Hair clippers or trimmers are essential tools for any barber, even for men's hair grooming needs at home. These tools help eliminate unruly hair from your face, ears, and nose and clean these areas.
However...
As much as a hair clipper aids your daily grooming needs, such an accessory also needs proper care to ensure optimal functionality.
So, if you're ever wondering how to clean hair clippers the best way, please read on. Check out our straightforward hair clipper maintenance tips that allow you to have spotless clippers and have them performing excellently at all times.
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Benefits of Cleaning Your Hair Clippers
Before we learn how to clean clippers at home, you must also understand the importance of having such tools in pristine condition.
Using hair clippers with loose hair stuck in them can be unhygienic and pose health hazards. The following are some factors why cleaning hair clippers is essential:
1. Hair Clipper Performance
Typically, clippers come with removable parts; hence, you need to check for hair residue or debris that can cause clogging.
Clogged hair clipper blades will show some resistance when using them for shaving and may result in nicking your skin accidentally.
Maintaining a clean hair clipper will keep the cutting blade sharp and well-performing. Also, it is one of the most suitable ways to maintain its efficiency. Your hair clipper will work much more smoothly if the blades are clean because the motor will run without friction to slow it down.
2. Hygienic Purposes
Clippers, especially those in barbershops, are in close contact with different skins and scalps all day. Sometimes, a user gets nicked, and blood gets onto the blade. Such instances can potentially be a health hazard; hence, you should know how to clean barber clippers well.
Hair grooming tools, such as tweezers, shears, beard trimmers, nail clippers, and combs, are prone to cross-contamination. It is best to clean such tools repeatedly before and after use.
Maintaining proper hygiene is of the utmost importance, especially if you are a barber and use your tools for several clients.
Maybe the clipper can still give you a close shave, whether or not you clean your device regularly. But even thinking about the possibility of transmitting infection by using unsanitized hair clippers can be disgusting and alarming.
3. Longevity Of Your Hair Clipper
Some may argue that quality and brand are the most vital aspects of clipper performance, but maintenance is as crucial, regardless.
The tool's optimal performance is only one of the several benefits of cleaning your hair clippers; a well-maintained clipper also lasts longer.
If you fail to maintain the blade's sharpness, you might have to replace your hair clipper about twice a year. You can avoid unnecessary expenses by caring for your grooming tool properly.
4. Comfortable Shaving Experience
Caring for your hair clippers will keep them in tiptop shape, which in turn gives you a more comfortable shaving experience.
You can prevent friction by ensuring that your blades are sharp, allowing them to glide over your skin effortlessly.
Likewise, it can help protect your skin from cuts and nicks by using a dull-bladed trimmer. More than that, you can also avoid nasty patches and achieve that clean-shaven look with ease.
Fun Fact: Get more out of your branded or generic hair and beard trimmers by knowing how to oil clippers! OIling them after every use will keep the blades clean and sharp.
Handy Tips On How to Clean Your Clippers More Efficiently
How do you clean clippers efficiently? Maybe you have a new hair grooming tool, but you are uncertain how to clean clippers at home. If so, here are a few steps you might find handy:
1. Disconnect From Power Source
If you're using electric hair clippers, do not forget to disconnect the power cable and unplug your device. Doing so will help you avoid accidents and prevent you from damaging your clipper's electrical components.
You may remove the comb attachment or hair clippings once you are hundred percent sure of unplugging it from the power source.
2. Loosen And Remove Leftover Hair
It is crucial to remove the residues of hair clippings from your tool to keep you from having a dull clipper blade so quickly. Never immerse your clipper's electrical components in water or any other solution.
Use a cleaning brush to remove all leftover hairs and accumulated dirt between the cutting blade and crevices.
If your device has a storage compartment for hair buildup, detach and empty its contents directly into your trash bin. However, remove the comb guide before brushing away the loose hair if your clipper model does not come with a container.
