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You Can Sharpen Scissors with This Pantry Staple

A person holds up a pair of scissors.
AtlasStudio/Shutterstock.com

Whether it’s due to how much you use your scissors or how little, eventually, they’ll begin to dull. When you need them to open something, that dullness is a real pain. Turns out, there’s a clever hack that’ll get them going again.

Aluminum foil can sharpen your scissors. Yes, really.

This clever hack won’t have your scissors as fresh and sharp as the day you purchased them, but it does take care of things in a pinch. The foil will cut through any rust that has collected on the shears and give them a little sharpen in the process. How do you do it?

Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil

Just in case you need a restock.

First, you’ll tear off a piece of aluminum foil that’s about 12 inches long. Then, fold the sheet in any direction until you’ve added at least six layers. Using the scissors, cut 10-12 times in full strokes so that the entirety of the blades come into contact with the foil. Check your scissors’ sharpness, and if they’re not quite strong enough, repeat the process.

While this isn’t a miracle worker and won’t get your scissors perfectly sharp, it should hold you over until an actual sharpener arrives. Yes, you can actually buy scissor-specific sharpeners.

The next time your scissors aren’t, well, cutting it, aluminum foil might be the answer. But if you do need a fresh pair (particularly for crafting), check out our recommendations.

[Via Popular Mechanics]

Shea Simmons Shea Simmons
Shea Simmons is the Editor In Chief of LifeSavvy. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer with a focus on beauty and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in Bustle, Allure, and Hello Giggles. Read Full Bio »
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