How to Clean Your Hedge Trimmer Blades

Trimmers are an essential tool for any homeowner who would want to maintain their yard neatly cut. Hedge trimmers can be used for cutting any shrubs, trees, or bushes around your home. It is time to use hedge trimmers to give your entire lawn a unique appearance that it had never possessed.

 However, hedge trimmers can, over time, get corroded by shrubs that it was used to cut.  This can happen to any trimmers, including manual, electrical, and gas hedge trimmers. Trimmer blades often get dirt, sap, and residue when they cut through vegetation, causing the blade to operate inefficiently and seize up. But you can ensure your tool remains at peak performance by caring for them.

So, take time to clean your blades after use to maintain them at peak performance and increase their durability.

What tools and materials are needed

• Wired Brush
• Household Bleach
• A Towel or Clothing
• A Mixture of Water and Soap
• Safety Glasses
• Solvent

Why Is It Important to Clean Your Blades?

 Unclean trimmers can spread fungal infections from one shrub to another.  Just like an ailment that can spread from one animal or human to another, some vegetation harbor bacteria that on or in them. Some plant-bacteria or diseases can be severe to the extent of running your entire yard.  Worst, they can kill or destroy flowers and vegetation in your yard.  So, rise up and take action and never ignore anything.

How to Clean Hedge Trimmer Blades

How to Clean Hedge Trimmers That are Operated Manually?

For your trimmers to last, be sure to maintain them. That could mean servicing, cleaning, caring, and storing them properly. Some components of a trimmer, including handle grips, air filter, motor, and the blades, often require regular attention. Here are ways to clean and maintain a manually operated hedge trimmer.

Use a hosepipe or hot water pressure washer to wash away any dirt or mud that might have stuck on the blades and then rinse the blade shears off. The other alternative is to soak the trimmer in alcohol or water for at least an hour to remove any mud or tougher surface oil that might have built up can be removed.

Then get a scrape off, knife, or wired brush and use it to remove any debris or dirt that might have built up around the blade.

 Caution! Never use sandpaper or steel wool on your blades,  as these can expose the metal to the outside air, which can cause corrosion and rust.

Wear a pair of safety gloves while working on your trimmer to avoid damages. Either in a ventilated working area or outside, dip your blades in a solvent to get rid of sap that might have stuck.

Then use a piece of clothing or towel to wipe the blades.

You can use a mixture of household bleach or rubbing alcohol to sterilize the blades. Leave the household bleach or rubbing alcohol on the blades for a while and then use a soft piece of clothing to dry them.

How to Clean Electrically/Gas Operated Hedge Trimmers

Cleaning Hedge Trimmers That are Operated by Gas or Electronically

1. For a gas-powered trimmer, start by removing the plug connector. Like a motor powered by gas, start cleaning an electrically operated tool by unplugging it.
2. Use a stiff brush to get rid of loose soil or dirt.
3.  You will need to dip a sponge or soft clothing in a mixture of water and soap  and use it to wipe the blades.
4. Then get rid of any sticky sap by cleaning off the blades with household bleach or rubbing alcohol solvent.
5. Get a clean, soft piece of towel and use it to dry the blades.
6. Then use a lubricant meant for agricultural tools to spray the clean blades.

Clean the Blades with Soap & Water

A more thorough cleanse might be necessary for the residue that has already hardened. So, you can start with a stiff brush and soapy water to scrub the blades. The practice is, in most cases, effective in getting rid of soil or mud that might have stuck on the blade. However, be sure to use a piece of clothing or towel to wipe any leftover moisture to prevent corrosion.

Once you have finished, lubricate your blades to increase their efficiency and avoid the formation of rust.

White spirit helps dissolve any plant sap that might have stuck on the blades. If rubbing your blades with white spirit isn’t enough, consider soaking it in soapy water overnight. Then use a piece of clothing or towel to wipe any remnants off the trimmer, but make sure that the blades are clean and dry before lubricating them.

Cleaning Blades with Alcohol or Kerosene

Kerosene or alcohol can work well on blades. Both alcohol and kerosene are strong cleaners that can rub the blade down and remove any stuck dirt. One advantage of using alcohol for cleaning blades is that it contains disinfectant that can prevent the spread of diseases and fungal infections between shrubs. So, alcohol cleaning may be the way to go for anyone that worries about contamination. Diluted bleach can also be used as an alternative for disinfecting the blades. However, landscapers should remember to rinse off their blades before using them again to prevent the spread of fungal infection.  There are specialist cleaners that tend to work well than others.  So, check with your local hardware stores to find out what they have in stock and be sure to read your trimmer’s manual to see if there are any recommendations. You might get useful information that may help you keep your trimmers clean and at peak performance.

Caring for your trimmer blades can make trimming quicker and easier and increase their efficiency.

It is also easier to spot any dirt that might have accumulated on a clean trimmer blade. Experts recommend reapplying lubricant to trimmer blades after each use to prevent corrosion.