Lubrication is a very important maintenance procedure for your electric shaver. It prevents overheating on the moving parts like the foils, blades or motor unit.
In addition, you’ll be able to extend your electric razor’s lifespan by reducing wear and tear of the most essential parts.
By performing lubrication, you’ll guarantee that the shaving experiences are much smoother, because without this the blades will get dulled easily and lose cutting efficiency.
So let’s buckle up and embark on the journey of learning how to lubricate an electric shaver in this article so that you can do this maintenance routine all by yourself at home!
Contents
Understanding Your Electric Razor: The Basics
Before you start disassembling your electric shaver for lubrication, you’ll have to understand your shaving device first.
The parts that require oiling the most are as follows:
- Shaver Blades
- Foil Elements
- Rotary Shaving Heads
- Rotating Motor Heads
Some of the electric razors allow you to apply grease inside the motor but that’s very rare and oftentimes demands you to dismantle the handle.
I’d say leave that for the experts and for now, focus on the major parts I just mentioned, depending on the type of shaving tool you have in store.
Tools and Materials You’ll Need
To complete the lubrication procedure with utmost efficiency, there are certain tools you should keep at your disposal.
This will help you follow through a smooth process and complete the task within a very limited time!
The tools you’ll be needing:
- Electric Shaver Lubricant or Natural Oil
- Cleaning Brush
- Cloth Rug
- Disinfectant
- Cleaning Solution
- Screwdriver (for unique scenarios)
I’ll stress more on the type of oil required later on in this article. Also, cleaning solutions may vary based on the type of electric razor you’re lubricating.
With these tools, you may move on to cleaning out your razor because that’s necessary for effective lubrication.
Pre-Lubrication: Cleaning the Razor
In this section, I’ll briefly go through the cleaning steps for your electric shaver. Be sure to check if your device is waterproof, otherwise a full wash may compromise the electronic components inside.
- Start by turning off your electric shaver. NEVER keep the power cord connected to the device while you’re performing a cleaning job.
- Remove all the detachable parts like the shaver head or blade guard.
- If your shaver is washable or waterproof, drench everything under lukewarm water.
- Use a brush to clean out stray hair and dirt from the blades and foil elements. For dry cleaning, you can perform this action without drenching the device.
- Once the cleaning is done, mop up the electric razor and its components using a dry cloth rag.
- Let everything dry out completely.
After the drying phase, you are eligible to proceed toward the lubrication phase. It’s worth noting that the device must be completely dry, otherwise your oil will not stick perfectly.
Those with a cleaning station, your device will be automatically cleaned and lubricated, so you don’t have to follow the entire procedure. However, it’s worth noting that using a cleaning station is quite expensive, whereas manual lubrication is very affordable.
Ways to Apply Oil to an Electric Shaver
As you already know, there are two major types of electric razors: foil and rotary. Since there are many differences between these categories, the oiling process holds varied methods as well.
How Do You Oil a Rotary Shaver?
Rotary electric razors are generally kind on sensitive skin and the head is much wider than other shaving devices. Let’s learn how to lubricate it effectively!
- Completely remove the shaver head. Press the release lever and pull it out from the hinges to make things easier.
- Underneath the head, you’ll see some rotating markings on the blades. Rotate that way to remove the blades from the system.
- Apply a couple drops of lubricant on the blades, the foil rings and the motor heads popping out from the handle.
- If you’re using a lubricating spray, perform 1 quick squeeze for each part.
- Put everything back together as they were and turn the shaver on for 10 seconds.
That’s it! Your rotary razor is properly lubricated and ready to serve you for a long time to come!
How Do You Oil a Foil Shaver?
The mechanics of applying oil on a foil shaver are quite similar to rotary ones, still some minor details might help you out in this regard.
- First, remove the foil head from the handle.
- Apply a drop of lubricant on each foil unit. If it’s something like a BaBylissPRO FoilFX02, you’re going to need two droplets in total. For a Panasonic ARC5, you’ll have to apply four drops.
