What Are The Substitutes of Shredder Oil? [Explained]

A shredder machine is a very common thing in different types of offices nowadays. Not just the office, many people use it for personal purposes. The main function of a shredder machine is to strip a piece of paper or cut it into fine particles. 

Now the question may be why should a paper be cut so finely? Paper is cut through shredder machines to destroy confidential and sensitive documents used by various government or non-government organizations or businesses, even private ones.

The older a shredder machine, the lower its blade edge. As well, its efficiency is reduced. For the machine, it is to give regular oil. The best option in this case is shredder oil. But since this oil is very expensive, many people are looking for a substitute. 

In this article, we will discuss the most suitable substitutes for shredder oil.

Why Is Oil Applied to the Shredder Machine?

When you buy and use a new shredder machine it cuts the paper so smoothly that it feels like running a hot knife into butter. 

Like other machines, a shredder machine loses its ability to function over time, most notably rust on its blades. So in this case, if you want to operate your shredder machine as smoothly as new then take proper care of it.

If the paper is cut slowly or a strange sound comes out of it while using the shredder machine, then you need to understand that the rotating blades inside the shredder are dusty or rusty. 

You need to use shredder oil to solve this serious problem. There are different types of shredder oils available in the market that you can use to maintain the efficiency of your machine.

What Are The Substitutes of Shredder Oil?

Since the oil price of the shredder machine is very high, most of them want to choose another option as its substitute. In this case, different critics have given different solutions. Let’s find out what you can use as an oil substitute for a listening machine:

Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a small mixture of high alkene from various odourless, colourless mineral sources, especially petroleum distillation. It differs from ordinary edible oils. You can use mineral oil as oil in the shredder machine if you want.

In this case, all you have to do is take 1 to 2 teaspoons of mineral oil on the paper. Spread the oil all over the paper so that it can stick to the entire blade when cutting the paper. Now turn on the shredder machine and run the oiled paper into the machine.

Sewing Machine Oil

Sewing machine oil is used as a lubricant for use only for sewing machines. Using sewing machine oil reduces friction between different parts of the machine so that the machine runs smoothly. 

Sewing machine oil should be applied every 6 hours during sewing.

Sewing machine oil is thin and dust resistant so you can use this oil as lubricating your body and machine if you want.

5W30 Motor Oil

5w30 oil is mainly used for motor engines. 5w30 motor oil is used in vehicles that are powered by light-duty diesel and petrol engines. It is a multigrade oil that is confined between a high concentration grade of 30 and a low concentration grade of 5. 

Since this oil is used for light-duty engines, it is a thin concentrated oil. For this, you can use 5w30 motor oil as the oil of your shredder machine.

Wax Paper

Wax paper is a thin tissue paper-like paper with a special paraffin wax coating on both sides. This type of paper is mainly used as a lubricant. 

Wax paper as lubricating oil of a shredder machine shows very good and suitable performance. Just as you insert the ordinary paper into the shredder machine, take a wax paper and continue it on the machine. If too much, your shredder machine will be lubricated very well with two pieces of wax paper. 

Another competitor to wax paper is parchment paper which acts as moisture, grease and heatproof.

Clipper Oil

The oil that is used to lubricate the trimmers or clippers we use to cut the hair is called clipper oil. The sharp edges of the clipper used for haircuts need to be oily at all times. 

On the one hand, just as the hair is cut well, on the other hand, the sharp teeth of the clipper are long-lasting. 

Here since clipper oil is being used for the same purpose i.e. lubricating as the shredder machine, you can use clipper oil as a substitute for shredder oil if you wish.

Ordinary Cooking Oil

Yes, reader, with the ordinary oil we use for cooking and eating you can use it as a substitute for Shredder oil. The procedure is very straightforward. 

Sprinkle cooking oil on a piece of paper and run inside the shredder machine while running. This will put oil on the cutting blades of the machine. 

On the other hand, you can lubricate with edible oil in a shredder machine with the help of a tube with a large nozzle. Insert the long nozzle into the machine and apply a small amount of oil to each of the cutting blades.

Amsoil MPHD

AMSOIL MPHD is an easily portable spray oil. This oil protects the metal from various types of chemical corrosion, salty effects and dust. 

It is an ideal shield with any type of metal such as steel, copper, iron, aluminium etc. as dust and rust-resistant. Although AMSOIL MPHD is a heavy-duty oil, little use on your shredder machine can act as a lubricant.

Canola Oil

Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil. It is made from different types of rapeseed. It is low in uric acid as opposed to colza oil. You can use canola oil as a substitute for Shredder oil.

Take an A4 size paper and write the English letter S on it with canola oil. Make sure the letter is all over the paper. Now run the paper on the running shredder machine. Then reverse once.

How Often Should You Oil Your Paper Shredder?

You need to oil your shredder machine regularly to maintain its performance. When you see that the collector basket is full or after using random you should apply oil to the shredder machine. 

There is no substitute for regular oiling on a shredder machine as it makes the cutting blades durable and rust-resistant.

But the best answer to the above question is to read the manual given with your shredder machine and apply the oil accordingly. 

Some advanced shredder machines include automatic oil application methods. In this case, you just need to make sure that there is enough oil in the oil collecting container.

What Are the Methods to Apply to a Shredder Machine?

There are three main ways you can apply oil to your shredder machine. The three methods are as follows:

Direct Method

In this method, you need to apply oil to the paper input of the machine. In this case, you can use a bottle with a relatively long and thin nozzle. This will prevent oil spills and can be applied in moderation.

Indirect Method

This method is also called the sandwich method. Take a piece of white paper and sprinkle oil on it so that it is spread all over the paper. Take some time for the paper to absorb the oils. 

Now place another piece of paper on the oiled paper. That became the sandwich. Now insert the two papers into the moving shredder. So that when the cutting blades cut the paper, the oil sticks to the blades.

Lubricant Sheets or Oil Sheets

In this method, you need to use a special paper that is already oiled. This means that these papers can be bought in oily condition. Insert the lubricant paper into the machine as in the above indirect method.

Conclusion

Regular maintenance of a shredder machine like any other type of sharp electrical device is the only way to maintain its new performance. It requires regular lubrication of the machine with shredder oil and application of oil to the cutting blades. 

Since Shredder oil is expensive, you can use any of the substitutes mentioned in this article as a substitute lubricant. However, always try to use official oil.

Similar Posts