Disinfection Protocols for Professional Shears
How to properly disinfect your scissors between clients without destroying the steel. Covers ethanol, UV, and chemical methods plus what to avoid.
Clean shears protect your clients and your investment
Disinfecting scissors between clients is not optional. Your state board requires it, your clients expect it, and skipping it creates liability you do not want. But the wrong disinfection method can corrode your blades, destroy coatings, and shorten the life of expensive tools.
This guide covers the three main disinfection methods (消毒, shōdoku), what damages steel, and how to protect your shears during the cleaning process.
Ethanol and alcohol wipes (エタノール消毒)
This is the most common method in professional salons and the one most scissor manufacturers recommend.
How to do it:
- Wipe both blades with a cloth or pad soaked in 70% to 80% ethanol solution.
- Make sure you cover the full blade surface, both inner and outer faces.
- Wipe dry immediately with a soft, clean cloth.
The “wipe dry immediately” step is critical. Ethanol evaporates fast, but even brief moisture contact can cause micro-corrosion on the blade edge over time. Make the wipe-and-dry a single continuous motion.
Ethanol is compatible with most scissor materials and coatings, including titanium, DLC, and urushi lacquer finishes. It is the safest chemical option for your tools.
UV sterilization (紫外線消毒)
UV sterilizer cabinets are standard equipment in many salons. They use ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and viruses on tool surfaces.
Advantages:
- No chemicals touch the steel. Zero corrosion risk.
- No residue left on the blades.
- Works on all scissor types and coatings.
Limitations:
- UV only sterilizes surfaces that the light reaches. If one blade overlaps the other, the shadowed area does not get treated.
- The scissors must remain in the cabinet for the full specified duration. Pulling them out early defeats the purpose.
For best results, open your scissors slightly before placing them in the cabinet so both blade surfaces are exposed to the light.
Chemical disinfectant solutions
Commercial disinfectant solutions designed for salon tools are widely available. They work, but they come with real risks.
Many disinfectant formulas contain chemicals that corrode scissor steel. After using any chemical disinfectant, you need to wipe the scissors thoroughly with a soft dry cloth right away. Extended contact between chemical solutions and blade steel will damage both the edge and any coatings.
Never soak scissors in disinfectant. This is the single biggest mistake stylists make with chemical cleaning. Soaking a precision cutting tool in liquid, even for a few minutes, invites corrosion into the pivot mechanism, the hollow grind, and every micro-crevice in the blade. The damage may not be visible immediately, but it accumulates.
What corrodes steel
Knowing what damages your blades helps you avoid it.
Bleach. Extremely corrosive to scissor steel. Never use bleach on professional shears. Not even diluted. Not even “just for a second.” The damage is immediate and often irreversible.
Perm solution and color chemicals. These will corrode blades if left in contact. After any chemical service, rinse your scissors with hot water, dry them completely, and apply a drop of oil to the pivot area and the inner concave surface of both blades.
Hydrogen peroxide in high concentrations. Some salon disinfectants use hydrogen peroxide as an active ingredient. At standard concentrations it is less aggressive than bleach, but extended contact still corrodes steel.
Quaternary ammonium compounds. Found in many commercial disinfectants. Generally safe for brief contact, but prolonged exposure can attack blade finishes.
Saltwater and sweat. If you work near the coast or sweat onto your tools, the salt accelerates corrosion. Wipe your shears more frequently in these environments.
Post-chemical service protocol
After perms, color treatments, relaxers, or any service involving chemicals:
- Rinse scissors thoroughly with hot water (お湯, oyu).
- Dry them completely. Every surface. The pivot area. Between the blades. All of it.
- Apply one drop of scissor oil to each side of the pivot screw.
- Apply a thin line of oil along the inner concave surface of both blades.
- Open and close the scissors several times to distribute the oil through the mechanism.
- Wipe off excess oil with a soft cloth or chamois leather (セーム革, sēmu kawa).
This takes about 30 seconds and protects a tool that cost you hundreds of dollars.
State board requirements
Disinfection requirements vary by state. Most state cosmetology boards require that cutting tools be disinfected between each client using an EPA-registered disinfectant. Some states specify the type of disinfectant and contact time. Others leave the method to the practitioner as long as the tool is visibly clean and treated with an approved product.
Check your state board’s current guidelines for specific requirements. Rules change, and what was acceptable three years ago may not meet current standards. Your state board website will have the most up-to-date information.
As a general practice: wipe with ethanol between every client, follow the post-chemical protocol after chemical services, and store clean tools in a UV cabinet or closed case when not in use. This approach meets or exceeds most state requirements.
A daily routine that works
Build disinfection into your workflow so it becomes automatic.
Between clients: Ethanol wipe and dry. Takes 10 seconds.
After chemical services: Hot water rinse, dry, oil. Takes 30 seconds.
End of day: Hot water rinse, full dry, oil the pivot and blades, open and close several times, wipe excess, store in case. Takes one minute.
Your scissors are a precision instrument. Treat the cleaning process with the same care you give the cutting process.