Cleaning Scissors With Barbicide

Contrary to its name, stainless steel is not entirely stainless. Exposure to some agents will cause corrosion. Stainless steel relies on an ultra-thin protective layer to maintain its resistance to oxidization. Stainless steel is especially prone to corrosive pitting when exposed to chlorides.

Barbicide’s active ingredient is alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride. Even when diluted as instructed to a 1/16 solution with water, and given a long enough exposure, Barbicide will corrode the steel of your scissors.

The pictured scissors were left to soak for too long and the damage is clear. I’m able to remove the surface corrosion with a rust eraser and then polish back to a good shine, but the pitting cannot be fixed. Those pockets will collect germs and disease, and will allow the Barbicide to go even deeper during the next soak or spray - exactly what you’d like to avoid.

After submerging your scissors for as much as ten minutes in a Barbicide solution, rinse them off thoroughly with water, being especially certain to wash out the pivot area where the blades cross. Then carefully dry them completely with the blades all the way open to expose and clean as much surface area as possible. Finally, lubricate at the pivot and the inside of each blade with a light oil that is intended for scissors.