- Then, hold the shaver at a 45-degree angle and leave one drop of lubricant in each of the cutting units.
- For those using lubricant spray, one puff on the razor head and one on the blades will suffice.
- Place the shaver head back to its original place and turn on the device for 5-10 seconds. This will evenly spread out the oil.
With these quick and easy steps, foil shavers are properly maintained and remain agile until your next shaving session!
What Type of Oil Do You Use in an Electric Shaver?
Many consumers wonder which oil or lubricants are fit to be used on their electric shavers. Because some solutions tend to clog the blades instead of helping it out.
You may consider one of the following solutions as your electric razor lubricant:
- Lubricant tube inside the razor package
- Aftermarket shaver oil (check your brand’s instruction manual for compatibility)
- Any mineral oil (for example, baby oil)
- Certain hair clipper oil (i.e. Wahl Lubricant)
- Lubricant spray (All-in-one spray by BaByliss, it both disinfects and lubricates)
Roughly these are the most commonly used electric shaver lubricants that consumers use on a regular basis, including the professionals.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
There are a few mistakes that groomers tend to make while lubricating an electric razor. Avoiding this will help you retain the quality and integrity of your device, so let’s scroll through them real fast!
- Over-using Lubricant: Excessive lubrication isn’t healthy for your shaving device, so avoid that at all cost. It might be hard to believe, but an efficient lubrication is generally pulled off by only a few droplets of oil.
- Skipping Cleaning: As I mentioned, it’s very important to clean before a lubrication phase. Otherwise, it will only increase the amount of residue in the cutting elements.
- Using Heavier Oil: Any oil that’s not fit for shaver lubrication will mess up your procedure. It will lead to lack of cutting efficiency and in turns wear out the shaver’s parts.
If you manage to walk past these common errors, you’ll be safe from an unpleasant experience with your electric shaving device.
Troubleshooting: When Lubrication isn’t Enough
Usually, you’ll have to lubricate your shaving device very frequently to keep it in mint condition. But sometimes, lubrication isn’t the final solution and there are signs that are telling you to go beyond your usual maintenance routine.
- When your razor keeps on overheating
- When the motor makes unusually loud noises
- When the cutting efficiency is poor
These generally indicate you have to replace the blades or the foil of your electric shaver. You may contact an expert if such issues persist. Worst case scenario might lead you to replacing the entire shaving device.
FAQ
This FAQ section should provide you with further clarity on the lubrication procedure and its frequency, so make sure not to skip this part!
Q: How often should you oil an electric shaver?
Ans: Ideally, you must oil an electric razor after every shaving session, followed by a thorough cleansing. This protects the cutting elements and retains the sharpness for a longer duration. In turn, you’ll save more money and extend the durability of your shaving instrument.
Q: Do you have to clean a shaver before you oil it?
Ans: Yes! You’ll have to clean an electric shaver before you oil it. I’ve already covered it – not cleaning a razor before lubrication will only add more residue and compromise the efficiency of shaving. This can cause major issues like motor heating, vibration or tugs, pulls during the grooming session.
Q: Can you use cooking or motor oil to lubricate your electric razor?
Ans: No! Cooking or motor oil are more dense than natural oil – one you’re supposed to be using on your electric razor. Using cooking or motor oil will slow down your razor, cause irritation while shaving and eventually lead to permanently damaging the device.
Final Thoughts
Here’s what we’ve covered so far in our ‘how to lubricate an electric shaver’ discussion – one, the basic understanding of your razor components.
Two, the tools you’ll need to lubricate the shaving instrument. Three, the importance and steps of pre-lubrication and cleaning.
Four, an ideal guideline to oil your razor – both foil and rotary shaving units. Five, the mistakes you must avoid while running the operation; six, the types of oil you should be using for the cause.
And lastly, the symptoms hinting that lubrication isn’t getting the work done. My overall advice would be never to skip the lubrication part from your maintenance as it’ll make your grooming journey a much convenient one!