We all know that in order to maintain a well-groomed look, you must be ready to spend a little bit of extra time on maintaining yourself. Whether it is a few extra minutes in front of the mirror, or an extra maintenance routine anytime during the day or night. For men, the tool that is closest to them is their clippers, whether it is a beard trimmer, hair clipper, or a versatile all-in-one clipper.
As one of the most important tools, the clippers too require a certain amount of maintenance. In this blog, we will tell you everything that you must know about taking good care of your clippers. A fully working clipper or beard trimmer can make the difference between an average look and the perfect cut.
You will have noticed when you buy hair clippers or beard trimmers, there is always a small tube of oil with it. If you have never used this, then you must start doing so. If you know about it and are using it, then you must know how to make the best use of it.
Regardless of your situation, you need to know how to oil hair clippers perfectly so that the significant investment made in purchasing the clipper is not wasted. We will cover it all, from the benefits of oiling, how to oil it, what types of oils you can use and what you should avoid, some alternatives to lubricating oil, etc.
Here is the complete guide on how to oil clippers!
Table of Contents
- Benefits of Lubricating Beard Trimmers or Hair Clippers
- Things Needed to Oil Your Clippers
- Hair Clippers: Instructions for Oiling
- Beard Trimmers: Instructions for Oiling
- Bonus: Lubricating Oil Alternatives
- Instructions for Oiling Clippers Using Alternative Lubricants
- DON’Ts: Oils You Should Never Use!
- IMPORTANT REMINDER
- Conclusion
Benefits of Lubricating Beard Trimmers or Hair Clippers
One of the first things that will come to your mind is…
Why exactly should you be oiling or lubricating your clipper or trimmer?
Now, in the simplest of definitions, a hair clipper or beard trimmer is essentially an electric device with blades. What we do not see is the many small mechanical devices moving inside which work the blades. Just like a car engine needs engine oil, so does your clipper.
A decent clipper or trimmer should last a couple of years and it may even last longer depending on how well it is maintained during usage. You will notice sometimes that the blade catches on your hair, beard or mustache during clipping or trimming. This may just mean that the blades have not been properly lubricated.
If you take proper care of your clipper, you will save a lot of money with one good clipper rather than buying a new one every few months or every year. Neglecting proper maintenance will make it rust easily. The blades may come out of place and that will require the use of a screwdriver to be put back in place. Also, any visible hair strands should be brushed off from the blades and insides.
As you may have guessed by now, proper cleaning & regular oiling is a must.
How often you may be thinking?
Experts and leading manufacturers of clippers recommend the oiling of clippers with each use.
Things Needed to Oil Your Clippers
Luckily enough, while the benefits of lubricating clippers are many, the list of things needed is not that many. In order to ensure the perfect cleaning and oiling of your beard trimmer or hair clipper, you need the following 2 things:
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A Brush
The first thing you need is a clean brush for getting rid of all build-up such as hair, grease, gunk, debris, etc. A little brush is usually included with your clipper or trimmer set. Alternatively, you can use a clean toothbrush. The tiny brush that comes with the clippers when you buy it, is perfect to reach in between the blades to get all the hair strands out. If you clean it often, you will never get too much hair build-up.
As for using any other brush such as a toothbrush, make sure not be too forceful while cleaning it and also, check to see that the brush itself is clean before using it.
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Lubricating Oil
The next thing you need is an oil for lubricating the blades. The lubricating oil tube included with the clippers is perfect as it is small and has a dropper tip. It would be very difficult to oil your trimmer without it. If you have run out of it, or have lost it, you can easily buy a replacement set of brush and lubricating oil.
While you can use an alternative to the brush, it is best to stick to the clipper specific oil for best results.
Hair Clippers: Instructions for Oiling
Whether you are a professional barber, hairstylist, groomer or an everyday person who uses clippers, you will know and appreciate the importance of keeping such equipment in good condition for getting the perfect haircut. If it is not kept well and oiled regularly, the blades will go dull and you will be more likely to get uneven cuts, nips, pulls and tugs on hair, or even cut your skin.
So, here is the step by step process of oiling your hair clipper to keep it in perfect condition:
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Clean the Clipper
You must make sure that the clipper is properly cleaned. Use a small brush to brush off debris including hairs etc. from it. Be careful not to use water during this cleaning. You can use rubbing alcohol, but not water.
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Apply the Lubricating Oil
By now, your clipper should be cleaned off completely from any remaining hair or debris. If you apply the oil, it will make it impossible for anything like hair to come out as it will stick to the oil. Make sure the clipper is turned off and not plugged in for charging before applying the oil on it. Use the dropper tip of the lubricating oil tube to put a few drops of oil in all the tiny places throughout the clipper. Try to get the oil in between the blades and its sides to let it penetrate instead of dripping on the outside.
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Turn the Clipper ON for about 30 Seconds
After applying the oil everywhere, you will need to turn the clipper ON for approximately 20 to 30 seconds. In order to make sure that the oil reaches everywhere, this is vital.
