How many times have you gone to use the wire stripper and it wouldn’t strip? Because a wire stripper must bite into the insulation before it is pulled away, the edge on it must be clean and sharp.

The next step is attending to the blades on hand tools like pruners and loppers. I like to keep mine clean throughout the growing season by wiping them down with cleaning wipes and occasionally hosing ...

Learn how to tell if your scissors are dull or damaged—and the simple sharpening techniques that can bring them back to life.