Keeping your Paper Shredder Healthy

In some office environments, the shredder is hardly used while in other offices the shredder is used on a daily basis. 

But whether you use your shredder daily or every other week, it’s still important to use it according to the instructions in your manual.  However, even if you’re extremely careful, there still might be the occasional paper jam.  On first impulse, you might want to pull out the paper quickly from the shredder.  But if you plan to keep your shredder for some time, there are better ways to remove jammed paper without breaking the equipment.  Here’s how.

Turn it off
Though it might seem obvious, not everyone would automatically turn off the shredder.  But that’s exactly what you need to do before you attempt to fix the problem.  In fact, you should let the machine cool down for about one hour before any attempt to solve the problem is made (in case of an overheating issue). 

Assess the problem
The most common cause for a shredder problem is due to paper jams.  Sometimes you can simply push the “reverse” button and the paper automatically dislodges from the blades.  But if the paper is still jammed, you might have to actually pull the paper out of the machine, but do so very carefully.  If tiny pieces of paper are still lodged within the shredder, you’ll need to take a pair of tweezers or scissors to dislodge the paper. 

If there is no paper stuck in the shredder, the jam might be because the shredder’s blades need to be oiled.  But just don’t use any oil to grease the blades, such as WD40 or other flammable oils, as this could potentially ruin the shredder when the machine is hot.  Instead, opt for an ordinary vegetable or corn oil to clean your blades or check with your local office supply store for oil.  As far as technique is concerned, apply the oil to the opening after you hit the reverse button.  Next, turn it to the forward position and let it run a few seconds.  Repeat this procedure (reverse to forward position) a few times. 

If the above steps fail, it’s probably time to turn a professional that can fix your machine.