If you’re one of those joes that prefer cleaning and maintaining your own things yourself without relying on professional help, then this article is for you.
Some people choose to leave these things out to a professional because that’s the easier thing to do. They find it more consuming and time-efficient. Most importantly they find it easy. Hence, that is why we today we come and bring to you 6 Easy steps on how to clean hair clippers.
We can promise you these are very easy to follow and won’t require anything fancy for you to pull it off. Cleaning clipper blades are easier than what you make of it. Of course, if you are wondering why you should clean it in the first place since you can get yourself a new pair anyway, we covered the benefits of cleaning it too.
So without further ado, let’s dive in.
Benefits of Cleaning Hair Clippers
There are a thousand reasons why you should clean the blades of clippers that glides over your skin every time you trim or shave. These blades, if unclean, can give birth to plethora of diseases when they are used on bare skin. Other than that following are some of the benefits of cleaning your clipper blades:
Keeps Blades Sharp
Blades clogged with excess hair or blades that haven’t been oiled for a long time will slowly become duller and duller. They ‘re not going to cut evenly, so you’re going to have messy, patchy haircuts.
Extends the Lifetime of Blades
Cleanliness of hair clippers is critical if you want to increase the longevity of your clippers. When you clean the clippers properly, you ‘re going to help them extend their lives. This can be easier on your wallet too as you don’t have to opt for a new one all the time when the blades get worn out.
Ensures Hygiene and Protection from Diseases
One of the primary reasons why you should regularly clean your hair clippers is sanitation. These clippers can host a lot of bacteria that may give birth to a lot of diseases.
The only way to remove the bacteria and stop the spread of the disease is to clean the clippers every time you use them. Moreover, they are going to get dirty if you don’t clean them often. It can cause skin inflammation (red marks, bumps). It can also damage the skin.
Smooth Flow and Transition
A blade that is clean will operate smoothly as the motor will run without any friction slowing it down. This allows the blade to glide over the shave and provide a comfortable experience.
How to Clean Hair Clipper
We have finally arrived. Time to address the elephant in the room. You’ve already read enough. So, we won’t waste time with the formalities. Here are 6 steps you need to follow to clean your clipper blades:
1. Unscrew the Blades
Find and unscrew the screws connecting the blades to the remaining clippers. There are two screws at the base of the blade on most hair clipper versions. Once these are removed, gently unplug the blades and any pieces that hold them in place.
Remove the clipper blades from your clipper. There are 2 screws on the top of the clipper edge. Take them off. Be careful so that you don’t drop them as they are very easy to lose.
2. Clean Dirt Using Blade Brush/Toothbrush
Grab the blade brush that comes with the clipper and scrape off all the bits. You want to get rid of all the hair that has accumulated. You might be surprised how many of it can be found in seemingly impossible places. If you no longer have the blade brush, use a wire brush, steel wool, or toothbrush to remove the hair stuck in the blades.
3. Disinfect/ Sterilize the Clippers
This step is perhaps the most crucial in the list. For you benefit we have included the different ways and methods you can choose to disinfect, clean and sterilize your blade equipment.
- How to Clean Hair Clippers with Blade Wash
Using blade wash to avoid rust. You can use blade wash or another blade cleaning product to break it down if your blades have any visible rust, or if the brushing doesn’t remove all the dirt and grime on them. Soak the blades for a few minutes in a little tub of water, or drop a ball of cotton into it and clean the blade to avoid strong rust accumulation or build up.
Any blade wash will clean your hair clipper blades by:
- Keeping them cool
- Disinfecting them
- Killing germs and Bacteria
- Preventing blades from rusting
- Eliminating bad odours
- How to Clean Hair Clippers with Vinegar
White vinegar is very inexpensive and can destroy bacteria because of its acidic properties. It’s toxin-free and will clean any remaining residue or dirt settled on your clipper blades.
Vinegar solutions can dry quickly. However, you still need to make sure they are dry enough before you add any oil or store them in your cabinet to prevent any rusting or corrosion.
We recommend using white vinegar instead of blade wash because the former is linked to many cancers. Though we must admit blade wash works better. Here are the following ways you can clean hair clipper using Vinegar:
- Soak the detachable parts warm water for 10 minutes.
- Mix equivalent amount of vinegar and water in a container.
