Caring For Your Barber Clippers:
The How-To Guide
We don’t have to tell you how much work goes into being a badass barber. You’ve invested your time and energy into all the necessary training, mentorship, practice, and certifications. You’ve honed your skills. You’ve created a brand that’s true to who you are.
But these big steps—as crucial as they are—won’t matter to your barbering success unless you’re doing the little, necessary things every single day. And yep, you guessed it, we’re talking about cleaning.
Look, we get it. Cleaning your shop, your equipment, and all of your tools is probably super annoying (especially when you could be spending that time making more money with someone in your chair). But cleaning is a must if you want to continue offering killer services, and that’s especially true when it comes to crucial tools like clippers.
Why? Well, for lots of reasons, actually—and yes, for more reasons than just “because we said so,” we promise we’re not channeling your days as a youth when someone forced you to clean your room for the heck of it.
The 5 Top Reasons Clean Clippers Matter
Your clipper cleanliness matters—why, you ask? Keep reading to learn more.
No. 1: Hygiene, Hygiene, Hygiene
No, this isn’t just a COVID thing—pros in the industry have always (and should always) care about immaculate hygiene. As a barber, it’s your job (and obligatory duty) to keep your clippers and other tools spotless and sanitized so you’re never putting anyone at risk of infection, disease, or honestly, anything yucky at all.
No. 2 Killer Results—Always
Avoiding proper care for your clippers is 100% going to lead to malfunctions, errors, and mess-ups. And you know what? That’s on you. Clean clippers plus your talent guarantee killer results.
Your skills might be able to navigate all kinds of hairy situations, but it’s absolutely certain they can’t protect you from an equipment malfunction. Clean your clippers well—your clients will thank you.
No. 3 Tool Longevity
Cleaning your tools is an absolute necessity if you want them to last. As a barber, you know that tools aren’t cheap. Hey, if you’ve got the resources to toss out your clippers every few uses—be our guest.
But if you’re a little more frugal than that, we highly recommend prioritizing a regular cleaning schedule to keep your tools working well for years to come.
No. 4 You Could Hurt Someone
All the buildup, oil, gunk, skin, and other gross stuff can actually lead to you hurting a client. Seriously! Keep your client safe by keeping your clippers as clean as possible.
No. 5 Because it’s GROSS Not To
OK, OK, we’re being a little blunt here, but c’mon y’all. Keep those dang clippers clean, all right? Filthy clippers are pretty gross and we guarantee you that your clients are bound to notice gunked-up clippers.
How to Clean & Care For Your Clippers: Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1: Unplug Clippers & Disconnect Them From Power
We don’t need to make the cleaning process any more painful—make sure you unplug the clippers first.
Step 2: Remove Attachments
Because attachments get super gross, too.
Step 3: Grab a Cleaning Brush, Dislodge Hair & Debris
Cleaning before sanitizing is so important—if you don’t dislodge the gunk, you’ll never be able to properly disinfect.
Step 4: Use Anti-Bacterial Clipper-Specific Spray to Clean Out Hair to Prevent Cross-Contamination
We recommend finding a spray that’s barber and clipper-approved—we don’t recommend using any old disinfectant you’ve got lying around.
Step 5: Let the Spray Sit for as Long as it Directs, Then Wipe Clean
Your clipper-specific spray should give you adequate directions—make sure you abide by them.
Step 6: Place Plastic Tools (Combs & Attachments) Into a Jar of Disinfectant
If you clean the clippers but neglect the attachments, you’re not solving any problem.
Step 7: Put Those Clean Clippers to Use
Those bad boys are clean, now put them to the test.
Step 8: Repeat the Process All Over Again
Every time you’ve got a client, you’ll want to repeat this process—otherwise, you risk cross-contamination!
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