One of the key necessities of every man is an electric shaver.
This is an electronic household tool made up of a motor, housing, and blades. The motor turns the blade which in turn cuts your hair as you shave it off. It is more preferable to other shaving tools due to its ease of use and convenience.
However, if not properly maintained or used for too long, this device can become dull and ineffective which will irritate your skin. One of the key maintenance regimens is sharpening your electric razor.
This comes with several benefits such as increased efficiency, longer life span, less maintenance cost, etc.
Due to the number of benefits of sharpening your electric razor, it is important to learn the procedure of sharpening an electric razor. In this article, we will discuss the steps of sharpening an electric razor.
If you need your razor to last longer, you will need to take care of it in the right way. When it becomes brittle, you will need to sharpen it. But how do you sharpen your electric razor?
Here is a guide on the various methods of sharpening an electric razor.
Method 1: Sharpening your electric razor using toothpaste
One of the best ways of sharpening your electric razor is by using toothpaste. This is a great and cost-effective way as this is something that is readily available in the home.
Materials needed
- Toothpaste
- Small brush
- Baby oil
- Hot water
How to do
Once your supplies are ready, you should follow the following process in sharpening your electric razor:
Step 1: Cleaning your device
Over time, residue from dead skin and oils can coat the razor, making it less effective. This is why before sharpening your electric razor; you will need to ensure that all parts including the battery compartment, switch cover, handle, head, guard, cartridge, and any attachments are clean.
You should also remove any debris from the housing before starting the process. This step ensures that there won’t be any dirt particles stuck between the components when they get rubbed together during the sharpening procedure.
Step 2: Disassemble the electric razor
After cleaning everything thoroughly, disassemble the electric razor by removing screws one at a time until you reach the bottom part where the batteries are located. Remove the two small metal plates covering the batteries. You should then take out the four plastic clips holding the main body together.
After removing these pieces, rinse under running hot water so that no residues are left. Now, carefully separate each component from the others using tweezers.
Use a small brush to clear the hairs. Check out for the tiny strands of hair that get stuck in the blades and remove them.
Step 3: Applying toothpaste
After removing the hair residues, you should apply toothpaste on the blade area and the razor screens. Use a soft brush to apply a thin layer of paste on all pieces of the electric razor. Do this slowly but surely ensuring that you don’t miss any spot. Allow the paste to dry completely before proceeding further. Avoid applying too much toothpaste as this will bog down the razor.
Once done, rinse the brushes again under running hot water. Turn on the razor and push it slowly against the toothpaste. This will ensure that the toothpaste gets in all holes. In case the razor’s head heats up, unplug it. Keep repeating this process.
After applying the paste evenly over the whole area, place the electric razor back into position and press down firmly while turning the knob clockwise. Continue doing this until the blade is grounded to the desired length.
If necessary, repeat the grinding process several times until the blade reaches the right size.
Step 4: Washing the Blades
To ensure that your new blades work well, wash them with hot water after sharpening. Rinse them under running hot water and allow them to air dry.
Step 5: Reassembling the Parts
When finished, reattach the four plastic clips first followed by the two metal plates finally, replace the screw covers and tighten them securely.
Step 6: Testing the Newly Sharpened Blades.
Test the newly sharpened blade by placing the electric razor against your face.
Ensure that it cuts smoothly without causing discomfort. If needed, adjust the angle slightly until you find what works best for you.
Step 7: Storing the Electric Razor.
Store your electric razor away from direct sunlight since exposure to heat causes deterioration of the lubricants present in the system. Also, keep it away from moisture since condensation could form within the housing.
Lastly, store it somewhere cool and dark.
It’s advisable to ensure that you are using regular toothpaste instead of extreme whitening. This is necessary as toothpaste contains large and gritty particles. This isn’t also effective in cleaning and sharpening.
Method 2: Sharpening your electric blade using a rotary razor
This method involves the use of small sharpening heads that sharpen the blade. They are specific to the brand. Therefore, if your razor is a Philips Norelco HQ167, you should buy the same brand of sharpening head.
Step 1: Disassemble the top of the rotary razor blade
In most models, you can do that by clicking on the button at the side of the rotary blade.
Turn the knob into the middle of the shaving head to enable you to release the blades from the housing. You can use a soft brush to remove the dirt, hair, and dust. This will ensure that your razor will remain functional while keeping the sharpening tool protected.
Avoid using any liquids or water as this could end up damaging the razor.
Step 2: Remove the rotary blades individually
You can do that by turning the shaving heads in a counter-clockwise way to make them free. After removing the blades, it’s advisable to use your brush to do another quick sweep.
Remove the shaving screen and install the sharpening heads. You can read more on how to install a sharpening head on the packaging.
You should thereafter, put the blade back into the razor before reassembling the housing of the razor. After that, you should turn on the razor for 5 to 10 minutes.
Go through the sharpening head’s packaging so that you are sure of the right packaging.
Step 3: The sharpening process will start
Once the razor is running, the sharpening process will start. You should then stop the razor after a few seconds, remove the sharpening heads and replace it with the original screen.
You should then put back the housing in place. Your electric razor will be sharp again.
Method 3: Use your hands to sharpen electric rotary razor
If your razor doesn’t have a sharpening head or you don’t have the right sharpening tool, you don’t have to worry as you can still sharpen your electric rotary razor by hand. You will however need a few tools such as:
- Piece of glass
- Stiff brush
- Lubricating agent
A metal polishing paste can also be a good lubricant that will leave your razor looking nice and shiny. The process of sharpening your razor by hand is similar to that of using a tool.
Step 1: Disassemble the shaving head
After opening the razor head, you should give your razor a good clean. You can remove the dirt, hair, and debris using a stiff brush.
You should then remove the cutting components and get them off the housing. You can clean the housing and the cutter by rinsing them in a sink.
However, be keen so that you don’t lose the components in the drain. Also, remove the shield screen and rinse it thoroughly.
Step 2: Start the sharpening process
To start the sharpening process, put the razor on a mirror or a flat glass even as the cutting surface rests against the glass. Lubricate the machine and move the razor in smooth figure-eights over the glass.
You can continue adding lubrication to the surface.
To ensure that your blade is very sharp, you will need to perm 50 to 100 figure-eight rotations for each blade. In order to remain safe, be extra careful with each razor blade.
Before you can move to the next blade, you should ensure that you have removed the blade, sharpened it, and replaced it.
After sharpening all the razor blades and putting back the blade shields, you will need to put back their cutting components into the housing, ensuring that the razor head is put back on.
Once you have reassembled everything, you will be ready to use your newly assembled electric razor.
Conclusion
No matter how expensive your razor is, it gets to a point where it will lose its sharpness. When your razor becomes dull, it becomes ineffective and dangerous. By sharpening your razor you can keep it sharp and make it more efficient
Fortunately, you don’t need any special skills or fancy tools to sharpen your razor. The cleaning methods are simple. You can follow this guide to sharpen your electric razor. By doing so, you will have a perfectly working electric razor.
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