The woman at the hardware store told me to stop using steel wool on my clippers

I used to clean my dog grooming clippers with steel wool to get the gunk off. A lady waiting in line at Ace Hardware saw me buying more and said I was ruining the blades. She told me to use a soft brush and blade wash instead. I switched that day and my clippers actually last way longer now. Anyone else get a random tip from a stranger that saved them money?

2 comments

2 Comments

faith_king1d ago

Ruining the blades" is a bit dramatic don't you think. I've been using steel wool on my clippers for 10 years and they still cut fine. The trick is to use the fine 0000 grade not the rough stuff. You gotta be gentle with it. Blade wash is just overpriced soap basically. Why pay $15 for something when a $2 pad does the same job. She was probably just trying to sound smart in line. Been doing it my way forever never had to replace a blade early.

drewgonzalez18h ago

Wait, are we gatekeeping cleaning methods now? I totally feel you though, that lady at Ace saved me from ruining my stuff too. I had this old pair of clippers I treated like they were made of steel, scrubbed em with steel wool every time they got nasty. Then a guy at a pet store told me to use a soft brush and some blade wash, said the metal shavings from steel wool get embedded in the blade and dull it faster. I was skeptical but tried it, and honestly my blades have been cutting smooth for months longer than they used to. That stranger tip probably saved me from buying a new set every year.