Can You Use WD40 On Hair Clippers? (The Truth)
Wd-40, a great around the product. It’s versatile and can be used in many situations.
However, can you use WD40 on hair clippers?
Is it the at-home product that can easily take care of all your clipper problems? Or will ruin your clippers without you realizing it.
Well, in this article we’ll cover just that, so take a look at the table of contents to let’s begin.
Can You Use WD40 On Hair Clippers?
Asking yourself, can I use wd40 on hair clippers? Here, is a very quick answer:
Prolonged use of the product can cause damage to hair clippers.
Coming from the official WD40 website, this is how they describe Wd40:
WD-40 Multi-Use Product protects metal from rust and corrosion, penetrates stuck parts, displaces moisture, and lubricates almost anything.
WD-40 website
From this, indeed it’s great on hair clippers long term, right?
Wrong.
As you can see, Wd can be versatile and can have a lot of great in-world uses, however, It isn’t:
- Produced specifically for hair clippers
- It doesn’t excel in any one it its benefits when used.
And sadly there are other products that are better tailored to hair clippers specifically and ones that have a specific purpose that will work a lot better on your clippers.
I will talk more about that later.
However, Wd- 40 does have its benefits if you know what you want from it, but to get it you must understand the product as a whole.
We go through that next.
What is WD40 made out of?
WD40 claims to be a lubricant and from its formula, some ingredients suggest it is. The ingredients goes as so:
50–60% naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated heavy. <25% petroleum base oils. <10% naphtha (petroleum), hydrodesulfurized heavy (contains: 1,2,4-trimethyl benzene, 1,3,5-trimethyl benzene, xylene, mixed isomers) 2–4% carbon dioxide.
Wiki
The wd40 formula is made of petroleum-based oil. Mineral oil (petroleum oil) is the main ingredient in most hair clipper oils and provides great lubrication.
However, while there are petroleum-based ingredients in the DW40 formula, they aren’t specific for lubrication.
The blend of ingredients leans more toward making WD40 a great moisture remover than a good lubricant or blade cleaner.
Wd40 is great at displacing water from metal.
Wd40 uses a non-ionic sufficient to unstick water from metal, and the oils within the formula replace the water.
This makes sense as (WD40), literally stands for:
This is great for hair clipper blades.
No water on your clipper blades reduces the chance of watering your blades oxidizing to produce rust.
If you do look to use Wd40 on your hair clipper, this should be the sole reason and with this, it should only be used sparingly as it does have unpleasant smells.
The other benefits WD40 is marketed on aren’t the strongest when applied on hair clippers. One of them is Lubrication. I talk more below.
Can You Use Wd 40 on Hair Clippers As A Lubricant?
As I mentioned above, Wd40 does have some lubricating oils within its formula, but it isn’t targeted.
If you plan on using WD40 on your hair clippers just for its ‘lubricating properties’, don’t.
Wd40 as a hair clipper lubricant is a below-average lubricant a best and the baggage it comes with is not ideal for hair clippers.
Wd40 has a slight gasoline scent. If you use it as an oil, as in applying it every 2-3 uses, your clippers smell. overtime the stench will grow stronger and stay on your blades.
I don’t think this smell is something you want in your hair or your clients.
To add to this, the lubricating effect of wd40 is short-lived as the oils evaporate quickly but the other ingredients stay.
These ingredients can thicken over time in hot temperatures. It isn’t a hair-clipper oil, so it doesn’t enter and leave your blades quickly.
Wd40 can stay in your blades/clippers, thickening and attracting dirt and debris.
Repeated use for the sake of ‘oiling’ just adds fuel to the fire, and eventually, your clippers may become so gummed up that they stop working.
You must understand that WD40 is made for things like gears, threads, and hinges not specifically for hair clippers.
So if you’re using wd40 to lubricate your blades, you won’t be benefiting greatly.
Look for solid hair clipper oil that provides deep lubrication for your blades or check out some quick clipper oil substitutes.
But below are my top hair clipper oil recommendations. Opt-in for one while in stock and at the best price.
I talk more about this in my best hair clipper oil guide.
3-in-1 oil for hair clippers
The last benefit of wd40 is its cleaning properties. Wd40 when used on metals alone can clean well.
In fact, it’s one of the best products for this task in the market.
The formula is crafted to get underneath dirt and take it away just as it does with water.
This feature does cross over to hair clippers too.
If you intend to use Wd40 to clean your blades, on initial use you will see the benefits.
The WD40 spray is great at targeting micro-hairs within your clippers. The formula, will get underneath the debris within your blades and swiftly remove them.
That’s great when done a few times. After that, you’re just putting your clippers your risk.
That’s because when cleaning your blades with wd40 you spray a lot of the formula not only onto your blades but inside your clippers.
As I said before, it doesn’t just simply leave afterward, it just stays as it isn’t made with hair mechanics in mind.
But that can be such a pain, especially if you frequently your clippers a lot. That’s why I recommend you use a 3-in-1 solution that you can actively use on the go.
That would be the Andis cool care formula.
This product is the hair-clipper version of wd40. As you cut hair, you can use cool care to easily spray down your blade to clean and sanitize them.
Andis Cool Care cleans your blades for hair and due to it being tailor-made for hair clippers, it’s more petroleum oil-focused. After you spray your clippers, it works on your blades by cleaning, sterilizing, and protecting them from moisture.
Then the formula leaves your clippers without damaging them in the long run.
You can relax knowing your blades are getting being taken care of.
Place the spray a foot (30cm) away from your blades, and spray the front and back to remove hair and lubricate. Wipe away any excess and your good to go.
Cool Care is the WD40 specifically for hair clippers. But if you’re looking for another 3 or 5 in 1 alternative for your hair clippers check out my top picks below. I cover my reasoning in my best clipper disinfectant article.
Andis Cool Care Best OVERALL
Clippercide Spray DEEP CLEANER
H-42 Barber Spray Best Solution Based spray
Conclusion
In this article we answered the question, can you use wd40 on hair clippers?
We understand that wd40 is great at displacing water which helps to prevent rust. Also, its cleaning properties are good when it comes to removing micro hairs from blades.
However, we also realized that wd40 lubricating properties are not great, and when constantly used for cleaning and oiling, it can damage your hair clippers in the long term.
Hair clipper oil and blade care are best when looking to oil and clean your blades.
If you found this article helpful, please comment on your experience and check out other articles on this topic below.
FAQ – Can You Use WD40 on Clippers
Wd-40 has low oral toxicity however it is an aspiration hazard. If some amounts are swallowed it may cause slight irritation to the mouth and throat. More severe effects coils are vomiting, nausea, dizziness, and drowsiness. In this case, seek medical attention.
You should always look to use petroleum-based mineral oil to lubricate hair clippers. More specifically white mineral oil. This oil is found in most common hair clipper oil brands and they provide deep lubrication for your clippers.
Yes, 3-in-1 oil can be used on wahl clippers. 3-in-1 oil for hair clippers works to oil, clean, and protect your blades without leaving any ingredients harmful to your wahl clippers.
