How To Clean An Electric Shaver – Step By Step Guide for Beginners’

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How Often Do You Clean Your New Electric Shaver?

If your electric shaver stopped working, it could be because it has battery or power problems or needs a good cleaning. Warm tap water and a block of liquid soap are enough to do the job.

But here are a few things to consider:

  • Is the electric shaver watertight?
  • Is it a foil shaver or a rotary shaver?
  • Is it a self-cleaning shaver?

Electric shavers that are sealed to be waterproof can be washed with running water from a tap to keep them germ-free and spotless. However, if your vintage razor cannot use water and soap, you can dry clean it instead.

Self-cleaning electric shavers come with an automatic cleaning dock but you must regulate the number of times the dock cleans the shaver to improve durability. Foil and rotary shavers have different cleaning processes because they have different parts.

While a foil shaver has blades that work behind the metal foils, rotary shavers have wheels and blades in them.

Why Do You Need to Clean Your Electric Shaver?

Keeping your shaver clean and in its best condition enhances your device’s life and improves its trimming ability. On top of that, replacement blades are quite costly, that is, if your device’s model allows you to do so.

Besides, you do not want all the time you spend looking for the best electric razor to go to waste if the cutting head stops working too soon.

Different Ways to Clean Your Electric Shaver

As mentioned above, different shavers follow different cleaning methods depending on the type of shaver, as well as the parts of the shaver that need to be disassembled. Rotary shavers, for example, need more detailed cleaning apart from the standard routine that foil shavers follow.

Before you start cleaning, ensure you have a cleaning brush, warm water, liquid soap, an alcohol-based solution, or a special cleaning agent as per the manufacturer’s instruction or a spray cleaner.

Different ways to clean include regular light cleaning, top-notch deep cleaning, and spray cleaning, as well as how to ensure that self-cleaning shavers stay clean.

Regular Light Cleaning

To keep your electric razor functioning at optimum performance, cleaning your shaver regularly puts it in the right condition for future use. Waiting for days or weeks before you clean your shaver is not the way to go.

In addition, the number of times you will need to clean your shaver will depend on the frequency of growth of your facial hair. The more often you shave, the more often your device will require cleaning.

Using a cleaning brush is the easiest way of regularly light cleaning your foil or rotary shaver to ensure that it stays sterile.

When using a cleaning brush. Do the following:

  1. Turn the power off to ensure no power goes to the razor. To be safe, you may want to disconnect the shaver from the power outlet entirely in case you accidentally turn it on while cleaning it.
  2. Detach the blades or the cutting head by pulling it straight off the frame or pressing a small fastener on the front or back of the head.
  3. After detaching the cutting head, tap the blades against the edge of your countertop to remove the hair clippings, skin particles, and dust that have accumulated both on the inside and on the outside of the cutting blades.
  4. Take your stiff-bristled cleaning brush and gently brush off all the hair clippings and the other loose matter on the cutting head. Most electric shavers come with a small cleaning brush, but if your shaver did not come with one, you could get one at your local pharmacy.
  5. If your electric shaver is waterproof, you can run its cutting head under the tap before drying it carefully with a towel.
  6. Once you finish brushing off as much dirt as you can, put the cutting blades back into place, and make an effort to clean your cutting blades every time you shave.

Using a cleaning brush to clean shavers works best for electric shavers that are not waterproof.

Topnotch Deep Cleaning

For rotary electric shavers, the steps to follow include the following:

  1. Ensure that the shaver is turned off or not connected to the power source.
  2. Use your small cleaning brush to brush over all the parts of the shaver connected to the cutting head, including the frame.
  3. Detach all the other parts of the electric shaver that can be dismantled. You can check your manual on removing the parts if you have trouble doing it.
  4. Use a cleaning brush, warm water, and liquid soap to wash your shaver’s parts. Alternatively, you could use special cleaning solutions instead of using warm water.
  5. Once you have cleaned all the parts, you can rinse the detached parts in clean hot water.
  6. Use a dry towel to dry the units before allowing them to air dry.
  7. After the disassembled units are dry, put the parts back together and return to using your shaver as usual.

Cleaning a rotary shaver can take some time because it involves cleaning each shaving head and not mixing the blades and combs. After all, they are matching pairs. Mixing the pairs will slow the device’s performance and cause the units to wear out faster.

Deep cleaning foil electric shavers involve the following process:

  1. Turn the razor off and tap it gently against your sink or use a small brush to remove the bulk of facial hairs stuck on the cutting head.
  2. Use warm water and liquid soap to brush over the foils or combs gently. Otherwise, turn the shaver on and allow it to run for 10 seconds so the soap can lather and coat the foils and the shaving head.
  3. After 10 seconds, rinse the shaving head generously under the faucet with warm water with the shaver still running.
  4. Once the foam, skin, and hair debris have been removed, switch off the shaver, remove the cutting head, and rinse the parts thoroughly.
  5. Dry the excess water with a clean cloth and leave the parts out to air dry completely.

