Dog Clipper Care and Maintenance | Expert Guide

Like an artist uses his paintbrushes to create masterpieces, so does a groomer use her specialised equipment to assist her in creating a furry work of art, safely and comfortably. Proper equipment selection and applying the correct maintenance procedures are essential to efficient grooming. As a professional, you need to have in-depth knowledge of this subject to use the correct tools for the specific task at hand. High quality equipment can facilitate the art of grooming and last for many years. Welcome to Get Equipped. The following videos are short demonstrations on the handling and maintenance of equipment. First, we will have a look at how to properly hold your clipper. When holding your clipper, hold it like you were holding a large pin between the thumb and fingers. Hold the clippers at the balance point so the weight is equally distributed between each end. This positioning keeps your wrist firm. Do not add too much pressure to the clipper. Let the weight of the clipper do the work. Your hand and wrist are simply its guide. It is important to maintain a consistent angle when clipping. Try keeping the blade up on its cutting edge. As a beginner, try to keep the blade flat against the skin's surface. Dhanya will demonstrate how to remove and replace a blade. Align the plate on the clippers and the slot in the blade together and slide it down. Remember to turn on the clippers before clicking the blade back into position. This will allow the blade to secure itself to the clipper. When removing the blade, switch off the clipper, press the release button, pull the blade backwards and lift the blade up. During this demonstration video, she will show you the correct method to use a clipper. Your tools enable you to do your job properly and if not maintained, can affect your grooming process and the final result. Here are some tips to maintain your clippers. Clean your clippers daily. Clean and disinfect your blade every time after use and oil it at the end of the working day. Check for nicks, cuts and other cable issues of your clipper before you start working. Check the blade drive, hinge and lock weekly. Ensure that all the teeth of your blades are intact and not broken or chipped. Never drop your clippers or blades. Have your clipper professionally serviced annually or when needed. Always have a spare clipper on hand in case of unexpected problems or issues. The following products are used to clean your blades. Blade cooling spray. It is used to cool your blade if it becomes too hot and to disinfect and lubricate it at the same time. Blade oil lubricates the blades for quicker, smoother movement and reduces friction. It keeps the clippers from pulling and snagging the hair as you cut. Blade cleaner. This is used to clean, disinfect and lubricate your clipper blades. In the next video we will demonstrate how to clean your clipper and blades. Use your clipper brush or an old tooth brush and remove all the hair from the blade. Brush the hair off in between the teeth and move the lower blade out of the way so that you can get underneath that on both sides. Once all the hair has been removed, place the blade on your clipper. Switch on your clipper and submerge only the clipper blade in a bowl of blade cleaning solution and run the clipper for a few seconds. This allows the solution to work in between the teeth and blades. While the clipper is still on, wipe excess cleaning solution with a soft cloth. Remove the blade from the clipper and continue to dry it with the cloth, sliding the lower blade from side to side. Place a few drops of clipper oil between the upper and lower blades. Slide lower blade from side to side while applying drops of oil. Place the blade on the clipper and switch it on for a few seconds. As it is running, the oil is being distributed between the blades and teeth. Thereafter, remove the blade and do a final wipe down before storing the blade. As our lesson concludes at the Professional Dog Grooming Academy, here's to crafting tales of joy! Keep those fur babies fabulous! Until next time!