Learn a trick to sharpen nail pliers using aluminum foil

Maybe you are one of those people gifted with the divine talent to do your nails yourself. Or, who knows, you even have a hard time getting your nails done, but you always end up trimming a loose cuticle here and there.

It may be that your case is neither one of these and that, in fact, you are a professional manicurist. Whatever your profile, the fact is that you need to have very sharp pliers to be able to do your nails (yours or your clients’) and remove the cuticles that lift.

And, as you may know, using cordless pliers won’t work very well, because you’ll end up pulling out the little skins instead of cutting them, as well as getting annoyed with a tool that doesn’t work properly.

When the pliers aren’t sharp, your only option is to get them sharpened, right? So we have good news for you: with this trick, you will be able to sharpen your pliers at home using only aluminum foil. Follow the step by step:

1. Cut a piece of aluminum foil as in the photo below

2. Crumple the aluminum foil until it forms a ball

3. Cut another piece of aluminum foil the same size as the first

4. Use this second piece to make another ball, wrapping the first

5. Now, just stick the pliers in the aluminum foil and pull as if you were removing the cuticle

6. Within 3-4 minutes, the pliers will be sharp again

These tips are from youtuber Isabela Mascarenhas, owner of the Amiga Practice channel. Watch the full video for more details:

In addition to this accurate tip to sharpen the pliers, it is still necessary to maintain some other care for this instrument.

Nail pliers care

If you are a manicurist, you must already know about the obligation to always sterilize the nail pliers in the autoclave after use on each client, even if this process causes them to lose their thread – now you know how to solve this problem!

Reusing pliers and other instruments without sterilizing them can transmit a number of diseases ranging from infections caused by bacteria and fungi to blood-borne pathologies such as hepatitis B and C.

If you do your nails yourself, the first care is to know that the pliers should not be shared with anyone. You don’t need to sterilize your instrument in the autoclave like a manicurist, but it is essential to clean it to prevent the accumulation of skin favoring the development of microorganisms.

To do this, you must start by washing the pliers with soap and running water. Rinse well to remove all residues, apply 70º alcohol with the aid of a cotton swab and let the pliers boil. Dry it very well with a paper towel before putting it away.

If you want to take your pliers to the salon to get your nails done, be sure to check that they aren’t rusty or dull, or the manicurist won’t be able to use them.