If you store your shaver with water droplets trapped inside the cutting head, the device will develop a strange smell over time.

Use a Spray Cleaner

Cleaning your electric shaver with a spray cleaner is a good way to keep the bacteria out and leave the cutting head in great condition.

When buying a spray cleaner:

  • Find an alcohol-based solution that will guarantee a sanitized cleaning each time
  • Look for a scented spray that will leave your shaver with a fresh and pleasant scent
  • Buy a lubrication spray to keep the shaving heads safe and smooth
  • Choose the type of spray that works well for your skin

Steps to Using a Spray Cleaner Include;

  • Removing the batteries from your electric shaver or ensuring that it is not connected to the power supply
  • Making certain that the device is completely dry and brush off excess hairs trapped in the blades
  • Remove the rotary blades for rotary shavers and foils for foil shavers before you start cleaning
  • Put out a piece of paper towel and spread out the blades or foils on the towel
  • Hold your spray cleaner a few inches away and spray for about five to ten seconds
  • Turn the pieces over and spray the units again
  • Allow the disassembled parts to air dry, or dry with a clean cloth if necessary
  • Avoid reinserting the cutting heads or foils if the units are still damp after cleaning them

While many types of spray cleaners are available in the market, choose the ones that are affordable and sufficient to sanitize your electric shaver every time you spray clean.

Using Self-Cleaning Shavers

Self-cleaning electric shavers are upscale devices with a cleaning dock that cleans and lubricates the shaving heads. Structurally, self-cleaning shavers are encased in a casing that contains cleaning fluid and gets into action once it detects the bulk of hair and dirt.

To maintain quality, run your device to clean at most once a week while you do manual cleaning the rest of the time when required.

Steps to Using Your Self-Cleaning Electric Shaver Are as Follows:

  • Flip the cleaning dock power switch on and wait for the indicator light to show
  • Place the shaver into the cleaning dock headfirst. You will hear a click sound or see a separate light that will indicate that you have attached the shaver successfully
  • Find and press the button that activates the cleaning cycle – select your preferred cleaning option from the several cleaning options advanced units may have
  • Wait for the cleaning to be complete, then remove the shaver from the dock and brush off any hairs remaining on the outside of the shaver
  • Put back the protective casing and store the device in a clean, dry place for future use

How to Maintain Your Electric Shaver

So, you are game to keep your electric shaver clean. That is great! The next step is to make sure that your shaver stays in good condition as you enjoy pleasant shaving experiences together.

How often should you clean your electric shaver?

Do not wait for two to three shaves before cleaning it. Instead, try starting a routine of cleaning your electric razor at least once a week.

You can dry clean it after every shave, before spray cleaning it or deep cleaning it at the end of the week. Either way, observe and stick to a consistent cleaning routine.

How often should you replace the shaver’s cutting blades?

Get new blades every 18-24 months. In about two years, you will have shaved more hair than is equivalent to the amount of grass on a football field, so you know where we are headed with this point.

How often should you charge the battery on your device?

Just like other electronic devices, charge your electric shaver only when you need to and as directed by the instructions in the user manual.

Nevertheless, do not always leave your shaver plugged in to avoid overheating that comes with overcharging. Likewise, do not let your device’s battery drain fully to prevent it from being too low to power a proper shave.

When should you use lubrication?

Apply some oil on the shaving heads before trimming your facial hair. Lubrication reduces the heat and friction on the cutting head and rollers and makes the moving parts function less stressfully.

It is imperative to use the right type of oil with a good level of thickness that can effectively reduce the friction building up inside your electric shaver.

Why should you use a protective case for safety?

A protective case is a good way to store your shaver when you’re not using it. More importantly, the case gives protection when your device drops or falls off the countertop.

Summary and Conclusion

In summary, caring for your electric razor requires a lot of obligation on your part, especially if you want to avoid the extra costs of purchasing electric shavers when they stop working.

The cleaning methods described in the article are the general procedures you can use on your electric shaver to guarantee the best performance. Following these cleaning processes once every often will inevitably lengthen the durability of your shaver.

Although electric shavers may differ between types, you will not go wrong with following these basic steps provided above. Moreover, a well-sanitized and lubricated shave will keep the razor bumps out and give your face a well-maintained look.

So, styling your facial hair does not have to come with nicks and cuts. If you put the lessons on cleaning your electric shaver into practice, you’ll enjoy the special yet defining moments in front of the mirror.

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