This is what I use when I’m harvesting blooms for my fresh cut flower bouquets.

Nothing gets cut around here without all of these helpers in my handy dandy tool basket I picked up at this wonderful vintage market last year. I keep hunting for more, I love them so much!

The first cup has some hot soapy water to first dunk my snips, usually a minute or so, then they go for a little ‘sani-bath’ into 70% isopropyl alcohol. I’ve had the best results in terms of preventing rust on my tools by doing it this way. Very happy being able to hold on to things a little bit longer than in past years when I used a diluted bleach mix.

Once I’ve made my cuts, the stems always get a ‘quick dip’ in some hydrating treatment. This has been a game changer for vase life.

After all that goodness, my stems go straight into a clean bucket filled with flower food to give them their best start. I also fill all of my Joy Jars with this flower food for the flower stand.

I have made available a list of my favorite things if you’d like to see what I use. Everything is grouped under the ‘Essential Tools’ category on my Amazon storefronts. There are two lists, one for Canadians and the other for Americans.

Hope you found this useful if you were looking for an easy way to keep things clean between plants.