Apart from the usual care instructions (e.g, avoid excessive heat or cold, keep it dry and dust-free, keep away from food and liquids), there are other things you can do to the extend the life of your Cricut Expression to maximize its use. Of course, the Cricut is made of durable high-quality materials, but you still need to put in additional care to make sure it’ll last.

There are two parts of the Expression that are in constant use and as such, need extra care. These are the cutting blade and the mat.

 

Caring for the Cricut Expression cutting blade

Provo Craft estimates  that your cutting blade will make about 500 to 1500 cuts before it will require a replacement. But the actual blade life will depend on the type of materials you cut, your settings and how frequent you use it. When your blades get dull and you notice your cuts tearing, then it’s a sign to get a new blade. It is ideal to have an extra replacement blade so you don’t have to stop right in the middle of a project.

Make sure you check the blade holder. Sometimes it can get filled up by paper debris and cause problems with the blade as it will not be able to rotate properly. Clean it thoroughly and your blade will cut perfectly again.

Different materials require different cutting styles and settings so it is essential that you use the correct setting for each material.

If you do need to replace the blade, always make sure to unplug the machine first.

Provo Craft has released a new Cricut Deep Cut Blade that can be used for the Cricut Expression. The Deep Cut blade will make it easier to cut through thicker materials like chipboard, without your blade getting dull easily which happens when you use the standard blade. But try to use the “multi-cut function” so it goes over it and make a clean cut.

 

Caring for your Cricut Expression Cutting Mat

You can expect to have 25-40 full cuts on your mat before it needs a replacement, as recommended by Provo Craft. For smaller cuts (those that don’t fill the entire mat), you can expect more. You can rotate the position of your smaller cuts so that the pressure is spread evenly throughout your entire mat, making your cutting mat’s life span last longer.

 

Here are some more tips in caring for your Cricut mat:

1. Keep your mat clean.

Remove all debris from the mat after cutting. This includes those little pieces that is left from the materials you cut. You can use a spatula or a scraper to remove those small pieces. After using your Cricut Expression, put the plastic protective cover back on the mat to keep it clean and dust-free. This will maintain the Cricut mat’s adhesiveness.

2. When you notice that your mat begins to lose its stickiness, try using a repositional mount spray.

Crafter’s Companion Stick and Spray is good temporary adhesive you can use to spray on your mat. This will prolong the life of your mat so you won’t have to buy a new replacement mat that often.

This is especially good if you have a lot crafting projects and do a lot of cutting with your Cricut Expression. Spraying an adhesive does not void your guarantee, in any way.

A word of advice though. When you do this, make sure you put a thin strip of paper on where your mat goes under the roller bars. This helps keep the adhesive spray particles from coming in contact with the roller bars.

3. Use the correct settings for appropriate for the type of material you’re using.

Using heavy pressure settings on paper-thin materials can damage your mat and cut through it. So make sure you use the correct settings and the the right amount of pressure for each type of crafting material you’re cutting.

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