4 ways to sharpen your scissors with things lying around the house

You probably use them every day – scissors. Cutting a piece of string, opening packages, or even cutting your pizza (yes, some of you most certainly do this!). But did you know that – just like knives – scissors turn blunt? They lose their sharpness after intense usage and, therefore, need to be sharpened.

Guess what? You can easily sharpen them yourself! And you don’t even need a whetstone or sharpening machine to do so. Here are 4 other quick sharpening methods with stuff you have lying around…

Aluminum foil - You should have it in a drawer somewhere

A quick way to sharpen your blunt scissors is with a piece of aluminum foil. Take a piece (20 cm) and fold it in half – lengthwise – several times until you have a thick strip. Cut into the aluminum foil while completely using both blades. The friction of the metal foil and the metal blade sharpens the blade. After cutting into the aluminum foil a few times, wipe down both blades with a wet kitchen towel to make sure all residue of the aluminum foil comes off.

Sandpaper - Grind it, baby!

Another quick way to sharpen your pair of scissors is by using sandpaper. We recommend using sandpaper with fine grit. Just like with the aluminum foil, cut into the sandpaper several times. Make sure to use the blades completely. Now turn your pair of scissors around and repeat this for the other blade. Afterward, wipe down the blades with a wet kitchen towel to remove residue.

Glass jar - Pickles, jam, pasta sauce

If you don’t have any sandpaper or aluminum foil lying around you can also use a glass jar. Open your pair of scissors and place the blades around the glass jar, as far as you can go. Hold the pair of scissors with one hand and the glass jar with the other. Hold it tight so it doesn’t slip. Now start cutting the jar and apply light pressure while doing this. Once the blades are nice and smooth, wipe them down with a wet kitchen towel. We recommend using an old glass jar for this sharpening method, as the scissors can leave cuts in the glass.

Porcelain cup - Don't tell grandma

It is not the best way to sharpen your scissors but if you have no other options, this will suffice for now. Get a porcelain cup from the cupboard and turn it upside down. Most cups have an unglazed edge. We are going to use this edge. Open your pair of scissors and run the blades over the unglazed edge, slightly angled. Do this a few times for each blade and, afterward, wipe them down.

All these methods do a fine job of sharpening your scissors. However, if you want to get them razor-sharp, we do recommend using a whetstone. This method requires lots of practice but once you know how you can sharpen anything.