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Hair clippers being cleaned and oiled with a brush — how to clean and oil your hair clippers

How to Clean and Oil
Your Hair Clippers

Most "bad clippers" are just dirty clippers. Five minutes of maintenance restores the cut and doubles their life.

By Jessica Hamilton — Master Stylist & Creative Director

📚 Part of our Styling, Products & DIY guide hub: explore every related guide in one place.

If your clippers pull, snag, run hot, or leave patchy lines, the problem is almost never the motor. It's hair debris between the blades and a lack of oil. Clipper blades are two metal plates sliding against each other thousands of times a minute; without lubrication they dull and heat up fast. This routine takes five minutes.

The Routine (After Every Use)

  1. 1

    Unplug or remove the battery

    Never clean a live clipper.

  2. 2

    Brush out the debris

    Use the small brush that came with them and sweep hair out from between and behind the blades.

  3. 3

    Remove the blade if you can

    Most clippers let you unscrew or snap off the blade for a proper clean. Brush both faces.

  4. 4

    Apply clipper oil

    3–4 drops along the cutting teeth and one on each side rail, with the clipper running.

  5. 5

    Run for 10–20 seconds

    Lets the oil spread evenly between the blades.

  6. 6

    Wipe off the excess

    Excess oil attracts hair and turns to gunk. A quick wipe with a cloth is enough.

Use the Right Oil

  • Use proper clipper oil: it's a light mineral oil designed not to gum up.
  • Don't use cooking oil, WD-40, or motor oil, since they either gum the blades or strip them and cause rust.
  • Oil every use if you cut regularly; at minimum every few cuts.
  • Blade wash / cleaning spray is handy for a deeper clean but still needs oil afterwards.

Signs You've Left It Too Long

  • Pulling or snagging instead of cutting cleanly, the classic symptom.
  • Running hot against your skin.
  • Getting louder or sounding strained.
  • Leaving patchy lines in a fade (see patchy fade causes).
  • Visible rust or dark gunk: clean immediately, since rust may mean replacing the blade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How often should I oil my hair clippers?+
Every use if you cut regularly, or at minimum every few cuts. Clipper blades are two metal plates sliding against each other thousands of times a minute. Without oil they dull, heat up, and start pulling hair.
Q2: Why are my clippers pulling my hair?+
Almost always hair debris between the blades plus a lack of oil, not a motor problem. Brush the blades out thoroughly, apply 3-4 drops of clipper oil along the teeth while running, and wipe the excess. That fixes most pulling.
Q3: What oil should I use on clippers?+
Proper clipper oil: a light mineral oil designed not to gum up. Never use cooking oil, WD-40, or motor oil: they either gum the blades solid or strip the lubrication and cause rust.
Q4: How do I clean clipper blades properly?+
Unplug, brush out the hair debris from between and behind the blades, remove the blade if your model allows and brush both faces, then oil and run briefly to spread it. Wipe off excess so it doesn't attract hair and turn to gunk.
Q5: Can I use blade wash instead of oil?+
Blade wash is good for a deeper clean but it strips lubrication, so you must oil afterwards. Cleaning spray and oil do different jobs. The oil is what keeps the blades cutting and cool.

Related Haircut Guides

How to Buzz Cut Your Own Hair at Home (Step-by-Step 2026)Read the full guide →How to Fade Your Own Hair with Clippers (2026 Guide)Read the full guide →Clipper Guard Numbers ExplainedRead the full guide →

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