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How To Clean Clippers (Say Goodbye to Dirty Clippers)

Patrick Boulang

December 16, 2023

Knowing how to clean clippers can save you a lot of headaches.

In this article, we will go through the process of correctly cleaning your clipper blades, (And I will also provide you with some tips to get the full process right)

So with that said, let’s get into it. 

How To Clean Clippers

Quick Guide:

This is a brief guide on how to clean clippers. 

but there are so many other ways to clean your hair clippers. (Some with products specifically made for clippers) 

In the rest of this article, you’ll learn the importance and all the other methods in this process. 

So with that said, let’s begin.

Cleaning Hair Clippers - The Importance  

You must clean your clippers. 

Here are some of the main reasons why you must clean. 

Prevent the spread of bacteria

Hair clippers come into contact with hair, skin, and other bodily fluids during haircuts. 

I get to come in contact with the wrong types of debris, they can become a breeding ground for bacteria and infections.

Something I’m sure you want to avoid. 

If your clippers are left uncleaned, these bacteria and infections can be passed on to other clients, leading to things such as: 

Or more serious infections like:

Regular cleaning of hair clippers can help prevent the spread of such infections.

To maintain the Clippers' performance and longevity:

Uncleared clippers can become clogged with hair, dirt, and other debris. 

You could find yourself looking for clippers sooner than you would’ve hoped.

Regular cleaning of hair clippers can help maintain their performance and extend their lifespan.

To provide a hygienic experience for clients

Clean hair clippers are an important aspect of providing a hygienic experience for clients.

For the sake of your business and brand or yourself, you must keep those blades clean.  

Now we know the importance of cleaning clippers, what’s the best way to do it? 

How To Clean Hair Clippers

There are many ways you can clean your hair clippers but the two main stages of cleaning your clippers are:

Active cleaning

This type of cleaning is frequent as you use your clippers.

If you are a barber, you should be using this form or cleaning/disinfecting after every haircut. 

It keeps your blades well-sanitized and lubricated to maximize their performance. 

For this, you only need one product and that would be a cooling, disinfectant spray. 

Below are some of the best hair clipper cleaners at their best price.

Andis Cool Care Best OVERALL

Andis Disinfectant Spray is a fast-acting and effective solution for disinfecting hair clippers, while also lubricating and cooling the blades for optimal performance.

Get best price Read Full Review

Limited Stock

0.4

Clippercide Spray DEEP CLEANER

A 5-in-1 formula that disinfects, lubricates, cleans, cools, and protects your trimmer blades plus Kills up to 99.9% of germs.

get best price Read Full Review

H-42 Barber Spray Best Solution Based spray

H-42 Disinfectant Spray is a hospital-grade disinfectant that effectively kills germs and bacteria on hair clippers and surfaces, making it an ideal choice for professional barbers and salons.

get best price Read Full Review

Simply hold each one arm's length away and spray down your blades before you carry on with your cuts. 

This video shows you how simple the process is: 

You don’t have to be a barber to use an all-in-one spray if you use your clippers by yourself, you can use one for the blade on cleaning

I go through this next.

Post-cleaning blade cleaning

While active cleaning is great to clean quickly clean your clippers quickly, they spent removing the mico-hairs trapped just behind the blade teeth. 

For this task, you’ll need a cleaning solution. 

They deeply clean your blades and remove micro hairs trapped and you can visibly see this happen while you use your clippers. 

They are some of the best cleaning solutions, specially made for clippers 

How to clean clippers with Barbicide

I would suggest you partner the Andis Cool Care spray with the Cool Care Blade solution.

Use both to maximize the cleanliness of your clippers. 

step 1: spray down

Follow the previous steps above and use the Andis Cool Care to clean and sterilize your hair clippers quickly.

Step 2:

Once you’ve sprayed down your blades with the ASndis cool care, you can start using the blade care. 

Partially fill the lid of the Andis blade care tub with the blade care formula (enough to cover both blades as I  previously told you at the start of this article.)

Step 3:

Now just as we did with the rubbing alcohol, place your blades in the blade care solution and turn your hair clippers on.

Allow your clippers to run in the solution for 10-20 seconds and watch the micro hairs leave your clipper's teeth

Step 4:

After you are satisfied with how clean your blades are, take out your clippers and wipe away any excess blade care solution.

Now take the blade care solution place it in a container and dispose of it.

Step 5:

Now you need to oil your hair clippers.

WAHL HAIR CLIPPER OIL Best overall

Wahl Hair Clipper Oil is a premium lubricant that helps to maintain the longevity and performance of hair clippers, while also preventing rust and corrosion.

gET BEST PRICE Read Full Review

Limited Stock

ANDIS HAIR CLIPPER OIL Rust prevention

ANDIS HAIR CLIPPER OIL: a high-quality lubricant that stays on blades longer and prevents rust and corrosion. Keep your clippers sharp and smooth.

GET BEST PRICE Read Full Review

OSTER HAIR CLIPPER OIL Quick spreading

Oster hair clipper oil: a fast-spreading, long-lasting, and effective oil that lubricates and protects your blades

Get Best Price Read Full Review

But if you have an alternative like

• Baby oil 
• Mineral oil 
• Gun oil 

You can temporarily use these too. 

