Caring for Your School Laminator

One of the best things about owning a school laminator is that they're very easy to maintain. All you really need to do is clean your machine's rollers on a regular basis to get rid of any adhesive build-up. Cleaning the rollers is easy but you need to do it in a certain way. Here are a few things to keep in mind to get you started:

1. Keep sharp and pointed objects away from your laminator at all times. There simply aren't any reasons to use sharp items near your laminator. If you do, you could damage the rollers which can make the machine useless and necessitate the purchase of a new device.
2. Try to clean your laminator's rollers as soon as you notice any adhesive build-up. It will make removing the adhesive much easier. Also, keep the rollers moving slowly while cleaning them.
3. Whatever you do, don't laminate glitter, sticks, plastic, wood, etc. If you try laminating textured and/or three-dimensional items, you'll end up ruining your laminator.

Now, here's how you clean your school laminator's rollers:

1. Remove the rolls of laminating film. Since it can be difficult to reload the rolls, you might want to clean the rollers when you run out of laminating film.
2. Give the laminator some time to heat up. You'll know that the machine has warmed up when the ready light goes on. Once the machine is heated up, be careful so you don't burn yourself.
3. Scrub the rollers with a 3M Scotch-Brite pad. (Don't use a metal pad – it will damage the rollers.) The rollers should be moving very slowly while you do this. Be prepared to spend a bit of time scrubbing away the adhesive. It can take a bit of time so it helps to be patient. Also, you might need to move the heat shield to access the rollers.
4. When you've completely cleaned the rollers, go ahead and equip the machine with new laminating film. You'll then be ready to laminate more documents.

You need to clean your school laminator's rollers on a regular basis but the schedule will be dictated by how often you use the machine. But, as a general rule, it's helpful to do so every three to six months. Be on the lookout for adhesive build-up and start scrubbing if you notice any. This will help you maintain your school laminator so you can get a lot of use out of it. Good luck!

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Written by Jeff McRitchie
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