What you need to know to easily maintain your lawn mower

Unlike many household appliances, clippers are built to last, especially professional ones. Barbers use these tools all day, so they must be resistant to prolonged wear, but that's no excuse to ignore their constant maintenance.

A quality clipper will help you save money and last for many years if you pay attention to its upkeep. This is especially true for professional barbers who use the clipper frequently. By regularly performing maintenance activities on the clipper, you will avoid cutting accidents and ensure all clients a quality haircut experience.

Keep the blades clean

The main advantage of maintaining the hygiene and cleanliness of your razor is keeping the blades sharp for a longer period. Hair strands, dirt, dust, contribute to dulling the clipper's blades.

Germs and bacteria accumulate very quickly and can cause all kinds of infections if you don't clean and disinfect the clipper.

To clean the clipper, you need a soft-bristled brush to remove most hairs, then for a deep clean, we recommend using a paintbrush or toothbrush.

Once the clipper is cleaned of all hairs, proceed to remove the grease on the blades, which comes from the hair, with a degreaser.

You might not disinfect the clipper after each use, but you will certainly clean the blades. For disinfection, we recommend solutions with an alcohol concentration of over 60% to ensure the complete elimination of germs and microbes, including bacteria, viruses, or fungi.

Distilled white vinegar works just as well; its acidity will destroy mold and bacteria that can appear on a clipper.

Another tip is not to cut hair that hasn't been washed, besides the hygiene criterion, this can affect the clipper's performance. It's preferable that the hair was washed the day before the haircut since hair containing sand or dust will destroy the clipper's blades.

Oil the blades regularly

Oiling the clipper's blades is the next step in its maintenance. Dry blades on your clipper can cause serious issues, such as pulling the client's hair during a haircut. You can easily avoid this by oiling the blades after each use. Clipper manufacturers recommend using a special oil meant for them.

Applying oil to the clipper is done after mounting, in the interlocking area of the blade teeth, about one drop every 5 mm.

After applying the oil to the clipper, you need to run it for 5-10 seconds to help spread the oil across all the teeth and its entire width. Once you turn off the machine, you can clean any excess oil.

The clipper oil also functions to prevent rust and keep the blades sharper for a longer period. If the clipper's blades degrade because you did not grease them properly, it's very likely the manufacturer will not honor the warranty.

We recommend using only the clipper oil approved by the manufacturer; any other replacements can seriously affect the machine's proper functioning or cause irreversible damage.

Check the clipper's cord

Has your clipper ever suddenly stopped during a haircut session? A damaged or broken power cord could be the reason for this. To avoid this, you will need to be careful with your clipper's cord when scratches or breaks appear from daily use.

If your clipper has this issue, you will need to contact the manufacturer to replace the power cord.

Ensure the blades are aligned correctly

If you have to disassemble your clipper when cleaning or oiling it, you must ensure the blades are properly aligned when reassembling it. If the blade leaves a line or seems to slow down the clipper's operation, then you'll need to adjust the screws or check the tension spring and plastic guide.

Each clipper manufacturer provides their instructions for the correct alignment of blades. Generally, the upper and lower blades should be aligned together, sometimes with the upper blade slightly over the lower one.

It is also important that the clipper blades are aligned parallel to each other, otherwise your clients risk being pinched severely by the clipper.

Procedure is as follows:

First, turn off the clipper, unplug it if necessary, and start loosening the screws holding the blades in place. You only need to loosen the screws enough to move the blades, not completely.

Once the lever is in the closed position, adjust the blades so that they are aligned correctly. When they are in the correct position, you can begin tightening each screw, maintaining the correct position of the blades while doing so.

Adjust the power screw

If your clipper is louder than usual, it might need a power screw adjustment. In this case, it's best to check the user manual or contact the manufacturer.

For example, for WAHL clippers, to resolve this issue, you can use a screwdriver to turn the power screw clockwise until it makes a loud noise. Then turn the screw counterclockwise until the noise stops.

In conclusion, a clipper maintenance routine is essential for any professional barber. No one wants a clipper with dull blades, pulling hair, making strange noises, and not providing a pleasant haircut experience. If you want to take care of your clients, you must first take care of your clipper.