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Hair clippers or trimmers are a godsend to those who want to be able to perform their own grooming, but you will need to know how to clean beard trimmer. Clippers make haircuts faster – as a matter of fact it can truly save time and money when you are able to cut your own hair instead of having to go to the barbers’ each time. Manual shaving, though an art form, is a time-consuming act that sometimes has no place in the rush of the modern world. Trimmers then make shaving almost twice as fast, saving you time that you can then use to press that snooze button on that alarm, or to eat breakfast.
If you are here because you are finally interested in purchasing a clipper or trimmer for yourself, then you hit the motherlode. We’ve put together a thorough and clear guide on everything related to clippers and trimmers – from what they are, what to look for when you buy them, and how to clean beard trimmers and hair clippers. This in-depth guide will serve as your best friend as you look through all of the listings of products online.
Without further delay, let’s get right to the point!
What is a Hair Clipper/Trimmer?
In simple terms, a hair clipper or trimmer is a device that is used to cut or trim hair. In essence, it is an electric shaver. However, there are minute and subtle differences between clippers and trimmers. For one, clippers are used to cut longer hair. If you want a haircut – clippers are the way. If your beard is too long and you want to prepare it for manual shaving with a razor, then clippers are also the answer.
Trimmers, on the other hand, are used for closer shaves and finer details. Therefore, if your beard is already short enough, you can then use a trimmer to go in for a closer shave with no trace of a five o’clock shadow.
It’s worth noting that some companies and brands already do make products that can act as both a clipper and a trimmer. If you want to save time or don’t want to bother with having to shave manually after clipping, then you may want to look at one of these 2-in-1 devices to make your life easier!
It’s time for us to talk all about them so we can then discuss how to clean beard trimmer!
Parts of a Clipper/Trimmer
It’s always good to break something down and see how it works just to understand how it ticks. In this case, we’ve decided to break down the different parts of hair clippers and trimmers just to give you a better understanding as to how and why it works. That way if something stops working or begins to act differently, it can be easier to troubleshoot.
So here are the parts of clippers and trimmers:
- The blade is basically the most basic but the most integral part of any electric shaver, hair clipper, or hair trimmer. Without a blade, none of these devices would work. Blades come in different materials, often stainless steel, high carbon steel, or ceramic. They can be hypoallergenic, so if you have sensitive skin you may want to look for products that have this type of blades to avoid irritation. Blades are basically connected to your clipper or trimmer’s head. If you look closely at these blades you will notice that they have teeth to make it easier to cut large amounts of hair.
- The motor is essentially what runs your whole device. This motor is found inside of the clipper’s housing and is either a magnetic motor, a pivot motor, or a rotary motor. It’s very important to consider the type and power of motor in a clipper before you choose to purchase one, because they will pretty much dictate your device’s performance. Usually, rotary motors offer the best performance among all the other types we mentioned above.
- The housing is the physical case or cover that encapsulates everything that keeps your clipper running. It can be made of either metal or aluminum, depending on the product.
Additional Features
- Some trimmers may have some standard built-in levers to help you adjust the settings (in terms of length) of the blade. This allows you to choose what length you want to cut your hair at. Other devices may have detachable guards instead that will help you to change the length of the hair you cut. Levers are typically found on the type of clippers and trimmers that are used to bald, fade, blend, and taper hair.
- The cord is the main source of power for corded hair clippers. It’s ideal to find a clipper that has a really strong cord so that you can avoid any issues later on. If the device you have is wireless, then expect a battery and a dock (or a charger unit).
Different clippers may have different parts and features. For example, some products may have LED light indicators to show certain statuses (like malfunction). Other clippers may have displays that will tell you when the head needs to be cleaned or oiled. It honestly all depends on the product, the price point, and the design.
Accessories, on the other hand, usually come bundled with these devices in order to complete the package. Let’s take a quick look at them, shall we?
What Accessories Come with Clippers?
Before we can discuss how to clean beard trimmer, it’s best to know what some of the inclusions in your package are.
Any appliance or device that you purchase these days will never come on its own (unless you purchase second hand). Usually, a boxed package will contain different things, like accessories and the product manual. For clippers and trimmers, the accessories you will usually find are listed below.
- Guide or Attachment Combs are basically the small little attachments that you can put on the blade to get your desired haircut length. These combs have lengths that very from as short as 1/16” of an inch to about an inch long. Some products may come bundled with guide combs that are longer than an inch – perhaps up to 2 inches.
- Blade oil or lubricant is another thing that you will find in these packages. It’s important after all to provide care to your device so that the blades will remain sharp and the product itself lasts you a very long time. Hair trimmer oil plays an essential role in keeping your clipper’s blades in tip top shape.
- Trimmers and clippers are often bundled with a cleaning brush that you can use to brush all sorts of dust and debris off of the blades and the head. You don’t want any leftover hair and skin residue clogging up your trimmer’s head and dulling the blades in the long run!
- A blade guard is almost always included in order to protect the blades of your device when it is not in use. This makes sure that no dust can get in, and also makes sure that you cannot hurt yourself accidentally.
- Scissors or shears can also be bundled with these types of products as it is also an important part of cutting and trimming hair. For example – if the hair you want to cut is too long for the motors of your trimmers to handle, you can first trim with scissors and then go in with your device to more precisely get the results that you are trying to achieve.
- Capes and bibs are sometimes included in these packages so that you can prevent tiny cut hairs from sticking to your skin and your clothes. These are the same capes and bibs that salons use so that you don’t get that sticky, itchy and prickly feeling from hair sticking all over you.
