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If treated correctly, an electric foil shaver or beard trimmer should last many happy years of facial fuzz trimming before it is time to update or replace.
But like anything with moving parts, it’s important to keep them clean, dried and lubricated, to ensure blades remain sharp and electric motors perform at their best. Alas, simply banging excess hair into the sink and throwing it back into the cupboard won’t suffice.
Instead, it pays to keep on top of regular maintenance to ensure your (probably quite expensive) purchase doesn’t give up the ghost just after the warranty runs out.
Although cleaning both foil shavers and beard trimmers is essential for smooth operation, how to properly do so can differ depending on the product, so it’s always worth checking with the manufacturer’s guidelines to make sure you are getting it right.
To help with this article, we spoke to a couple of experts in male grooming routines: Dr Jonathan Kentley – a consultant dermatologist and spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation – and Miles Wood-Smith – master barber at Murdock London.
How do you safely clean an electric foil shaver?
First of all, check the manufacturer’s instructions on the best way to clean your electric shaver or trimmer; this can vary between the brands and the style of shaver you use.
Where foil shavers are concerned, it’s best to start by removing the head and tapping off any excess hair. For any hard to reach areas, use a soft brush: most electric shavers will come with a small cleaning brush for this purpose.
“It’s best to leave foil shaving heads to soak for a few minutes in warm water, before rinsing and drying with a cloth,” explains Miles Wood-Smith. “A few drops of white vinegar can be diluted in the warm water to help fight bacteria.” And be sure to let the foil head attachment dry properly before re-attaching it to the main body of the shaver.
What is the best way to clean a T-blade beard trimmer?
Not all beard trimmers are waterproof, so it pays to read the instruction booklet on the best care procedures, as simply running the cutting head under a tap might be doing more damage than good.
As with foil shavers, start by gently tapping away any excess hair from the blade and then use a soft brush to wipe away any excess build up. If it’s safe to do so, run the cutting head under warm water for a few seconds to make sure the blades are free of hair, oils and dead skin.
Once finished, dry it gently with a towel, making sure not to get any towel fluff stuck in the blades. Better still, let it air dry on a towel overnight.
“Using a dull shaver is one of the main causes of skin irritation, so making sure you have a fresh, sharp clean blade is key,” says Dr Jonathan Kentley.
To keep T-blades sharp and running properly, it’s good practice to lubricate the blades with the solution provided in the box by the manufacturer. In my experience testing many electric shavers, I haven’t come across a T-blade trimmer that hasn’t arrived with a small tube of lubricating solution.
Alternatively, a dedicated grooming tool lubricant and cleaner, like this Hair Blaster Clipper Oil Spray, is a good way of keeping trimming tools fresh and running smoothly.
“Close shaving removes the top barrier of skin cells, as well as many of the protective oils on the skin’s surface. This can leave it open to irritation and infection,” Dr Kentley explains further. To avoid this, invest in some specialist shaver disinfectant, such as this Shave Factory 5-in-1 cleaner and lubricant, that can be sprayed onto blades to kill bacteria.
How often should you clean a foil shaver or beard trimmer?
If you shave regularly, it’s good practice to clean your shaver or trimmer after each use, even if it isn’t a thorough deep cleanse with water, disinfectants, drying procedures and blade lubrication.
Getting into the habit of at least tapping out or brushing away any excess hair can prevent motors and blades from becoming clogged up over time and will make the shaver last longer.
“The cutting chamber of most shavers gets jammed up with oils from the skin, any beard product you might use and hair, so it is important to give it a clean at the end of each shaving session,” explains Miles Wood-Smith.
Are automatic cleaning stations worth it?
A number of manufacturers, such as Braun and Philips, now offer electric shaver packages that come with an automated cleaning dock. These come in the form of a station that houses a disposable tub of cleaning fluid that the shaver head sits in.
The user then either presses a button on the shaver to start the cleaning process, or the dock automatically senses the shaver, and it does the hard work for you.
If you have the budget, cleaning docks are a big time saver, as they thoroughly cleanse the shaving head as well as disinfecting it. Some automated docks also charge the shaver and offer a neat place to store it when not in use.
That said, the cleaning docks do only tend to come with the pricier foil shavers, so you will need deep pockets, and we are yet to see one available for a T-blade beard trimmer.
How often should I sharpen shaver blades?
Most manufacturers don’t suggest sharpening blades, but instead guarantee their blade technology remains sharp for the lifetime of the product. This is particularly true for T-blade trimmers, which will last years if maintained properly.
Foil shavers, on the other hand, can’t be sharpened due to their design, so often come with a spare or replaceable foil head that can easily be swapped out when cutting performance starts to dull.
