Modern personal care gadgets, such as Xiaomi Soocas So White electric razors, are famous for their minimalist design and tightness. However, it is this tightness that often becomes an obstacle when the device requires maintenance, cleaning or replacing the battery. Many owners are afraid to open the device for fear of breaking the moisture protection or damaging fragile plastic latches.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the process of dismantling a popular model so that you can safely carry out prevention or minor repairs. It is important to understand that disassembling the case entails the loss of the official warranty, so all manipulations you make at your own risk.
The challenge is that there are no visible screws on the outside, and Soocas engineers have hidden all the fasteners under decorative pads and seals, and you'll need not only a technical mindset to work well, but also a set of special tools, which we'll talk about later, and mishandling the internal components can lead to short circuits or mechanical damage.
Tools and workplace preparation required
Before you start dismantling, you need to organize a clean and well-lit space, dust and small debris inside the housing can disrupt the engine or cause corrosion of contacts, you need an antistatic mat or just a clean fabric, so that small screws do not get lost and roll into hard-to-reach places.
The toolkit should be specialized, as standard household screwdrivers can rip off screw hats. To work with Xiaomi So White, precision tools designed to repair smartphones and laptops are best suited. Lack of the right tool often leads to damage to the thread or cracks in the plastic.
- 🔧 A set of precision screwdrivers (necessary the presence of Torx type bits) T4/T5 and Phillips #000)
- 🔪 Thin plastic mediator or suction cup for neat opening of the body
- 🧤 Antistatic gloves to protect electronics from static electricity
- 🧴 Isopropyl alcohol and soft brush for cleaning internal components
Plastic blades are a special consideration. Metal tools like knives or tweezers can easily damage the soft plastic of the case or, worse, break through battery insulation. Using the wrong tools is the most common reason for failures to disassemble, after which the case looks unpresentable.
⚠️ Warning: Before starting any work, make sure the device is completely turned off. If the razor was in operation, let it cool down so as not to burn yourself on a heated motor or battery.
Removal of the shaving head and protective net
The first step in any disassembly is to remove the external removable elements, and in the case of So White, it's a shaving head, which is attached by a magnetic coupling or a tight fit on the guides, depending on the specific revision of the model, and you have to act confidently, but without any sudden jerks.
Take the body with one hand, and the other gently pull the head up. If the design involves a rotating mechanism, you may need to slightly twist the head counterclockwise. Inside you will see a drive shaft that transmits rotation from the motor to the knives. It needs to be kept clean.
Once the head is removed, look inside the mesh, and often that's where oxides and skin oil accumulate, which makes it difficult for the knives to move, and for deep cleaning, you can soak the mesh in a solution with detergent, but before you put it back in, it must be completely dry so that water doesn't get into the engine compartment when you assemble it.
- 🌀 Carefully remove the head, avoiding distortions, so as not to break the plastic pins.
- 🧼 Wash the net with warm water and soap, if the instruction to the model allows it
- 💧 Dry all the removed elements carefully before further manipulation.
Some users try to remove the metal mesh from the plastic base to clean the hairs from under it, this is strongly discouraged, as the mesh is very thin and easily deformed, which will lead to deterioration of the shaving quality and possible cuts to the skin.
Dismantling the main body and searching for hidden screws
The most difficult step is opening the main cylindrical body, which visually seems monolithic, but actually consists of two or three parts connected by screws and adhesive sealant, and at the bottom of the device, under the rubber plug of the charging port, often hides the first fastener.
Use a thin needle or tweezers to fit a rubber plug, and underneath it you find a screw that needs to be twisted out, and then you have to separate the top from the bottom, and you'll best use a suction cup to attach it to a smooth surface, and at the same time help yourself with a mediator around the perimeter of the seam.
☑️ Checklist before opening the hull
If you don't have a suction cup, you can carefully insert a thin plastic card into the gap between the halves of the case. Move around, gradually increasing the gap. Don't try to tear the case apart in a jerk, because inside are plumes and wires that connect the control buttons to the motherboard, which are easy to break.
| Type of attachment | Location. | Tool. | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torx screw | Under USB plug | Screwdriver T4 | Low. |
| Plastic latches | |||
| The glue layer | |||
| Friction landing |
Some Xiaomi So White versions use an extra adhesive layer to improve water protection, and if the body doesn't lend itself, you can slightly warm the joint with a hair dryer at a minimum temperature, but don't overheat the plastic so it doesn't deform, and patience at this point is the key to success.
Removal of the battery and replacement
Once the body is successfully detached, you'll see an internal device that's central to the battery, most often 18650 or prismatic, depending on the year it's released, and it's the battery that's autonomous, and it's going to drop over time.
The battery is usually locked in a plastic bed and connected to the board via a connector or solder directly. If you are planning to replace a battery, you need to know exactly the voltage and current output parameters. Using an inappropriate battery can cause the device to fail or even fire.
Where can I find the battery label?
To remove the battery, gently disconnect the connector with tweezers. If the battery is held on double-sided tape, do not pull it by the wires. Better to tweak the edge of the battery with a plastic blade and gradually separate it from the wall of the case. When installing a new cell, make sure that the connection is correctly polarized.
- 🔋 Disconnect the battery connector from the motherboard before retrieval
- 🧲 Check the status of contacts for oxidation or contamination
- 🛡️ Make sure the new battery has a built-in protection fee (BMS)
⚠️ Warning: Never puncture or crush a lithium-ion battery. Damage to the battery shell can cause a chemical reaction and electrolyte ignition.
Maintenance of the motor and cleaning of electronic board
Inside the body is a vibrator motor or rotary motor that drives knives, and over time, hairs and downs can wind into the shaft of the motor, creating unnecessary friction, which leads to reduced shaving power and increased noise when operating.
To clean, use a soft brush soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Carefully remove all dirt from the shaft and bearings. If the motor has graphite brushes, their wear and tear may be the cause of weak rotation, in which case it is necessary to replace the entire motor, since repairing individual engine components is not economically feasible.
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To lubricate the motor shaft, use only synthetic lubricants that are resistant to water. Conventional engine oil can thicken and spoil the mechanism.
The electronic control board also requires attention, so check it for corrosion, especially if water has been ingested, oxidized contacts can be cleaned neatly with alcohol and a soft toothbrush, and after cleaning, the board must dry completely before assembly.
The switch is a special attention, and underneath it is a rubber contact or a microswitch, and if the button starts to run or doesn't respond well, check the integrity of the rubber element and the purity of the contacts on the board, sometimes just rub them with alcohol.
Assembly of the device and checking leakage
The assembly process is reversed, first the battery is placed and fixed, then the plume is connected, and it's important to make sure that all the wires are packed into their channels and not clamped when the housing is closed, which could damage their insulation.
When connecting the halves of the body, make sure that the sealing gum (if it is designed) lies exactly along the groove and is not clamped anywhere. This is critical to restore the device's waterproofness. Screw the screws evenly, without undue effort, so that the plastic does not burst.
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Quality assembly depends on the correct stacking of seals and the absence of distortions when connecting parts of the body.
After final assembly, test the engine, check the engine in different modes, if any, it is also advisable to check the device under the water stream (without strong pressure) to make sure there are no leaks. If there are water droplets inside, the disassembly was unsuccessful, you need to re-seal.
The final touch will be to wipe the body with a soft fabric to remove fingerprints. Now your Xiaomi So White razor is ready to use again, with a fresh battery and clean mechanics. Regular maintenance will allow it to last for many years.