Buying a paper shredder is a great thing to increase the security of your confidential documents. But it does not end there. You need to take care of your shredder and maintain it to extend its life span and work as it is supposed to. You don’t need to be afraid to clean paper shredder as it is pretty easy and straightforward. Just follow the steps below.
1. Disconnect the shredding machine from electricity
This is the first and most important step to protect your own safety. It prevents the device from starting during the maintenance. You already know it, however, as it applies to all other electronic devices too.
2. Take off the lid
This step is dependent on your specific shredder model/type. The goal is to separate the lid from the paper container (bin). Sometimes it is enough just to lift it up, but in other cases, you might need to unscrew it first. We recommend referring to an instruction manual for your shredder here to avoid unscrewing the wrong part of breaking the device by forcing it apart. You should not apply too much strength here!
3. Clean the paper bin
This step is easy as you have done it many times already. Just take the paper bin to the trash. You should also check here whether all documents have been properly destroyed (beyond readable). If that is not the case, you should review the manual and make sure you are using the machine properly. Or consider buying a more advanced shredder model (for example a micro-cut instead of a cross-cut shredder).
4. Clean the paper shredder
Finally, you got to the critical step of how to clean a paper shredder! Get rid of all shredded pieces which might get stuck in the blades. Then use a cloth to wipe the machine clean of all dust or any other marks. You might want to use wet cloths like cleaning wipes or just use a bit of dish soap and water – do not exaggerate here as you could damage the shredder electronics with too much water. After that make sure to clean everything dry or just wait for a few minutes.
Be careful when cleaning the blades – they are very sharp and could cut your fingers.
5. Assemble the shredder
Now everything is clean so you can just reverse step number two and put all parts back together. If you unscrewed anything you should put it back. Make sure all parts fit tightly together.
Plug the cable to electricity and test your machine.
If you do those five steps above regularly, you will keep your shredder in a good condition, extend its life which also means you save money, because you don’t need to buy a new one soon.
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