Blades do not usually go blunt, they seize. Hair and skin oil work their way down between the cutter and the comb, the two surfaces begin dragging on each other, and what was a sharp blade becomes a hot one that pulls at the coat instead of cutting it. A few drops of light oil before every clip is the whole of the maintenance routine.

This is Andis's own formula, light-bodied enough to work its way between the teeth rather than sitting on top of them, and both colourless and odourless, so it leaves nothing behind on a pale coat and nothing for a sensitive dog to object to. The 118ml bottle has a dispenser nozzle, which is what you want: oil goes where you aim it, along the teeth and into the tension spring, rather than flooding the blade.

• Lightweight, colourless and odourless formula
• Compatible with Andis clippers and all other makes
• 118ml bottle with a dispenser nozzle
• Applied to the blade before and during use
• Keeps cutter and comb moving freely against each other

Two things worth knowing. Oil is a lubricant, not a coolant. It reduces the friction that makes a blade hot, but a blade run continuously will still overheat, so test it against your wrist and swap to a second blade when the temperature climbs. And more is not better. A few drops along the teeth, run the clipper briefly, then wipe the excess away, because oil left pooling collects hair and turns to paste.

Who it's for: Home groomers and professionals maintaining clipper blades, on dogs, cats or any other animal that gets clipped.