How to Sharpen a Hair Trimmer

How to Sharpen a Hair Trimmer
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Cutting your hair with dull hair trimmers is no fun at all. Dull trimmers pull at the hair as it cuts, and can leave jagged, uneven lines in even the most carefully done haircut. While proper maintenance should be enough to keep hair clippers sharp, they may go dull from time to time. Keep your haircuts looking sharp by properly cleaning and sharpening hair them when they become dull.

Step 1

Remove the top blade by removing the screws that hold it in place. Use a small brush to remove all hair and dirt from the blade and wipe it clean with a soft cloth.

Step 2

Dust the inside of the blade with your soft cloth, taking care to remove all debris and hair from the assembly.

Step 3

Sharpen the blade with a sharpening stone. Do this in the same way that you would sharpen a knife, by rubbing the edge in one direction against the stone. It may only require a few swipes against the stone as most hair trimmers are designed to sharpen themselves and should function better once they are clean.

Step 4

Remove any rust from the blade with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. You may need to apply more pressure or scrub away rust on older hair clippers or those that have not been maintained in a long time. Continue to rub with the alcohol-soaked swab until it comes away clean.

Step 5

Reassemble the blade. Secure the blade by replacing the screws. Screw them in tightly to hold the blade firmly in place.

Step 6

Wipe down the outside of the blade assembly with alcohol to remove any remaining dirt or bacteria and store in a dry, clean place.

Tips and Warnings

  • Keeping your clippers clean and well-maintained should prevent you from having to sharpen hair trimmers.

Things You'll Need

  • Alcohol
  • Cotton swabs
  • Sharpening stone
  • Soft cloth

References

Article reviewed by Jessica Lyons Last updated on: Oct 6, 2010

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