How To Clean A Paper Shredder
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01/13/2012 - Miscellaneous 

How To Clean A Paper Shredder

If you're like me & use your home/SOHO shredder at least once a week, you will find that over time, it tends to get a little sluggish & paper tends to get more jammed inside the shredder's cutting section.

Here is how I addressed this issue:

  • Ensure you empty the collection bin before it reaches the top.  Most newer shredders have a small window to see if the bin need to be emptied. If the pile of shredded paper does not reach the shredder's cutting section, it will be much less likely to jam.

  • Don't overwork your shredder. Give it some time to cool down between large shredding sessions. Most home shredders are not designed to be shredding papers continuously for hours on end. Failing to do this, may cause the shredder to shutdown due to thermal overload or it may simply burn out.

  • If you have a paper jam, run the shredder in reverse first.  Then run a sheet of slightly heavier weight of paper (I use light cardboard clothing boxes from holiday gifts), to help push out any stray pieces of paper that might be clogged inside.

  • Oil your shredder periodically, to keep it working in peek condition.  See our How To Oil A Paper Shredder write-up.

* WARNING: To avoid the loss of life, limb & fingers, NEVER insert anything other then paper into your paper shredder without first consulting your owners manual.  Also always UNPLUG your shredder before emptying the collection bin, or if you need to use tweezers/needle-nose pliers to clear a really bad jam from the shredder's cutting section.  Shredders can be very dangerous if left plugged in while you are trying to maintenance them. It's much better to be safe, then sorry...


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