If you don’t regularly maintain the blades of your dog clipper the blades can begin to dull, dirty and unable to carry out the job effectively to the point it can tangle more often and not be able to cut the hair at all. This is a handy guide for everyone who has recently purchased dog clippers from our site wants to take care of their prized possession.
Before you begin, check to see if your dog clippers already come with a maintenance and guide and if they do follow that. Second, do not wash your clipper blades with water as this can cause them to rust.
What you’re going to need:
- A soft bristle brush such as a toothbrush or some included in your kit
- A small bowl
- Blade washing solution
- Disinfectant spray
- Blade oil
You should aim to follow this guide after every use and not when the clippers look like they need a clean. Regular cleaning and maintenance can extend the life of your dog clippers significantly saving you hundreds of pounds over the years. Cleaning dog clippers shouldn’t take too long.
Step 1 – Brush the blades
Using the brush provided by the manufacturer (they really should have added it) wipe the blades as thoroughly as you can to get all of the excess hair from the blades. It seems tempting to just dip it into the water but this can lead to rust.
Be as thorough as you possibly can and take care to get into all the little nooks and crannies.
It is safe to wash the plastic attachments with water.
Step 2 – Dip the blades into blade washing solution
If you haven’t been provided with blade wash then they’re relatively cheap to buy and they can last you a long time if you don’t need to cut dog hair regularly. We recommend pouring enough blade wash into a small bowl so that the blades (still attached to the clipper) can be completely submerged but the solution does not get anywhere else.
You can spray it on if you wish but we don’t think it’s as effective as submerging.
Blade helps get rid of any hair left over after the brushing and any other pieces of dirt which have accumulated. If you purchase the above recommendation it can even disinfect the blades as it washes.
Once submerged, run the clippers for around 10 seconds.
Step 3 – Dry the blades
One cleaned, hold the dog clippers downwards so that excess washing liquid does not run into the motor.
Dry the blades by dabbing toilet paper or dry cloth. Rubbing the blades with a towel can leave bits of the towel or paper between the blades which means you may have to start again. Air drying can also be done but do not use a hair dryer as the heat can damage the clippers.
Step 4 – Oil the blades
Once completely dry, it’s time to lubricate the blades with proper blade oil before returning to its box. Only apply a light amount throughout and follow any guidelines states in the manufacturer’s guidebook.
If you didn’t get oil from your purchase then we recommend this one.
Conclusion
Maintaining your dog clippers is essential to ensuring it performs every time you use it. Not taking care of clippers will result in poor performance and potentially a rubbish experience for your dog with more painful tangles and a longer time needed to get the job done.
For a list of the best dog clippers click here.
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