Old timer at the shop told me to stop using spray disinfectant on my clippers

I had this guy in his 60s come in for a cut about a month ago and we got to chatting about tools. He noticed I was hitting my clippers with that spray between clients and he straight up said "you are ruining your blades son, that spray just pushes the gunk deeper into the pivot." I kinda blew him off because everyone uses the spray right? But after a week I noticed my cordless Andis was starting to sound rough and pull hair more than usual. So I tried his way, took a small brush and some clipper oil, cleaned the blade by hand each time instead. Crazy how much smoother they run now and I have not had to change a blade in three weeks. Has anybody else had a veteran barber tell you something that went against what you learned in school but turned out better?

3 comments

3 Comments

lucashart16d ago

Bet your bottom dollar my barber pops told me the same thing about my Osters back in the day. He grabbed the spray bottle out my hand and said "you're just lubing up the hair and dust so it cakes into a paste inside the motor." Never looked back after switching to a dry brush and a drop of oil on the pivot and the edge every few cuts. The real kicker nobody mentions is that spray disinfectant dries out the blades too, makes the steel brittle over time, so you end up with chipped teeth way faster than just wiping them clean with a alcohol wipe or clippercide soak once a week.

gavin_kelly9115d ago

Took me years to learn that, @lucashart, same exact lesson the hard way with my own clippers.

ray80113d ago

Whoa that's a good point about the steel getting brittle, I never thought of that. Have you noticed any difference in how long a set of blades lasts since you switched to the dry brush method? Just wondering if the tradeoff is worth it for the extra cleaning time.