- Carry cases and pouches can also be bundled with these devices. Sometimes premium products have some really nice hard carry cases to not just store but also protect your trimmer when it is not in use. Other products may come with drawstring pouches to help you store away your guide combs so they are not all over the place when you are not using them.
These are honestly just some of the accessories that come with hair clippers and trimmers. In the end it is up to the manufacturers what they want their products to come with. Your part as a consumer is to make sure you look at everything so that you know what you are getting in terms of value for your money!
Whew, now wasn’t that a ride? Now that we’ve discussed all of that and put all that information together, you should now know…
What to Look at/for When Purchasing a Hair Clipper/Trimmer
When you are looking to purchase a brand-new hair clipper or trimmer for yourself, often there are so many different options out there that it can get truly confusing and confounding. Wading through all of these different brands, models, and types of clippers can be a mess that is almost impossible to decipher. Don’t worry though, because we are here to help you to figure it all out!
When you start doing your research into trimmers, there are a few things that you can look at to help you decide which one is best. We’ve put together this list below that you can use as your “cheat sheet”:
- Reviews are the first thing anyone should be looking at when trying to purchase something these days. It truly is quite fortunate that we live in the age of the internet and it is now possible to look at what other people have experienced with the product and company that we are about to purchase from. Use this to your advantage and look at all the feedback that people have left about the product that you are looking to buy so that you can see whether it is worth your money or if it will be a dud in the end. After all, nobody wants to waste their money, right? And surely, you don’t want to either.
- The motor in any sort of shaving appliance is important. You need to take a look at it to see if it is capable of performing the tasks that you need it to. Will the motor in the clipper you are looking at be capable of cutting and trimming longer hair, or is it more of a product that should be used for shorter hair instead? You don’t want to purchase something without looking at the motor only to find out that you can’t do the things you want to with it!
- When you are looking at hair trimmers and clippers, one of the more important things you should look at is whether you want a wireless one or a wired one. If mobility and portability is important to you, then you may want to look into a wireless one. However, if you do get one that does have a battery, ensure that it either has a long-lasting battery (meaning a big battery capacity), or that it has a quick-charging feature built in. Otherwise, you may find yourself with a flat battery with half your beard shaved and five minutes left before you have to be out the door!
- Although not as important, sometimes it’s still good to look at the brand of the product you are trying to purchase. This is because some brands have better reputation than others – in terms of the quality of their product, or even in terms of their customer service and support. See if you can read some reviews about the brand you are looking to buy before you hit the “check out” button!
Additional Points to Consider
- In any purchase you make, the accessories are always something that you should take a look at. Additional accessories that come with any purchase add value to the whole package. Why should you purchase a package that comes with only the clipper itself when you can find the same unit including all sorts of accessories like blade guards, length guards, carry cases, capes and bibs, blade oils, scissors, combs, and more?
- The warranty of any electric or mechanical device is always something that you should look at before you purchase. After all, you don’t want your device to break down and for you to have no recourse because the seller or manufacturer has included no warranty. Look for a product that comes with a warranty that is at least for 1 year, with provisions for limited lifetime warranties. For example, there are some products that offer you a full year of your standard warranty, followed by a lifetime warranty (under limited terms – such as parts and service only) that is active provided you follow their guidelines of use.
- Last but not the least, don’t forget to check out the price of the product you are interested in buying. Establish a budget before you even begin to search for the right product for you, so that you can narrow down the list more easily!
How to Clean Beard Trimmer
Now that we’ve helped you with making a decision when it comes to purchasing a trimmer, it’s important that we also discuss how to maintain them. After all, if you invest in a hair clipper that is quite pricey, you would want to ensure that it would last you for years and years. If you want to have your device last you longer, then it’s important to perform regular maintenance on it so that the head does not get clogged, the motor does not overheat, the battery does not die, and so on.
So let’s take a look at how to clean beard trimmer or clippers shall we?
- It’s important that you know how to make adjustments to your device. Sometimes, if your clippers’ blades are not sitting right, you may need to adjust them so that they are in perfect position. A screwdriver is necessary to loosen screws (usually two of them) on the back of your clipper’s blade. Very gently, you can then wiggle the (very sharp, so be very careful) blade until it sits as it should. Tighten the screws until they are all the way down, but don’t force them in.
- Part of how to clean beard trimmer is cleaning your trimmer regularly. Tiny pieces of hair, debris, dead skin, and facial oils can all get stuck in between the blades. Over time, this can compromise the integrity of your blade and make it degrade and dull. To keep your blade in top condition, make sure that you brush any dirt and debris off regularly – ideally after every use.
Oiling Your Trimmer
- Another important step in maintaining your clippers is applying oil. Usually it is applied after any adjustments and cleaning is done. Three drops of oil is usually applied on the teeth of the head, and then one drop each is applied on each of the inside corners of the blade when it’s moving. Let the trimmer run and spread the oil through its own blade. Once sufficiently spread, wipe up any leftover oil. You should NOT have any visible oil left because this oil can then attract dirt and debris.
Now that you know how to clean beard trimmer, know that caring for your clippers and trimmers takes practically no time at all and should be done on a regular basis. In doing so, you should be able to keep your devices for years and years – especially if they are wireless devices that do not have a battery that can go flat.
Conclusion
We hope that all of these tips we’ve given will help you with your search for the perfect product out there, or with your care for your clipper. With all this information about how to clean beard trimmer and how to maintain hair clippers, we hope that you’ll be able to keep your device with you for many years to come!
Want some suggestions? Here are some cordless trimmers!