Once a luxury only used in large offices, personal and office paper shredders are now a must for any home or office. Like any other office machine, they can grow sluggish from too much use and too little maintenance. There are a few ways to fix paper shredder malfunctions without visiting the repair shop.

Shut off the shredder. Unplug it and let in cool down for up to one hour. This will work if the shredder has stopped due to excessive use.

Check to see if the shredder is jammed. This is the most common cause of shredder problems. Click the power switch to reverse, which should clear a minor jam. If not, set the shredder to auto, and then to reverse again until the jam clears.

Clear extremely stubborn paper jams by grabbing the stuck paper and gently pulling it out. If smaller pieces of paper cause the jam, shut off the shredder and unplug it. When it cools down, carefully use a pair of tweezers to remove the paper bits.

Determine if the power supply to the shredder is working properly. If the power supply is cold, use an alternative source of electricity for your shredder. If it is warm, there may be a problem with the shredder itself. Call your office machine repair shop or the shredder manufacturer for assistance.

Sharpen or oil the blades. Shredder blades need to be oiled on a regular basis to keep your machine in proper working order. Get oil made specifically for shredder blades from an office supply store.