Paper shredders are very useful tools in the office, but it's very annoying when they get stuck - which happens quite often. It could have happened because you put too much paper in the machine or because you were trying to shred some newspapers - the important thing is, however, in these cases, to know how to unlock it to lessen the hassle caused by this annoying problem.
Steps
Step 1. Turn off the machine and remove the plug that powers it
You better not have to deal with those sharp blades when the car is on!
Step 2. Take the machine and place it on a large enough piece of newspaper or something that makes cleaning up after the job easy
Step 3. Start by taking a pair of tweezers and removing the pieces of paper that are stuck on the ends of the blades
In this way, the machine will start to unlock and there will be more space to be able to remove all the jammed paper.
Step 4. Continue to pull off the pieces of paper
It is best if you try not to pull the lumps of paper directly, rather slowly move them left and right. This way, the whole piece of paper will come out of the machine, not just the top.
Step 5. If there are pieces of paper that are too curled up on themselves and you can't get them free, cut them out with a knife and then pull them out
Step 6. Once you have more or less cleared the machine, turn it back on
Put it in reverse mode, so that it will bring out the last pieces of paper, which you can easily remove.
Step 7. If it is now free of the extra paper, keep shredding
Advice
- Use greaseproof paper or engine oil to lubricate the blades. Try to do this regularly! For an office shredder machine, if you use it enough you will need to lubricate it at least once every three days.
- To keep the blades from getting too worn, remove the staples and paper holders before shredding. Shredding CDs or DVDs could also cause the blades to break. Use the Disc Eraser (www. DiscEraser.com) if you have discs to erase.
- Every now and then, move the machine a little so that the stuck pieces of paper come out.
- Try not to get it blocked (for example, avoid putting too much paper or very large pieces of newspaper).
Warnings
- Be careful with the blades - they are very sharp and you could get hurt.
- Always turn off the machine and disconnect it from electricity! It is better not to cut your fingers!
