Solve the difficult paper jam problem manually

1.For safety reasons, unplug the shredder first.

For your safety,you have to read the following precautions carefully,because you have you remove the jammed paper by hand or other tools.During the process,the most feared thing is that when the fingers or tools are placed on the paper inlet of the machine, the shredder work suddenly.That’s why you have to unplug the shredder.

2.If possible, remove the shredder head

There are two parts consisted the paper shredder normally:the paper waste bin and the shredder head.f the upper part can be removed, it is much easier to analyze the jammed problem. Usually, the shredder head can be separated from the paper waste bin by gently lifting it.

If possible, place the paper shredder head on a large newspaper, and then repair the paper shredder by hand.

3.Pull out the jammed paper by tweezers

The gap between the shredder's blades is very narrow, and the jammed paper inside can only be pulled out with tweezers.And I don’t recommend using hand directly.

In addition to the top of the paper inlet, you can also try to pull the paper out from the bottom. It's hard to analyze the situations by your eyes, so sometimes it may be better to start from the other direction.

4.Cut the curled scraps of paper with a knife and pull them out

When the paper shredder is jammed, the pieces of shredded paper may be wrapped around the cylindrical cutter, which it hard to clean.

You can try to cut the entangled paper with a sharp knife so that the jammed paper will be easier to clean.

5.Use a screwdriver or pliers to remove the jammed paper or plastic fragments

Looking up from the bottom of the shredder, you can clearly see the thick paper or plastic stuck (the CDs,DVDs and credit cards) between the blades.When using a screwdriver or pliers, you can use some tricks (the principle of leverage) to make it more easily to pull out.Don't be hard to drag.

Attention,when using the tool to pull out the jammed object,please be carefully!Don’t damage the blade,otherwise it will cost a lot of money for maintenance.

6.Tuck more papers into the paper inlet of the shredder

Believe it or not, sometimes plugging more paper into the paper inlet can get the jammed shredder back to normal.

With this method,you need to prepare a pieces of card paper,such as the cardboard of a cereal box.

Start the shredder and push the card paper directly to the middle of the paper inlet.Keep pushing hard and steady,so that the paper can pass through the paper inlet.

If this method does not work,stop immediately before the problem getting worse and try other methods.

7.Try add some lubricant

Sometimes,not getting proper lubrication is the main cause of jammed problem.We should maintain the shredder.(You can refer our articles before.)

You can buy the lubricant at most office supplies stores or the online store.

Apply a sufficient amount of lubricant to the paper jam place.After half an hour, start the shredder forward again. At this time, not only the jammed paper is softened, but the blade is also lubricated, and the machine should be able to rotate easily.

8.After clearing most of the jammed paper, change the running direction of the machine

If you have successfully cleared most of the jammed paper, but still have some remain between the blades, try running the shredder in reverse for a while.

9.check whether the shredder can operate normally.

Insert a piece of paper into the paper inlet.if it can easily pass through the paper inlet, you can continue processing the remaining paper.