Home › Home & Kitchen › Kitchen & Dining › Cutlery & Knife Accessories › Kitchen Shears How to Clean Kitchen Shears Published: July 9, 2026 · Updated: July 9, 2026
If the blades unlock, take them apart and wash both halves in hot soapy water — working a brush into the pivot — then dry them thoroughly straight away; do this every time after cutting raw meat or poultry. All-stainless take-apart shears are dishwasher-safe, but hand-washing and drying at once is gentler on the edge and surer against rust, and a vinegar soak plus a drop of oil on the pivot revives ones that have rusted.
Recommended Take the blades apart if they unlock, wash in hot soapy water, dry at once — hand-washing beats the dishwasher for the edge — Food and grease hide where the two blades meet and around the pivot, so the best kitchen shears are the take-apart kind: separate the blades and you can wash and dry every surface. Wash both halves in hot soapy water, using a dish brush or an old toothbrush to scrub into the pivot and along the inner edges, and do it right after cutting raw meat, poultry or fish so nothing lingers there. If your shears don't come apart, open them wide and clean carefully into the joint the same way. The single most important step is drying: dry the blades and pivot completely and immediately, because water left in the joint is what rusts them, and don't leave them soaking in the sink. All-stainless take-apart shears are labelled dishwasher-safe, but repeated dishwasher cycles — heat, harsh detergent and knocking about — dull the edge, and are risky for carbon-steel or non-separating shears, so hand-washing and immediate drying is the gentler, safer habit. For stuck-on residue, a paste of baking soda and a scrub lifts it; for rust already there, soak the spot in white vinegar for an hour or rub it with fine steel wool, then dry and put a single drop of food-safe oil on the pivot so it opens smoothly. Hot soapy water sanitizes well enough after raw meat; if you want extra reassurance, wipe the blades with diluted vinegar or a food-safe sanitizer and rinse.
