How do you repair a jammed paper shredder?

First check if you don't put in too much or too thick paper. Try to shred less sheets at the same time. Isn't that helping? The following reasons could cause your paper shredder to jam:

• You put the paper in too quickly.
• You put the paper in skewed.
• You put in crumbled or folded paper.
• You put in the wrong material.

The following tips are helpful for many paper shredders, but it's best to check the manual of your specific model first.

• Tip 1: unplug the connector from the socket.
• Tip 2: lubricate the blades.
• Tip 3: empty the container.
• Tip 4: use the reverse function.
• Tip 5: carefully pull the paper from the paper shredder.
• Tip 6: remove the blockage.

If the paper shredder stops shredding because of a blockage, the motor is still on. That's why you should unplug the power cord. This prevents the motor from overheating and causing permanent damage to your paper shredder. It's also for your own safety that we recommend you to unplug the the power cord when you maintain the paper shredder.

After intensive use of the paper shredder, lubricate the blades with oil. There won't be as much oil on the blades after prolonged or intensive use, which causes the blades to block more quickly. First, lubricate the top of the shredder, let the oil soak for a bit and check if the shredder works again. If it doesn't, try to lubricate the bottom of the blades as well and check if the blades rotate again. If you don't lubricate the blades regularly, the shredder can jam.

The shredded paper falls into the container right away. When it's full, there's no more room for shreds. You should empty the container to be sure that the paper shredder has room for new shreds. Once you've emptied the container, restart the paper shredder.

With the reverse function, the blades in the paper shredder rotate in the opposite direction. They paper won't go in, it'll come out. Even jammed paper. Have the blades rotate in the wrong direction for a couple of seconds and check whether that solves the blockage. If it doesn't, repeat this a couple of times. You'll recognize the reverse function by the arrows pointing to the left ⏮ or a button with 'R' or 'Rev' on it.

You used the reverse function and can see the paper, but the paper shredder still jams. If that's the case, carefully try to pull out the visible piece of paper from the paper shredder. Make sure to check again whether you've unplugged it. Don't pull the jammed paper too hard, that could damage the paper shredder.

The blades could jam because of a wad of paper, a rubber band, or too much dust. Check whether you've unplugged the power cord of the paper shredder and make sure the blades are visible. Remove the shred button from the container or slide the container out of the paper shredder. You could look up how to make the blades of your paper shredder visible. First, carefully vacuum along the blades to remove dust or loose parts. After that, try to remove the blockage with tongs or tweezers.