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Turn the Clipper OFF
After about half a minute turn it OFF. If needed, you can apply a few more drops of oil but the clipper will be nicely lubricated until you use it again next time.
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Wipe OFF Any Extra Oil
Before putting it away, make sure you wipe off any excess oil from the body and charging port area of the clipper. Do not use toilet paper or paper towel as they can leave behind tiny particles which will turn into gunk or other debris after mixing with the oil. Use a small cloth for best results.
Beard Trimmers: Instructions for Oiling
The process for oiling a trimmer is not too different from oiling hair clippers. However, even though it is quite is easy, let’s quickly run through the steps.
So, here is the step by step process of oiling your beard trimmer to keep it in perfect condition:
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Clean the Trimmer
Similar to hair clippers, before applying any oil or lubricants, the trimmer must be properly cleaned to remove any hair stuck between the blades, etc.
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Apply the Lubricating Oil
Once cleaned, make sure the trimmer is turned off and start applying the oil. Trimmers are usually smaller, so it may require a bit more of a steady hand to apply the oil. Do not use too much oil. You can get away with a bit more on hair clippers, but for trimmers don’t use too much. Check to make sure that oiling your trimmer does not make any manufacturer warranty to become void on your particular beard trimmer.
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Wipe OFF Any Extra Oil
You may skip over the turning ON step used on hair clippers for trimmers. This is because the trimmer is much smaller and a little amount of oil can sufficiently reach all needed areas. Wipe off any extra oil with a clean cloth.
There you have it, you have successfully learned to how to oil hair clippers and beard trimmers the right way to ensure its long life and consistent performance!
Bonus: Lubricating Oil Alternatives
There comes a situation where you may have run out of the lubricating oil that came with your clippers or trimmers originally. In this situation, you need a suitable alternative to maintain your clippers. So, let’s discuss some of the most suitable alternatives to clipper oil.
Oils that are low in viscosity is what is required for use on hair clippers. Because this type of oil is capable of enduring extreme high temperatures. Also, it allows the blades to move faster and smoother. As a last-minute resort, you can us the following types of oil which are commonly found at your home:
- olive oil (BUT DO NOT USE PURE OLIVE OIL!)
- vegetable oil
Both are excellent alternatives to clipper oil!
Now that you have found the most commonly found alternatives for clipper oil, you can rest assured that you will not be in trouble on a rainy day. They are very much similar to normal clipper oil.
Instructions for Oiling Clippers Using Alternative Lubricants
According to all the available guidelines for using oil on hair clippers or beard trimmers, it states that a few drops must be used. But, in case of using alternative oil found at home, you will not have a dropper to use it with, so a different method must be used.
The clipper must be turned OFF and cleaned from any hair strands or dirt. Then, take only little bit of oil on your finger and spread it on the surface of the blades. Remove your fingers and then turn the clippers ON to make sure the oil reaches the inside of the machine.
WARNING: Be careful, you do not want to injure yourself by being carefree while using your fingers to apply the oil.
However, the best thing to do is to buy hair clipper oil before your current one runs out, so that you do not have to risk using alternative oils or alternative oiling methods.
DON’Ts: Oils You Should Never Use!
Do not listen to any hacks, tips or tricks that suggest using any type of high or heavy viscosity oil. The following are some high viscosity oils or lubricants to always stay away from using on clippers:
- WD-40
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pure olive oil
- Other heavy oils or lubricants
Heavy oils are extremely dangerous for your device as they will instantly make the clipper dysfunctional. These types of oils are made for large mechanical devices, not for small machine parts like trimmers and clippers. Always stick to light or thin oils, or more specifically, clipper oil and avoid any other alternatives.
IMPORTANT REMINDER
You may be someone who always keeps clippers or trimmers lubricated and well-maintained, but if you have a clipper which you have not used in a long time, then make sure you lubricate it before use.
Over the course of a long time, the lubrication may not be there anymore. As a result, you may cause an accident when using it without proper lubrication. So, make sure you lubricate it as it is a continued process which must be done with every use.
Conclusion
Well, that brings us to the end of the comprehensive guide on oiling your beard trimmer or hair clipper for its extended life and consistent performance. It may seem like a hassle to do every time, but it is something which is essential for safe usage and increasing the lifetime of your device. You will ensure you have a satisfying shaving or clipping experience by doing so.
Just like you would want your hair to look great, without dandruff flakes or a bad hairstyle, you need to make sure that your clippers are in the best condition to get the perfect haircut with it.
Now that you know which oils to use, how to use them, and what to stay away from, you are fully prepared for a great maintenance routine for getting the best haircut or beard trim.
Finally, I hope this article has stressed upon not just the importance of keeping our favorite tools well oiled, but also advised you on the safest ways of doing it. Let us know in the comments of any other tips, tricks or suggestions which helps you to keep your clippers in top notch condition.