Shredder Maintenance

In this age of information swapping, it's much more important to protect your vital personal, client, or business information than ever before. Post offices, institutions, colleges, Pharmacies, doctor's offices and many more important places have to dispose of paperwork in a safe and secure manner. More and more people are purchasing paper shredders to protect their accounts: credit card, gas company, utility bills, etc.

It is important to do regular maintenance on the machine . Paper shredders are suprisingly simple to operate and usually require very little maintenance. Keeping a paper shredder in good working order ensures that paper shredding is easy and done efficiently.

The quality of paper shredders continues to improve. The major manufacturers like GBC, Dahle and Fellowes have created machines that run faster, quieter, shred larger volumes with greater efficiency and with a variety of electric features. However, they are still machines. If you neglect them they will break down.
You must periodically clear the cutting heads of excess shredded paper. This build up of paper can lead to problems down the road if it is neglected. It can also combine with the shredder oil to create a sticky mess that only gets worse with time.
Safety is important when it comes to shredding of documents because the sharp cutting blades are extremely dangerous. Some shredders have built in safety features that prevent the machine from cutting anything that it isn't supposed to, however, safety features can still fail. That is why it is important to understand basic safety in operating these equipments. Paper shredders need periodic oiling to operate at maximum efficiency. A cross cut shredder will always need to be oiled more frequently than a strip cut shredder and should be oiled every ½ hour of shredding time. But a ¼” strip cut shredder that is used only 1 to 2 hours per week will need to be oiled just once a week.

Shredder oil is the only lubricant which should be used in your paper shredder as it is specially formulated to avoid residue build up on the cutting blades. Other oils may attract paper dust which will clog the cutting head.

Keeping the shredder unplugged when not in use is a good preventative measure. It is also important for anyone using the paper shredder to be aware of hair, jewelry or clothing that can fall into the machine and get pulled in. A person should never, ever put their fingers into or try to perform maintenance to the shredder unless it is unplugged.

Keep the cabinet tidy and free of paper scraps. It's a good idea to invest in shredder bags that are designed for proper fit and strength to handle your shredded paper. Young children should always be kept away from the shredder. They can easily get cut since their fingers are so small. They can also try to shred items that are not appropriate causing damage to the machine. Paper shredding is something that is becoming a common practice in homes. This has prompted the need for people to become educated about safety and care of paper shredders. With these maintenance, care and safety tips a person should be able to use their paper shredder without an accidents.