Using Shredder Oil to Improve Performance and Prolong the Life of Your Shredder

If you have a paper shredder, you're probably wondering what you need to do to maintain it. The good news is that you just need to oil it. Oiling a shredder is much like changing the oil in a car: it keeps the essential parts lubricated, cuts down on friction, and ensures that the device will run smoothly. If you've never oiled your shredder before, now's the time to start. Let's take a quick look at why it's important to oil your shredder and how to do it.

Every time you use your shredder it produces paper dust. As time goes on, the dust accumulates on the shredder's various parts (i.e. cutters, gears). This can make it more difficult to shred documents and it can start wearing on the parts. If you let things slide long enough, you can burn out the machine's motor. You'll then have to either repair or replace the machine, which can be expensive and inconvenient. Oiling your shredder will prevent this from happening.

It's very easy to oil your shredder. All you need to do is dribble some shredder oil on a piece of paper and run the sheet through your device. As the paper moves through the shredder, the oil will be evenly distributed, cutting down on paper dust and lubricating all of the right parts. You can then continue shredding if you want. You should oil a cross-cut shredder after a half hour of shredding. Strip-cut machines can be laminated after an hour of shredding.

A caveat: using shredder oil is mandatory. You should never use another type of oil. That means no motor oil, WD-40, olive oil, etc. If you use a different type of oil, you could damage your machine and possibly void the warranty. Shredder oil is inexpensive and easy to get, so be sure to stock up on it so you always have some on-hand.

That's all there is to oiling your paper shredder. If you start doing it on a regular basis, you'll get more use out of your machine so you can protect your private information for a long time to come. Happy shredding!