In any case, if you don't have a blade brush that goes with some hair clipper models, an old toothbrush will do. Avoid using steel wool or cotton balls to remove dirt and hair from the blades. Some users find an old, hard toothbrush more efficient for cleaning a tool's nooks and crannies.
3. Clean The Blade And Other Parts With Water
Disassembly methods vary between models -- some models have a detachable shaving head, metal guard, and comb attachment.
Read the clipper's manual and observe the instructions cautiously, especially for safely removing the blades if your clippers feature detachable ones.
Disassembling the detachable parts of your clipper allows you to clean its interior thoroughly. If you want to know how to clean hair clippers with water, you can do so with these removable parts.
Immerse them in warm water for about ten to twenty seconds to help loosen remaining hair residues. Some even resort to pouring a cleaning solution over them, and both practices are acceptable. Lastly, dry them using a microfiber cloth after removing them from the water.
If a blade wash, clipper spray, or cleaning agent is not available, water and white vinegar solution can do wonders and give you clean hair clippers.
4. Oil Your Clippers
A well-maintained hair clipper does not end with removing buildups and knowing how to sanitize clippers. Even with the best hair clippers you have, doing so will allow you to use your grooming tool like it's still brand new.
Since a hair clipper has moving parts, it's also best to learn how to oil clippers and keep the blade lubricated.
A clipper oil comes in helpful in cleaning the blade and keeping it lubed. Aside from keeping the blade in exceptional condition, applying clipper oil to your blade can prevent friction. It also helps slow down your tool's deterioration, especially with frequent use.
If a clipper oil or blade oil is unavailable, you may also use a drop or two of baby oil as an alternative. You only need a minimal amount of hair clipper oil, as too much application can damage your device.
Fun Fact: Clipper oils come in many variants. To ensure your hair clippers are in tip-top shape without spending too much, you could try a substitute for hair clipper oil as a cheaper alternative!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it okay to clean hair clippers using hydrogen peroxide?
Yes, you can benefit from hydrogen peroxide's oxidation process in killing germs and bacteria from your grooming tools. It's an effective solution for disinfecting your hair clipper. Just soak your tools in hydrogen peroxide or use it to dampen a cloth before rubbing your devices clean.
What's the best way of cleaning Wahl Clippers after use?
As you would when cleaning any trimmer, loosen the screws and remove the blade of your Wahl clipper and use a cleaning brush to eliminate accumulated hair. After removing the debris, disinfect the parts with a sanitizing spray daily if you use the clipper frequently.
Using clipper oil is also beneficial to prevent your blade from dulling and rusting, and air-dry or rub it with a clean cloth until dry. The same thing goes for the Color Pro model, except you should never remove its blade screws and accurately mount the blade tension spring.
How to clean your clippers if you don't have a clipper spray or blade wash?
In the absence of a blade cleaning solution, knowing how to sanitize hair clippers with an alternative formula comes in handy. If you do not have a clipper spray or a blade wash, then you may use white vinegar instead.
A white distilled vinegar can clean as efficiently as a designated clipper spray or a blade wash and is more inexpensive too. Soak all removable parts in white vinegar, or you may also dampen a cloth with white vinegar and use it for wiping the clipper's surfaces.
Can you clean clippers with alcohol?
Yes, you can also maintain your clippers by disinfecting removable parts, including the blade, with alcohol. Knowing how to clean hair clippers with alcohol can be helpful if you suffer from skin itching, rashes, or razor bumps when grooming your facial hair.
Conclusion
There you have it—a simple and easy way of cleaning your hair clippers. It will help you avoid those rattling blades that won't cut as smoothly as a well-maintained hair clipper or hair trimmer.
That means no more tugging and minimizes the risk of encountering razor bumps, nicking, and other skin irritations. You also get to use your trimmer or shaver for longer, allowing you to have good value for your investment.
Maintaining your clippers prevents unnecessary strain with each use and keeps its motor optimal. Likewise, you can groom your hair with confidence that you are not at any risk of infection.
