How to Clean Hair Clippers: 7 Easy Steps (Full Guide)

Whether you have hair clippers for home use or a professional one in your barber shop, you must keep them as clean as possible. Remember how important it is to clean and maintain your at-home hair-cutting tools, including hair clippers.

You have to clean your clippers regularly as doing so promotes proper hygiene. Keep in mind that dirty clippers result in various problems. Apart from not cleaning them is unhygienic, it can also cause the buildup of skin, hair, and oils, eventually triggering damage.

This may further result in your clippers requiring frequent replacement. The damage may injure your clients if you use it to offer your haircutting services. If you are the one who needs a hair cutting service, avoid sitting in the best barber chairs unless you are sure that the tools that will be used are completely clean and well-maintained.

You need clean and organized shaving supplies and cutting tools to produce great results from either cutting or shaving. The tools will also serve their purpose for a long time if you clean and maintain them.

How to Clean Hair Clippers

Unplug 

Disconnect their power cable first. Once unplugged and disconnected, take out all attachments you are using.

Prepare a cleaning brush

Use it in dislodging debris and hair from the clippers. Be very thorough when doing this to remove everything.

Get antibacterial clipper spray

This should help in clearing away all bits of hair that remain. This also works in preventing cross-contamination.

Let the spray stay 

After that, you can wipe it clean.

Put tapering attachments

Or plastic comb in a container or jar with disinfectant. Let it stay there for the required time before you use it again.

Give your clippers a deep clean

At least once every week. You can use a screwdriver to remove the clipper’s blade altogether. Brush thoroughly before you screw it in place again.

Pour a liquid disinfectant or blade care solution

While your clipper is still running, let the blade tip in and clean for several seconds. Wait for the thorough cleaning to finish before removing the blade. Use a clean towel to wipe it out.

How to Sanitize Your Hair Clippers

Just like when you need to pick the right beard trimmer and maintain it through regular cleaning and sanitizing, you also need to do the same for the clippers. To disinfect and sterilize the clippers, particularly their blades, you should use 70 percent isopropyl alcohol.

Sanitizing and sterilizing the clippers and their blades is crucial, especially if you experience razor bumps, redness, pimples, or itching. It also helps to use a blade disinfectant. A high-quality blade care liquid can prevent the blades from accumulating rust and ensures that they stay sharp for several years.

Here’s how to sanitize the clippers with the help of rubbing alcohol:

Disassemble

Pour around one-fourth cup of alcohol into a container.

Soak the blade in the rubbing alcohol

Ensure you do not include the other parts and accessories of the clipper. If you plan to use a blade wash, open the container’s lid and let the blade dip inside it. Let it stay there for around thirty seconds.

Remove the blade

Use a dry cloth to wipe it off gently. Allow it to air dry. After that, you can begin oiling the blades before you reattach them to the head of the trimmer/clipper.

How to Oil the Blades

Similar to the premium electric shaver for black men that requires constant maintenance, this is also what you need for your clippers. As much as possible, you also have to invest in barber-approved double-edge razors and ensure they receive proper care.

As for the oil application, here’s how you can do that for the clipper blades:

Clean

This will always be an essential step before oiling the clipper.

Put on the oil

Once you have thoroughly cleaned your clipper, get the oil vial, then squeeze some oil into your blade. Around two to three drops would suffice, depending on the actual size of the blade.

Space the drops of oil evenly

One thing to note is that if you are doubtful, it would be much better to use a bit less. This will prevent you from excessively oiling the clippers, which may only attract hair clippings and dirt.

Let the clipper run or operate

This is the reason why you should plug it in the first place. Turn on the clipper, then allow it to run for several seconds but ensure it does not go beyond 20 seconds. It should give sufficient time for the oil to spread throughout. A clipper with a taper lever helps to move it several times to ensure that the oil works inside.

Turn off 

Use a paper towel to wipe off the blade. This helps remove all excess oil and prevent over-oiling that may only cause dirt to get stuck up, thereby interfering with the way the blades work.

How to Align Hair Clippers

Loosen the screws 

It should be just enough that you can move the blades. You don’t have to remove the screws. If your clipper features a blade adjustment lever or a taper, move it up.

Find comb, top blade and cutting blade

This is important so you can correctly align the parts. Align the top with the bottom blade gently. Ensure that the top blade’s extreme left-hand tooth covers the bottom. Once you get that specific part correctly, expect the big tooth from the bottom blade to be on its extreme right-hand tooth.

Position the top and bottom blades

Position in such a way that they are parallel to each other. The teeth of the top blade should be around 0.8 mm back from the bottom blade teeth’s tips. This is crucial in preventing it from overlapping and ensuring that the blades do not slice off or cut your skin once they move.

Tighten the screws carefully

Check whether it is already working just the way you expected. You can turn it on and off several times to test if it works.

Do’s and Don’ts When Cleaning Hair Clippers

Do’s

• Reassemble and head and blades appropriately. This is crucial in ensuring that the blades are correctly tightened and aligned. This is also necessary for performing facial hair or beard maintenance tips safely.
• Clean clippers frequently. The frequency of cleaning should also depend on your use of the clipper for cutting hair. The most recommended frequency, though, is around once every week.
• Use a gentle brush. This should prevent possible damage to the clipper.

Dont’s

• Do not use excessive amounts of oils. Use only a few drops when oiling to prevent the blades from getting drowned and damaged by the oil.
• Do not look for oil substitutes. Use only the one intended for hair clippers. Other types of oil may only negatively hamper the cutting ability of the clipper or cause damage.

FAQ

How often should I clean the clippers?

This should depend on the number of times you use the clipper. A wise recommendation is once per week. For barbers, it would be ideal for cleaning the blades using clipper spray after each client.

Can I use alcohol to clean the hair clippers?

Yes, you can. You can use alcohol as a substitute for the clipper spray. Just unplug the clipper, then remove all attachments. Brush the trimmer, then bring the hair clipper over your kitchen sink.

Hold it there, then carefully pour one small cup of alcohol over its teeth. Ensure the alcohol does not get into the clipper’s electrical parts. Use a soft towel to wipe dry before using again.

What will happen if I fail to oil my clippers?

Every time you use your clippers, it creates friction. This means it produces heat that may damage the clippers if you do not lubricate it well with the correct oil. Failing to oil your clippers regularly may, therefore, cause it to create rattling sounds when used.

The blades will also no longer be able to cut smoothly. You also need to oil the clippers regularly to prevent them from accumulating rust, keeping them sharp for longer.

How long do clippers last?

Most hair clippers are built to last for several years, provided you do routine cleaning and maintenance and regular blade replacement or sharpening. The clippers will likely last for at least ten years with proper care.

How do barbers clean their clippers?

The most common method used by barbers in cleaning their clippers is with the aid of a spray disinfectant. They use this disinfectant every after use of the clippers for a client. This is a more convenient and quick way of brushing away excess hair accumulated by the clipper. After that, they directly spray the disinfectant on the blades.

Conclusion

Hair clippers are not considered cheap investments. The reason is that some of the high-quality ones are kind of costly. Fortunately, it is all worth it as it can deliver excellent performance for a long-time provided you care for it well and do routine maintenance and cleaning.