misalign the blades, affecting the cut and potentially damaging the blades.
Occasionally, apply a dab of high-quality machine oil to the screw, open and close the scissors several times, and wipe with a clean, dry cloth.
After oiling, cut through some waste fabric to remove all the oil from the blades. The last thing you want is oil dripping onto your precious projects!
Avoid Forcing Your Scissors to Cut Through Multiple Layers
Many textile arts and quilting projects involve multiple layers of fabric, which can sometimes prove too thick for your scissors. With stubborn layers, your scissors may be too small or lightweight to be effective.
Forcing a cut may damage your scissors by dislocating the blades or loosening the screw.
If you notice that the blades are no longer aligned correctly or the pivot screw is damaged, your professional service centre is, once again, the place to go.
Invest in an Assortment of Quality Scissors and Rotary Cutting Tools
For textile artists, quilters, or dressmakers, having an array of scissors and cutting tools specific to different tasks can make your work more enjoyable and extend the tools’ lifespan.
Here’s a guide to building a diverse cutting tools collection:
- Dressmakers or quilting shears.
- Micro-tip scissors.
- Embroidery scissors.
- All-purpose or paper-cutting scissors.
- Rotary cutter and self-healing cutting mat.
Final Words: How to Care for Sewing Scissors and Rotary Cutting Tools
By cultivating these simple habits, you can prolong the lifespan of your scissors and rotary cutters.
Proper care of your tools is simple and can extend their lifespan indefinitely.
Although quality scissors and rotary cutters represent a considerable investment, proper maintenance ensures they remain your reliable companions for a lifetime.