Cleaning - Be sure to unplug your machine before doing any cleaning or maintenance.
A general cleaning and removal of debris can be done with a damp cloth and vacuum on the housing and inside the cabinet. Ensure feed areas and internal shred exit areas are inspected and cleaned regularly.
Some shredders can build up static internally in the cabinet under the shredder head / exit area, so ground that area underneath before cleaning - or use a vacuum to clean debris off the shredder cylinders. Do not reach up into the bottom of the shredder head with your bare hands as the cutting cylinders are sharp.
Proper Shredder Oiling
Proper oiling ensures lubrication and cleaning of all cylinders in the head of the shredder.
Use only the manufacturer's specified shredding oil. Each manufacturer uses a specific concentration of "Paraffin" in the oil which is measured against the speed and temperature the cutting cylinders are in subject to while in use.
If you do not have an automatic oiler installed on your shredder - you can manually oil using a squirt bottle through the top of the paper feed chute. A few small quirts is each day is enough to maintain the shredder. Under higher volumes or long periods of use, it is recommended to oil once every hour. Using an factory installed automatic oiler eliminates the need to manually oil.
Improper or irregular oiling can cause debris to build up in the shredder heads causing wear and tear.
The use of non-manufacturer oil can lead to serious failure in some cases, due to debris build up and low lubrication. Store bought shredding oil does not have the proper cleaning and lubricating properties for commercial business shredders.
The image below shows what can happen when using the wrong shredder oil - this image is from one of our customers - the unit could not be repaired:
