Welcome to the world of professional pet grooming! As a fledgling groomer, you are armed with your tools, your passion for animals, and an eagerness to learn. Now it's time to delve deeper into an essential aspect of your toolkit - the care and maintenance of your clipper blades.
The Five Pillars of Blade Care
Clipper blade maintenance can be distilled into five fundamental actions: lubrication, cleaning, disinfecting, cooling, and storage. Let's take a closer look at each one:
1. Lubricate
Lubrication is key to reducing friction, heat, and wear and tear on your blades, not to mention the strain on your clipper's motor. Keep your blades well-oiled by applying a few drops of oil in all the right spots, and then wiping away any excess. A product like the Groom Professional Clipper Oil is designed just for this purpose and will help prevent overheating and extend the life of your blades.
2. Clean
Hair and other debris from your furry clients can accumulate on the blade, hindering performance and absorbing that precious lubricating oil. Regular cleaning using a brush or a blast of air will help ensure your blade is always ready to perform at its best.
3. Disinfect
Build-up from coolant sprays, dander, and dirt can interfere with blade performance and even require grinding to remove if left unchecked. To avoid this, regularly apply a blade cleaning solution, such as the Groom Professional Klip Well Blade Wash, which helps to dissolve this build-up and keep your blades operating at peak efficiency.
4. Cool
Blades can get hot during use, which can dull them quickly and cause discomfort or even injury to the animal you're grooming. Having a backup set of blades allows you to swap them out and keep your clipping operations running smoothly. You can also cool down your blades using a coolant spray such as the Groom Professional 4 in 1 Clipper Spray, which cools, lubricates, cleans, and disinfects simultaneously.
5. Store
After a long day of grooming, your blades need a safe place to rest. All blades should be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, dried, and lubricated before being stored to prevent rusting. A blade case like the Groom Professional Heavy Duty Acryllic 8 Blade Box provides an ideal storage solution, protecting your blades from accidental damage and misalignment.
Blade Maintenance: Dos and Don'ts
Blade maintenance doesn't end with just cleaning and oiling. There are other factors that can affect your blade's performance, such as tension. If your blades are not cutting as they should, they may be blunt or improperly tensioned. Overly tight blades can overheat and put stress on the clipper motor, while loose blades may not cut correctly.
To extend the life of your blades, always try to groom a clean, well-brushed dog. Even a small amount of grit or dirt can blunt a blade quickly. Regularly oiling your blades (every 10-15 minutes during a clip) ensures they stay cool and sharp.
Professional sharpening should be considered when your blades start to pull or drag the coat, vibrate excessively, slow the clipper motor, or leave lines in the coat. During the sharpening process, any product build-up or rust will be removed, broken parts replaced, and the blade thoroughly cleaned and lubricated.
As a rule of thumb, keep these Dos and Don'ts in mind:
Dos:
- Regularly clean and maintain your blades.
- Keep blades lightly oiled and use coolant spray regularly.
- Use appropriate products to clean and cool your blades.
- Always groom and brush dogs before clipping them to extend the life of your blades.
- De-matt prior to clipping when possible.
- Get your blades sharpened professionally as required.
- Keep backup blades handy.
- Allocate different sets of blades for rough and finishing work.
Don’ts:
- Don't adjust the blade tension via the screw, leave it to a blade technician.
- Never attempt to take blades apart.
- Avoid over-oiling your blades and never oil the internals of the clipper such as the motor.
- Try not to drop or damage your blades, store them securely.
- Avoid using your blades on matted or dirty coats.
- Refrain from using your good set of blades for rough work or matted coats.
- Don't rely on a single blade for all your grooming needs.
Now that you've got the ins and outs of clipper blade care, you're well on your way to becoming a skilled and reliable groomer. Remember, the key to excellent grooming lies not just in your technique, but also in the care you show for your tools. Happy grooming!
