Wipe the flap and the seals with warm water and dry them, keep the chip reader area clear, and check the seal for hardening — a stiff or noisy flap is usually dirt in the magnetic closures.
Five minutes, twice a year, and it prevents the two common complaints.
The seals
Grit collects along the bottom edge and in the magnetic closing points. That is what makes a flap clatter and stick.
The reader area
Keep the housing around the antenna clear and dry. Water sitting in a tunnel after rain is worth wiping out.
The batteries
Check the contacts for corrosion while you are there, and change the cells on a date rather than on a symptom.
What not to do
Do not soak an electronic flap or spray it. It is a powered device fitted in a wet environment, and the electronics are the part that does not tolerate either.
This does not replace your device’s manual. Blade temperatures, locking mechanisms and cleaning procedures differ from model to model, and the manufacturer’s instructions take precedence over anything written here. Unplug a device before dismantling it, check a hot blade or an air nozzle against your own hand before it goes anywhere near an animal, and keep a mechanism that closes or rotates under supervision until you know how it behaves.
Last reviewed 2026-08-17