How to Clean and Disinfect Hair Scissors Between Clients

Clean the shear first. Then disinfect it only with a method that matches all three of these: the disinfectant label, the current care instructions for the exact shear maker and model, and the rules that apply in your workplace and location. There is no universal ethanol percentage, UV role, soak method, contact time, compatibility list, corrosion prediction, or warranty outcome that safely covers every shear.

If those instructions do not align, do not improvise a stronger, longer, or faster process. Use the approved route in your salon SOP, ask the product or shear maker for clarification, or follow the direction of the applicable local authority or workplace policy. This is an operational guide, not a substitute for those instructions.

Cleaning and disinfection are separate steps

Cleaning removes hair, product residue, and visible soil. Disinfection is the subsequent use of a product or process according to its instructions. Treating those as separate steps matters: the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says that the level of contamination can affect the cleaning and disinfection needed, and directs users to the disinfectant maker’s evidence and instructions for concentration, contact time, expiry, and surface compatibility. Read HSE’s guidance on common disinfectants.

Start by removing visible material with a clean method permitted by the shear maker. Then follow the product label exactly for the approved application, concentration, contact time, and any rinse, dry, or handling steps. Do not turn a cleaning step into an unlabelled disinfecting claim, or use a disinfecting product as though it were automatically suitable for every finish, pivot, or finger insert.

Check three instructions before treating a shear

1. The disinfectant label. Confirm the product’s intended use, dilution or ready-to-use status, contact time, expiry, application method, required rinsing or drying, and safety directions. The label, not a generic salon timetable, sets the product-specific process.

2. The exact shear maker’s current care instructions. Check the model, coating, pivot, removable inserts, and any care document supplied by the maker. Maker guidance can differ. For its own scissors, JOEWELL recommends an ethanol-wipe routine and cautions against soaking in ethanol. For its own scissors, JAGUAR describes a disinfectant-bath procedure tied to the disinfectant maker’s concentration and time directions, followed by rinsing, drying, and oiling. That difference is a reason to use the instructions for the shear in hand, not a reason to choose one method for every brand. Only the exact maker’s or seller’s written warranty can address coverage.

3. Current workplace and local rules. Follow the approved products, process, documentation, and escalation route that apply where you work. Confirm the current version when you create or revise the SOP. If the label, maker guidance, and applicable rule point in different directions, pause and use the workplace escalation route rather than guessing.

This also applies to UV cabinets or other devices: do not give them a universal role. Use a device only when its instructions, the exact shear maker’s care guidance, and applicable workplace or local rules support that use.

Between-client workflow

Use this sequence only after the three checks above have selected an allowed method:

1. Separate and inspect. Put the used shear aside. Remove hair and visible soil with a clean method permitted by the maker.
2. Apply the chosen disinfectant. Use only the labelled product and method that the exact maker instructions permit for that shear.
3. Complete the labelled process. Maintain the stated contact time and follow any required rinse, dry, or handling directions. Do not substitute a quicker wipe, a guessed duration, or a different concentration.
4. Perform maker-specific aftercare. Rinse, dry, oil, open, close, or store the shear only as the label and maker direct. JOEWELL’s guidance for its scissors includes wiping away moisture and oiling the pivot; JAGUAR’s bath instructions for its scissors include rinsing residue, drying, and oiling.
5. Return it through the clean-tool system. Store or release the shear as your current workplace SOP requires, keeping it distinct from tools awaiting treatment.

When the ordinary workflow does not apply

Stop the ordinary workflow when there is visible blood or body fluid, an injury or incident, unusual contamination, an unknown product exposure, damage, or uncertainty about the shear’s model or care instructions. HSE notes that visible blood or body fluid can change the level of cleaning and disinfectant required. For an incident, follow the workplace incident procedure and applicable local rules rather than relying on a routine between-client process.

Chemical-service residue, a coated or specialty shear, a changed disinfectant, or a newly issued maker notice are also reasons to repeat the three checks. Do not assume that a method approved for another brand, another product, or a different version of your shear is transferable.

Build this into your salon SOP

Keep a short, reviewable record for each approved shear and disinfectant combination. Include the shear maker and model, the product name, the label’s concentration and contact time, the maker’s permitted care steps, the applicable workplace or local rule source, the clean-tool storage step, and the date checked.

Train the team to stop when one of those entries is missing or changes. Review the record when a product, shear, maker instruction, workplace policy, local rule, or incident process changes. This turns a generic routine into a repeatable, source-backed decision.

Source checks

• HSE: common disinfectants and their use is the cross-sector source for checking product effectiveness evidence, label directions, contamination level, and material compatibility. It is not a replacement for the rules that apply to a particular salon or location.
• JOEWELL: how to disinfect and care for scissors is maker-specific guidance. It describes cleaning first, an ethanol-wipe process for Joewell scissors, thorough moisture removal, pivot oiling, and cautions for those scissors about ethanol soaking and sodium hypochlorite.
• JAGUAR: Service & Care is maker-specific guidance. Its scissor-bath process refers back to the disinfectant maker’s concentration and contact-time instructions, then calls for rinsing residue, drying, and oiling.

Re-open these primary sources and the current instructions for your own product, shear, workplace, and location before adopting or changing a process.