Learning how to clean beard trimmer is important. The beard trimmer is the most important tool a man has in his grooming kit.
Whether you have a long and lustrous beard or a fine stubble at all times, your beard trimmer is your best friend.
For as much use as they get though, beard trimmers require a lot of cleaning and maintenance to keep them working their best.
How do you clean a beard trimmer, then?
Beard trimmers are surprisingly easy to clean, even for men who use them every day, as long as you commit to doing it regularly. A clean shaver trimmer ensures healthy and safe skin and keep you away from different skin diseases.
They should be stored correctly and cleaned before they’re put away, with most trimmers being sold with the tools you need to do this.
This is the lazy man’s guide on how to clean beard trimmer parts and attachments, and how to know when it’s time to replace them altogether.
With your trimmer clean, sharp and ready for action, your beard will be easy to maintain and the results will rival anything you could get at a professional barbershop. Beard trimmer maintenance is not a tough job at all. Let’s read through.
How To Clean Beard Trimmer – 3 Simple Steps
A beard trimmer is only as good as the man who uses it, which includes being responsible for keeping it clean.
Thankfully, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to clean a beard trimmer and you don’t need any special tools, so there’s no excuse why you shouldn’t be cleaning it regularly.
- Remove the blades from the trimmer base by unscrewing the two attaching screws. Take them apart and make a note of how they’re joined, so you can easily put them back together when you’re done.
- Use a toothbrush or wire brush with fine teeth to comb through the razor attachment. This will allow you to get rid of fine hairs, debris, oil, and anything else that’s built up into the moving parts.
- Now it’s time to cleaning the trimmer blade. Use blade cleaning products to remove the rust by soaking them in a solution for a few minutes and then scrubbing them again with your toothbrush. Repeat this step if necessary, and if the rust still doesn’t come loose, you may need to consider replacing the blade.
- Use a clean towel to wipe down all parts of the blade and trimmer so that you get rid of any left behind moisture and debris. Put the parts back together and screw them into place.
To keep your beard trimmer clean in between uses, you should brush out the hairs with a toothbrush and apply a disinfectant spray to the blade. Let it dry before storing it away, and this will make the deeper clean a little easier.
How to Sharpen Your Beard Trimmer
Beard trimmers are one of the most used accessories that men have, and with this regular use, they’re bound to get dull. Learning how to clean trimmer blades are relatively straightforward, but sharpening your trimmer blades can be a little trickier.
Although most modern electric trimmers come with an auto sharpening feature, that doesn’t mean they’re going to last forever.
A dull trimmer will result in uneven cuts, hair getting snagged in the blades and lots of pinches and scrapes that can lead to infection.
After you’ve finished giving your trimmers a clean, you should next sharpen the blades. This can be done once every few months or if you notice them feeling dull, with just a few easy steps.
- Remove the blade from the trimmers and hold it in your hand, or use a large, flat magnet to grip onto it safely.
- Run the blade over a coarse honing stone (around 4000 grit), sometimes referred to as a sharpening stone or whetstone, or a diamond sharpening stone if your blade is ceramic. Angle the blade at 45 degrees and push it forward along the stone no more than 10 times. Continue checking after each push that it’s even and getting shiny.
- Wipe off the metal grindings into a dry cloth and then turn it over to repeat on the other side.
- If the blade needs more sharpening, use an 8000 grit stone and follow the same procedure.
- Reassemble the parts and apply a few drops of hair clipper oil to the blades. If you don’t have any hair clipper oil specifically, use a light, penetrating oil instead.
- Run the hair clippers on their own for a few minutes to allow the oil to get into the newly sharpened blades.
Beard Trimmer Cleaner – Wet Shaver Hygiene Tips
The wet shaver is a popular choice because it gives the closeness of electric trimmers but with the ability to use them in the shower, saving time and mess.
This convenience can also lead to other issues though, so if you’re the lucky owner of a wet shaver you have to give it some TLC.
You should never leave it to sit in the shower on a shelf because the moisture builds up and causes grime and mold, so they should have all attachments removed and everything thoroughly dried before putting them away.
As these shavers are adept at getting the finer hairs as well as the coarse ones, you’ll have lots of small whiskers trapped inside the head.
Look into the foil clipper parts to remove the hairs and rinse them under hot water while brushing them with a toothbrush to make sure they’re all gone.
Also, there are several beard trimmer cleaners available in the market including oils and sprays that you may try to clean your trimmer as well.
Keeping Your Trimmer’s Accessories
We’re all guilty of getting a new pair of electric clippers, taking out the heads and attachments we’re used to, and letting the rest sit in the back of the cupboard somewhere.
This approach is lazy but something we’ve all done, but when it comes to cleaning your beard trimmer it could be costing you time.
Most electric beard trimmers come with handy cleaning supplies included that make it easy to get rid of the hair and ensure it’s running well.
Your kit will come with guards for the clippers, pining oil to keep it smooth, and a cleaning brush that lets you get in close to remove the finer hairs, so make sure you put them to good use.
The Importance of Storage
Cleaning is an important part of keeping your beard trimmers in good condition, but where and how you store them is also a crucial factor.
People assume that you can store your clippers just as you would a cheap razorblade, throwing it into the drawer with a bunch of other stuff and getting it out as needed, but this is not ideal.
To store electric trimmers and ensure you get the most life out of them, have a specialized place to keep them that’s out of the bathroom.
The bathroom is one of the highest moisture points in any house and it will cause instant rust and bacteria growth deep in the crevices of your favorite grooming tool.
Some trimmers come with a stand, but this should only be used as you let your trimmer dry after use and cleaning.
Leaving a trimmer on the stand in the bathroom won’t allow it to fully dry, so although it might seem convenient, it’ll significantly shorten the time you get to use your trimmers before they need replacing.
Related Questions
Electric trimmers are important tools for bearded and non-bearded men alike, and the easiest way to keep your facial hair in check.
For the basics of these essential grooming appliances, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions that men have about how to take care of them.
When Should I Replace My Electric Trimmer?
A beard trimmer can be used for as long as its effective, and in some cases, this will be up to five years and more.
Any sign that the trimmer no longer works, like reduced power or uneven cuts, should be examined and if it can’t be fixed by a thorough clean or replacing the blades, it may be time to upgrade.
Can I Get My Electric Trimmer Wet?
Unless you have a specific trimmer or shaver made for the water, you should not get this appliance wet.
Not only are they connected to electricity which makes water extremely dangerous, but the razor and other parts will rust and be useless if they’re exposed to excess moisture.
How to Sanitize Beard Trimmer
Simply you can sanitize your beard trimmer using alcohol in your home. Pour 1/4 inch of rubbing alcohol in a pot and after cleaning the debris and hair run the machine using fresh alcohol for 10-20 seconds.
Repeat the process 3-4 times and let your machine natural air dry after wiping it gently with a dry cloth.
Can I Use My Beard Trimmer on My Body?
A facial hair trimmer and body hair trimmer are usually separate products, each designed to tackle the type of hair that grows in different areas.
Using a beard trimmer on the pubic region, for example, can be dangerous as it doesn’t have as powerful of a motor, sharp enough blades, or the correct safety guard to keep that area protected.
