Taking care of your paper shredder

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When you decide that you need a paper shredder many people fall into the trap of thinking that any shredder will do and that all shredders are basically the same. This then leads them to buy cheap and potentially sub standard machines. Paper shredders come in many different sizes, models and capabilities and you should think about what you are going to need from your shredders before you buy it.

However once you have bought your shredder the next major thing to remember is its care and maintenance. Many people are often disappointed when they buy a shredder and then have problems with it, sometimes these issues are to do with the choice of shredders e.g. if you have paper with paperclips in it you will need a superior machine capable of handling them. Shredders can jam and become overheated if you are putting in more paper or thicker paper than they are designed for.

If you do have problems you need to make sure you are using your machine for the workload and type it was designed for. You should also note that unless you have a professional machine paper shredders are not designed to run constantly. This will cause overheating of the motor and either instigate a cut off or worse a break down.

You can maintain your shredder with the use of shredder oil or oiled sheets. This will help prevent clogging of the shredder blades and ease to passage of paper through the shredder. Ideally you should oil your shredder once a month or more if you use it a lot.

You should regularly empty the waste from your shredder to prevent build up and blockages occurring. To cut down on mess special shredder bags and sacks are available.

Posted: 22 December 2009

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