- Let the blades, shaving head, and other parts soak in it for 15-20 minutes.
- Wipe off the parts with a soft cloth or a towel afterwards
- Leave them out to air dry
- Lubricate the blades by applying oil
- How to Clean Hair Clippers With Alcohol
Alcohols have the reputation of not only cleaning but also sterilizing and disinfecting your blades. Barber uses them to sanitize the blade and remove dirt. Following are ways of how you can clean hair clippers with alcohol.
- Fill a 1⁄2 “pot with isopropyl or ethyl alcohol.
- Brush off the clippings of the hair and dust from the blades.
- Soak the blades into the alcohol solution (avoid the other sections of the package being soaked).
- Run the clippers for about half a minute. Notice how the alcohol catches any loose hairs and ashes.
- Repeat the second and third phases with fresh alcohol until the solution no longer accumulates residue.
- Wipe the blades with a soft and dry cloth.
- Leave the blades out in the air for drying
- Use a few drops of oil to lubricate the blades.
If the blades are removable from the unit, remove and soak the blade in alcohol. Substitute the alcohol until it stays clear and visible.
4. Clean the Comb Attachments
Comb attachments often trap some oil or tiny hair trimmings when cutting hair using the clippers. To clean the attachments, extract them from the machine and wash them thoroughly. You can air-dry them or leave them overnight on a towel to dry.
Once the comb attachments have been dried check to see if there’s any damage. If the comb has broken teeth, consider replacing it. The results of the haircut can be affected by broken teeth.
After doing all of the above, put the comb back in its unit and store it a cool and safe place so that you may use it again later when needed.
5. Lubricate the Blades with Oil
Equipment with moving metal parts tend to work smoothly when lubricated. Hair clippers are certainly no exception to the rule. They are often exposed to air and moisture which is why the can deteriorate over time.
Lubrication also helps resist blade rust and corrosion. Hair trims smoothly when they have sharp blades and are lubricated. The best time to oil or lubricate the blades are after every use. Pour only 2-3 drops of oil on the blades to avoid it being too greasy.
6. Turn on the Device and Wipe off Residue
It’s essential that you turn on the unit after you’ve followed all of the steps above. Turning on the device will help the oil reach through different parts of the blade and machine and thus allowing it to lubricate completely. This will help achieve a uniform distribution of oil across the blades. Turn it off and wipe off any excess oil or residue with a towel.
How to Assemble Wahl Clipper Blades
Wahl clipper blades are a bit different when it comes to assembling them. The rules of typical clipper blades do not apply here. By following the following steps, you can assemble Wahl Clipper Blades:
Step 1
Loosen both blade screws just enough to be able to shift the blade.
Step 2
Move the blade adjustment lever to the full forward position.
Step 3
Align the bottom blade with the top blade. This is necessary to ensure that the clipper does not cut too closely or cause the moving top blade to cut the skin. The extreme left-hand tooth of the top blade must be in alignment on the first small tooth of the bottom blade.
Step 4
Tighten the screws after the blades are aligned
Step 5
Plug the clipper in
Step 6
Turn the switch on and off to recheck the alignment of blades.
Things to Remember
- Clean your clippers frequently or at least once a week or after third or fourth use to prevent blade infections
- There are no substitutes for clipper oil. Using any other type of oil might risk reducing the functionality of the clipper or worse permanently damage it
- A few drops of clipper oil is enough. Too much of it can leave your blades looking and feeling greasy
- Opt for using the brush provided by the manufacture or the brand. The blade brush should be your ideal brushing tool. In case you don’t have it, a toothbrush would do
- Reassemble the clippers properly and align the blades well to prevent malfunction
- Close the head tightly with screws after reassembling to avoid accidents
So now you know that cleanliness of blades and hair clipper is not only important to have a smooth shaving experience but also to protect you from different skin diseases and infection. You now have an overall idea of how to clean your clipper blades not only by vinegar but alcohol too. For those of you using the Wahl clippers, we got you covered too.
We hope we left no room for questions here and left no stones unturned. But granted there is, we are always there to help you. We hope you’ll be benefited by following our article. What are your favourite methods of cleaning your clipper blades? Did you try something new that we didn’t mention? Do you prefer going to a professional or doing it yourself? Please let us know.