Dog Grooming Tool Maintenance 101: How to Extend the Life of Your Trimmer

Like clippers, trimmers are essential tools for your dog grooming business. Taking care of and regularly replacing your trimmer blades can only be beneficial, far outweighing the trouble of doing it both from a cost perspective and as a matter of efficiency. It can prolong their and the device’s lives, which allows them to stay sharper for longer and helps maintain correct blade tension, saving you time and money in the long run.

How Often Should You Replace Dog Trimmer Blades?

Trying to get through a busy day full of grooming appointments with dull blades can be immensely frustrating. It can affect your work in many ways leading you to not-so-impressive grooming results, and, therefore, lost time and money. Once you notice your trimmer blades dragging and snagging on hair, they’re already dull, underperforming and ready to be replaced, putting you under more pressure to get the perfect groom.

You can avoid such scenarios by finding a suitable trimmer blade on time, and replacing it before the one you’re using becomes blunt. However, knowing how often you should do that can be challenging. While the cutting edge of a dog blade is built to last anywhere from four to six weeks for professionals to an average of three to six months for at-home users, it depends on different factors. You can consider these to help you understand when’s the right time to replace your trimmer blades.

How Often Do You Use the Trimmer?

As a professional groomer, I’m sure you use your clippers daily for all-over coat clipping for more than one grooming appointment. However, I doubt that’s the case with mini trimmers, as we don’t use these as frequently as the clippers (and even if you use them as often, you trim only the face, head, tail and paws). You’re surely using them more often than a pet parent giving their fur baby an occasional trim, so you’ll need to replace the blade every few months.

How Do You Use the Blade?

How clean is the animal’s coat also affects how long your blade will last. Manufacturers recommend using your trimming devices on clean hair, as blades slide and work easily through the coat. However, in some instances, you’ll need to use them on dirty fur. Clippers and trimmers must work twice as hard to cut through the dirt and grime in those cases. Not only will clipping or trimming a clean, dry, and mat-free coat provide the greatest results, but it’s also better for your grooming tools. Certain groomers prefer cutting on damp hair, which, if not properly dried and oiled, can cause the blades to rust.

How to Maintain a Trimmer Blade So It Lasts Longer?

As mentioned before, trimming a clean, dry fur can help the dog blade last longer. But you can take five other steps as a part of your regular trimmer maintenance to keep your blades sharper for longer.

Lubricate to Prevent Friction

The motor of your clipper/trimmer and your blades’ wear and tear, heat, and friction can all be avoided with proper lubrication. Applying a few drops of oil to the appropriate areas and wiping away any excess can help keep your blades well-oiled. For this reason, products like professional clipper oils are made specifically to help avoid overheating and prolong the life of your blades.

Clean Thoroughly and Regularly

Your furry clients’ hair and other debris can build up on the blade, impairing operation and wasting valuable lubricating oil. Your blade will remain ready to function at its peak when you regularly clean it with a brush or air blaster.

Sanitise to Dissolve Buildup

If left uncontrolled, buildup from coolant sprays, dander, and dirt can affect the operation of the blade and possibly need to be ground away. Use a blade cleaning solution regularly to assist in dissolving this build-up and maintain your blades’ optimal performance to avoid this.

Cool to Prevent Overheating

A blade can easily get heated when used for a prolonged period, quickly dulling the blade and hurting the animal you’re grooming. You can replace worn-out blades and maintain efficient clipping operations by keeping an extra set on hand. Another option for cooling down your blades is to use a coolant spray, which lubricates, cleans, and disinfects all at once.

Store Properly

Finding a safe spot for your blades to rest besides maintaining them after a full day of appointments is essential. After you’ve cleaned, sanitised, lubricated and cooled your trimmer blade, it’s time to store it. A blade case offers the perfect storage solution while shielding your blades from mishaps and misalignment.

Correct Maintenance Saves You Money!

Investing in routine maintenance for your clipping and trimming tools and their attachments saves you money on expensive replacements. Your clippers will last you a long time and serve you well if you keep up with upkeep every time you groom your pets. Even while replacing the trimmer blades can cost you money occasionally, it’ll save you hundreds of dollars on expensive repairs or purchases, such as buying a new trimmer.