Colour Bench and Your Scissors: Keep Chemicals Off

Keep your scissors out of the colour zone, and wipe and dry them straight away if product touches them. Makers warn that colour, perm solution, sterilising liquid and bleach can corrode scissors, so the habit that matters is where the pair lives while the bench is busy.

What can chemicals do to scissors?

They can corrode them. Kasho warns that sterilising liquid, perm solution and colour solution can corrode its scissors. Joewell says chlorine bleach damages and rusts scissors.

Moisture left near the pivot is the other worry, which is why Joewell advises against soaking its scissors. Finishes and coatings vary by maker, so read your model’s care page instead of assuming a finish protects it. Our coatings guide covers what finishes do and don’t change.

Where do scissors meet chemicals in a normal service?

More places than the colour bowl. Use this table to spot the moments at your own station.

Moment	What can go wrong	Habit
Scissors resting on the trolley beside the bowl and brush	Splashes, or product pooling around the pivot	Holster or case them, on the side away from the bench
Picking them up with product on your gloves or hands	Product on the rings, handles and pivot	Wipe your gloves or change them first
Cutting hair that already has colour or treatment on it	Residue on the blades	Wipe and dry the blades straight after, before the next client
Using them on foils, sachets, tape or packaging	Nicks, residue and a dulled edge	Keep a separate tool for anything that isn’t hair
Wiping or spraying with a disinfectant or bleach cleaner	A product your maker may not allow, left to dry on the metal	Check the maker’s care page and the product label, then dry
Packing up with towels and bottles	Leaks and damp near the pivot	A closed case, one pair per slot, dry before it goes in

How do you set the bench up so scissors stay clear?

Give the pair a home that isn’t the bench.

• Holster on your cutting-hand side. Keep it away from the colour zone, so you don’t reach across product to get to it.
• Cut and colour in separate moments. Where the service order allows, finish cutting before you start mixing and applying.
• A cloth and brush at hand. A wipe takes seconds when the cloth is close.
• A separate tool for non-hair jobs. Foils, tape and packaging don’t belong near the edge.
• A rule for shared stations. Agree where scissors go and who dries them. Our salon tool audit gives you a checklist.

What do you do if colour or chemicals touch the blades?

Act at once, before you pick the pair up again.

1. Close the pair and put it down

   Don’t cut with it. Keep your fingers off the edge.

2. Wipe it off straight away

   Use a clean, dry cloth on the blades, rings and handles.

3. Clean it the way your maker allows

   Don’t soak the pair, and don’t use bleach. Your maker’s care page says what’s allowed for your model.

4. Dry blades, rings and pivot completely

   Moisture near the pivot is the thing to avoid.

5. Oil only if your maker says to

   Clean first, then oil. Open and close the pair a few times and wipe off the extra.

6. Check the action

   It should open and close smoothly with no grit and no catch. If it’s rough, marked or stiff, book a service.

How is this different from disinfecting?

Cleaning and disinfecting are different jobs. Cleaning removes product and hair, and disinfecting follows your state’s hairdressing hygiene rules and the product label. NSW Health says equipment shouldn’t be soaked in disinfectant unless the maker’s instructions say so. Our maker care instructions page shows what each maker allows.

What should you tell a sharpener?

Say the pair has been exposed to colour or chemicals, and describe what you see: marks, rough closing, spots near the pivot or stiffness. That helps a professional look in the right places. Our guide to preparing scissors for service shows how to write the note.

What mistakes do stylists make at the colour bench?

• Leaving the pair on the trolley or in a bowl. Keep it in a holster or case.
• Soaking them. Wipe, clean and dry instead.
• Reaching for bleach. Joewell says it damages and rusts scissors.
• Oiling over residue. Clean first.
• Cutting foils or packaging. Use another tool.
• Putting them away damp. Dry them before they go in the case.

Common questions

Can colour damage my scissors?

Makers warn it can. Kasho says colour solution, perm solution and sterilising liquid can corrode its scissors. Wipe and dry the pair soon after any contact.

Does a coloured or coated finish protect scissors from chemicals?

Don’t assume so. Finishes vary by maker, so read your model’s care page. Our coatings guide has the detail.

Can I clean my scissors with bleach?

No. Joewell says chlorine bleach damages and rusts scissors.

How soon should I wipe them after contact?

Straight away, before the next client. Then dry the blades, rings and pivot, because moisture near the pivot is what makers want you to avoid.

What if the pair feels rough after chemical contact?

Stop cutting with it. Clean and dry it as your maker allows, and if the roughness stays or you see marks, book a service.

Next step

Put a cloth and brush where you can reach them from the colour bench, then read our salon-day care routine for the rest of the day. The Top 10 salon scissor care habits lists the habits worth keeping.