Its time to do some workshop cleanup and tool maintenance. One thing that often gets neglected are my router bits. As you use your router bits, they can begin to build up a gummy residue. This residue can cause the bits to have to work harder which can give you a poor surface as well as overheat the bits. If a bit overheats, it can lose its temper in the steel which can make the bit dull and unusable. Since router bits can be very expensive its important to keep them clean. By cleaning off this residue periodically you can prolong the life of your bits.

There are several cleaners made just for the purpose of cleaning saw blades and router bits but I like to use something a little more universal. I use a product called Super Clean. You may be familiar with this purple bottle. Super Clean is available all over the place and can be used to clean about a million different things, not just bits and blades.

To clean the bits, I just spray a little cleaner on a rag, and very carefully scrub the gunk from the bits. Its important to work carefully as the cutting edges of the bit are very sharp. After just a little scrubbing the residue will come right off. If you have a particularly stubborn bit of gunk, you can soak the bit or blade in the cleaner. Be sure to remove the guide bearing first. You do not want to soak the bearing in the cleaner because it will clean all the lubrication out of the bearing. Thats bad. After a short soak, wipe the bit with your rag to finish cleaning it off. Reinstall the bearing and your ready to keep routing.

This task doesn’t take very much time and whatever product you choose to use to clean them with, I highly recommend taking the time to give your bits and blades a little TLC once in a while to prolong their life.

— Affiliate Links to Products Used —
Super Clean Spray Bottles (2 Pack) – https://amzn.to/3e6oFjP
Super Clean Aerosol – https://amzn.to/3vvKUW1
Super Clean Gallon – https://amzn.to/3xz34rU

** Full Disclosure **
Super Clean has not paid me to promote their products, but did send me some free product to use. I’ve been a user of Super Clean for many years, so when they reached out to me about their products,  I felt that this is a good fit and do not mind sharing it with you all. Thanks for understanding.

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