Do you use a paper shredder for disposing of sensitive documents like I do? After a while, the blades need a little lubrication; seeing as how I won't buy an expensive little tube of lubricant, I just do this: Run a piece of waxed paper through the shredder to make it work like new again!
By Brianna from Dutch Harbor, AK
Share on ThriftyFunThis page contains the following solutions. Have something to add? Please share your solution!
Protect Your Identity Without Using A Shredder. Save time and money by not shredding mail. The shredder costs money and the shredding can take quite a bit of time.
If your paper shredder has slowed down from when new, try lubricating the teeth. First clear out as much chewed up paper as possible, then use olive oil.
In the past I had trouble shredding my documents because my shredder was not in a handy place. I grabbed an old picnic basket and put the shredder inside, closed the lid, and ran the electrical cord through an existing hole in the weave.
I try to shred my junk mail and papers that have any ID information. I was putting the shredding into a Walmart bag, but that is not very green for the land fill, so now I put it into paper bags and staple the top.
Beware of shredding those free address labels you get in the mail. I had a shredder that previously handled (quite nicely) the address labels - and then it didn't.
Spray the sheet of sticker labels with WD-40, then shred. The labels won't stick and your shredder gets lubricated at the same time.
Please remember you unplug your shredder after each use. There have been reports of curious children and animals injuring their fingers (paws) and tongues because they inadvertently turned on the shredder.
Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
I was shredding paper, and my home paper shredder just quit on me. No noise, no sparks, no anything. It's held together by phillips screws, and being a former electronics tech, I decided to take it apart. (Who can afford a new shredder, employed or not.)
Make sure it is unplugged when you do this! I don't know how many times I took the phillips screws out from the cover. Immediately I was aghast at all the paper dust and paper shreds that were all over the inside of the paper shredder. I immediately cleaned all of that out, wishing I had a brush, but using tweezers, a modified paper clip (just making one side of the paper clip long), and a couple of q-tips, then carefully oiling the fan drive shaft.
I put the Paper Shredder back together, screwed in all the screws, plugged it in, and reverse worked, but the paper part wouldn't work. After more examination, I realized that there is a secondary switch and lever that can't be seen when the whole unit is put together. This is what allows the paper to shred. I lined up the lever with the secondary switch, and using a small screwdriver, (instead of using paper at this point), listened to it, then put the unit back together. It worked. I truly hope this helps other people keep their paper shredders working.
If you use q-tips, or such, don't ever leave the hairs, or whatever they are called on the electronics - ever! Those hairs will just mess everything up.
By Carol Rodriguez from SouthBend, IN
My feedback got lost, but it was do not allow husband to continually run the address labels you get in the mail through a shredder. His became so gummed up even Liquid Wrench could not dissolve enough of the gunk to resuscitate the machine.
The two shredders I have owned both had a timer to keep the shredder from overheating. It just stops in mid-shred. When it cools down (about five minutes), it starts working again.
I'm not handy enough to disassemble my shredder, but I betcha my son-in-law could. He's the genius who taught me how to "de-clog" my shredder right after we bought it. :D
What helps me avoid jams and such is not to send too much paper through at once, and to remove all paper clips first. If a jam happens anyway, I use the tip of small scissors to gently pry free the worst of the jam. I work from both sides of the shredding mechanism without disassembling. Then if necessary, I hit the reverse a time or two.
Any suggestion on how to solve the paper shredding mess on the floor? When I take out the shredder container to empty it there is always a good deal of paper left in the teeth of the shredder that falls on the floor. No matter how much I dig it out some still falls to the floor. I always dread emptying the thing because of the mess. Someone recently suggested placing their shredder in a picnic basket. Mine is too large for that. I feel fairly sure someone will have a good suggestion because this group of people is smart as a whip.
By weinerdog41 from Ft. Worth, TX
Spread out a couple sheets of newspaper where your shredder will sit.
Is it okay to line the waste basket area of a shredder with a small trash bag to make emptying easier, or does this create a problem with operation of the machine?
I think the blades of my paper shredder are getting dull. Has anyone ever sharpened theirs?
Thanks,
Amanda
Yes I have!!! send one sheet of fine sand paper through the shredder. wwaaaalllaaaaaaa works great!
We oil ours regularly. The sales clerk at Office Depot said most of them wear out because people don't know to oil them. They have a special oil, probably like sewing machine oil, a fine machine oil that you put on a piece of paper or just squirt a little over the blades every 100 sheets or so. This keeps the workings from drying out and the blades sharp.
The sandpaper idea sounds like a good one, too if the blades are already dull.
Susan from ThriftyFun
Just recently started having problems with my shredder. It painfully shreds thin paper, but when I put in regular A size all I hear is the motor churning and the paper doesnt get sucked in to be shredded. I opened the darn thing and couldnt quite figure it out. Any help is appreciated.
I think it has something to do with the gear assembly but dont know what to look at. The company is Royal, shreds 9 pages at times(never really did that though)
Thnx
I run a piece of aluminum foil through mine monthly & have never had problems.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I have inherited an Aurora Cross Cut AS700X paper shredder without a manual. I searched the manufacturers web site for information. This model is no longer listed. I e-mailed the manufacturer and never received an answer. I would like to know, how do I maintain this shredder?
