How to Take Care of Paper Shredders
Shredding papers and documents before they are thrown away is one of the best ways to protect your personal information. These days, paper shredders are available in small sizes for home use, as well as larger ones. Knowing how to care for your paper shredder will help it to last and perform as it should.
Materials needed to care for your paper shredder:
- Clean cloths for dusting
- Shredder oil
Paper shredder care instructions:
- Turn off and unplug your paper shredder while you are cleaning it.
- Mix a small amount of dish soap and water in a bowl, or if you prefer, you can use plain white vinegar.
- Dip a clean cloth in the bowl holding the soap and water. Wring the cloth out until it is almost dry. If you are using vinegar, pour a bit onto the cloth you are using.
- Wipe down the paper shredder. Lift and clean inside of the lid as well. You want to remove dust and any smudges that you see.
- Use shredder oil to oil the shredder. It is important to use the correct oil; do not use cooking oil or WD-40. Oiling is one of the most important maintenance jobs to do for your shredder. How often you oil depends on how much you use the shredder. You should oil between every half hour to an hour of use.
- Put shredder oil on a piece of paper. You do not have to get the paper soaked; just a small amount will do. Get oil across the length of the paper. Put the paper through the shredder to distribute oil.
- Run the shredder in reverse for a few seconds to help disperse the oil more.
- Run a couple of pieces paper through the shredder to soak up any extra oil.