With your hair clippers in hand place 3 drops of hair clipper oil along the front cutting rail and 2 on the side. 

Do this whole process at the end of the work day to keep your clippers clean and ready for the next day of work. 

If you use your clippers personally, just do it after you cut your hair. 

Deep cleaning with blades off 

Now, this is the last type of cleaning and it’s dome to get deep within your clippers to remove hair and dirt. 

As you use your clippers a lot of things can be swept into your clippers and if left unchecked, they can stay there, and slowly kill your clippers. 

I mean, look at what your clippers could be holding: 

What you want to do is get in there and remove all types of dirt. 

I will also teach you how to clean clipper blades with this process too

Here’s how to do so: 

For this cleaning process, you will need: Distilled white vinegar

Detach hair clippers. ( keep screws and bolts in a safe place they will be needed later).

You will notice two blades, the first blade is the front cutting rail blade remove that first. Then you will be met with the top cutting blade, remove this next.

Step 2: Place

Take both blades and place them in a plastic tub.

Step 3: Vinegar

Pour the correct vinegar into a flat plastic tub. 

It should be enough to cover both the teeth of the top cutting blade and the front rail blade.

Step 3: Clean

Let them sit in the vinegar for 1-2 minutes to allow the vinegar to get underneath the dirt on your blades. 

After this time has passed remove your blades from the solution and solution and pat them down with a cloth. 

If you notice any extra hidden dirt on your blades using a cloth, dip it into vinegar again for a few more minutes then scrub down with or cloth or soft brush.

Now quickly run your blades underneath the water and dry them thoroughly. 

Although they may be stainless steel blades, you still don’t want any moisture to remain on your blades. 

Afterward, let them sit and dry off. 

Step 4: Inside

If your clippers do look like this:

Using a hard bristle brush or toothpick, get to cleaning inside your hair clippers. 

Use a toothpick or a hard bristle brush to get inside your clippers and pick out all of the clogged dirt and hair. 

These bits must be removed. 

It has to be a manual process, do not put water or vinegar inside your clippers!

Step 7: Re-attach

Once both your blades and your clipper are clean, you can re-attach your blades back onto your clippers.

Put your clipper blades back onto the setter.

Then palace your front rail blade on top making sure the holes for both line screws line up

Now, individually put your screws back into the hole gap, and using your screwdriver, screw your blades back together but not fully as you have to make sure the alignment is correct.

Step 8: Align

Try to make sure the first tooth of the clipper is lined up with the second tooth of the front cutting rail and the last tooth of the front cutting blade is just on the inside of the last tooth of the front cutting rail. 

Move the front cutting rail to make these adjustments, not the top cutting blade. 

Make sure the top cutter is also as straight as possible.

When done, Screw your blades firmly back together.

Step 9: Oil

Once your blades are put back together, use hair clipper oil. Apply oil

You should do this every month or so if you use your clippers personally.

If you're a barber, do this every week or fornite to keep your performance high.

Now, that you have the framework down for clipper cleaning, you should Learn how to do it anywhere, even at home. 

In the next few process, I’ll walk you through the different ways you can clean your clippers at home.

How to clean clipper blades at home

You can clean your clippers at home in many ways

I have made guides on how to clean rusty hair clipped with vinegar. 

Also, I have made a guide on how to clean your clippers with 3% hydrogen peroxide and a guide on how to clean your clippers with vinegar. 

Below I’ll show you how to clean your clippers with alcohol. 

Alcohol is great at killing bacteria and keeps your blades safe for use. 

You will need rubbing alcohol, a bowl, and a brush

Step 1: Off

Turn your hair clippers off.

Step 2: Brush

Using a hard bristle brush, brush off any hair/ debris on the cutting of your blades. 

Step 3: Submerge

Place some rubbing alcohol in a container, enough to slightly submerge both blades

Step 4: Place

Place your clippers into the rubbing alcohol and turn them.

Allow your clippers to run for 10-20 seconds or until most hair and debris have left your clippers.

Step 5: Remove

Remove your hair clippers from the rubbing alcohol and wipe them down with a cloth. 

How to clean Hair clippers with water

I advise against cleaning your hair clippers with water. 

Yes, it can be done but if you've done it properly, you could leave water in your clippers.

The water could oxidize with oxygen and if your clipper blades aren’t made from stainless steel, they will rust. 

And even if they are, running the risk isn’t worth it.

However, there is an alternative you could use and that's cleaning your clippers with wd-40

This is the best use case for WD-40.

This video best shows how to best use wd-40 

Now don’t overdo it with this method, stick to the product made for hair clippers. 

Nevertheless, it is a decent alternative. 

Conclusion 

In this article, we went over how to clean clippers.

Thai can be done by:

• Alcohol 
• Hydrogen peroxide 
• Wd40 

But the best method would be to use: 

• An all-in-one cleaning spray 
• Clipper blade solution 

If you’ve found this article helpful, please check out other articles on this topic below.