Pruning tools can represent a significant investment for a gardener who maintains a diverse landscape. As you use your different tools for various trimming and pruning tasks, the tools will need cleaning from time to time. If you trim diseased plants, they may contaminate pruning shears as you cut with them. Clean pruning shears to keep the blades from contaminating other plants and to keep the blades in sharp cutting condition.
Fill the bucket with enough isopropyl alcohol to enable you to submerge the blades of the pruning shears between cuts on a plant.
Make a pruning cut and then immediately dip the entire surface of the blades beneath the alcohol in the bucket. Make another pruning cut and repeat the same dipping process each time.
Rinse the pruning shears in plain water when you finish pruning. The water will remove remnants of the isopropyl alcohol from the blades.
Dry the blades of the pruning shears with a soft cloth.
Saturate another cleaning cloth with oil and lightly rub the blades evenly with the oil. The oil will prevent the corrosive nature of the alcohol from damaging the blades.