Sterilization with 200 proof ethyl-alcohol?

[Ichinichi]

I'm submerging my blades in lab grade 200 proof ethyl-alcohol for about 5 minutes. Will this be sufficient for sterilization purposes?

[gronk]

Alcohol kills by denaturing the cell walls when it evaporates. So, I don't know if the time left soaking is important, so long as all surfaces are wet, so much as letting it dry off before wiping it down, or otherwise removing the alcohol.
Alternatively, you could strike a match near it when it's drying, and it should be very sterile
Good luck,
G

[0livia]

You might want to dilute it a bit. (80%)
Alcohol is most effective when its not 100% pure.
Somehow it needs the water to work properly.

[Ichinichi]

You might want to dilute it a bit. (80%)
Alcohol is most effective when its not 100% pure.
Somehow it needs the water to work properly.

We use 70% in the labs to sterilize our bench and equipment. Link to source?

[Ichinichi]

Here's another tidbit about alcohol sterilization:

True sterilization with alcohol is NOT effective. There is a big
difference between sterilization vs. sanitization vs. disinfection. The
difference from a 12 log reduction in [pathogen] count to a 2 log reduction,
1,000,000,000,000 to 100. Each has its own requirements.
Which do you really have to do? This depends on where the electrodes will
be going. If they are going into a human (brain electrodes), you need
de-pyrogenation (anti-endotoxin) as well as sterility by overkill method
or "F sub-o" (12 log reduction of Clostridium botulinum or 6 logs of
Bacillus stearothermophilus spores).

Alcohol only kills gram positive coccus well (emphasis added) e.g. Staphylococcus aureus.
BUT, not G+ rods (Bacillus, Clostridium) i.e. not endospores, not
yeast (yeast like to make alcohol and are tolerant of ethanol but less
tolerant of IPA, about 50 times less tolerant according to my studies),
alcohol will also not mold spores. Gram negative are usually killed if
not in too high bioburden. In fact, low bioburnen (<2 logs) is always
advisable.

50-70% IPA is optimum for G+ cocci...polio vaccine had a problem
in attennuation for a similar reason (alcohol contant was too high and
protected the viruses).

Do you really need sterilization (unlikely)? Use heat if possible, dry
heat 200C for 2 hours or steam 15 PSIG for 15 minutes or "F sub-o" = 15
minutes at the coldest spot in the load (not just the chamber).
Sterilization depends on both time and temperature. i.e. autoclave

[gratewhitehuntr]

You might want to dilute it a bit. (80%)
Alcohol is most effective when its not 100% pure.
Somehow it needs the water to work properly.

hence the "cutting" of moonshine

[0livia]

Sorry, none, just from the top of my pumpkin.

[Ichinichi]

Sorry, none, just from the top of my pumpkin.

and what, praytell, does the bottom of your pumpkin say?

[Alraz]

There have been a number of threads dealing with the issue of starilization/sanitation, etc. This one is one of the latest I have read: A final word on sterilization - Straight Razor Place Forums

I think the consensus seem to be that you cannot completely rid of all micro organisms/viruses by simply adding chemicals. Sterilization is the only proven method/s (there is more than one) of getting rid of all micro organisms and viruses. Using some of these chemicals, you can safely get rid of most common pathogens though.

What I do to clean my razors, is to wash the blade and scales with antibacterial soap. I have used 95% ethanol and iodophor on the blade as well. Cleaning the blades seems good but, if the razor is infected with spore forming bacteria, cleaning just the blade is a moot point, even if you autoclave it. I would not go as far as other to say that some of these precautions are unnecessary but definitely seem overkill in most cases. Again, do what makes you feel safe, as long as you do not not harm yourself, others, and more importantly, your razors... ;-)

You might want to dilute it a bit. (80%)
Alcohol is most effective when its not 100% pure.
Somehow it needs the water to work properly.

I wonder what it is that makes work better diluted...

Al raz.

[Utopian]

70% ethanol has been shown empirically (trial and error) to be the most effective concentration for disinfection. Presumably it's because more concentrated ethanol evaporates too rapidly to be as effective. BTW, it is the evaporation of the ethanol that is responsible for most of the disinfection. As already stated above, the soaking in ethanol has little effect.

For those of you considering alcohol for disinfection, 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol is equally effective, readily available, and cheaper.