Sterilization with 200 proof ethyl-alcohol?

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

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 :D
Good luck,
G

According to wikipedia, in the US,

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Originally Posted by wikipedia

Alcoholic proof is twice the percentage of alcohol by volume when measured at a temperature of 60°F (15.5°C). Consequently, 100-proof whiskey contains 50% alcohol by volume; 86-proof whiskey contains 43% alcohol.

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Meaning that 200 proof is 100% alcohol, fyi.

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.

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Originally Posted by 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 :D
Good luck,
G

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Cool, gronk, thanks! And welcome to SRP!:rock:

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Originally Posted by 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.

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

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Originally Posted by 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.

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hence the "cutting" of moonshine :roflmao

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

Here's another tidbit about alcohol sterilization:

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Originally Posted by internet

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

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Originally Posted by 0livia

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

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

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Originally Posted by Ichinichi

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

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"This Side Down" ????? :confused:

Its says SAGROTAN or forget about it, wash it, dry it and expose it to light. :)

I think perhaps you're a bit too worried about "sterilization". Nothing is truly "sterile" for more than an instant...Your skin certainly isn't sterile when you shave.

I think you'll be fine if you just dip the razor in alcohol, let it dry, and shave in peace.

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... ;-)

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Originally Posted by 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.

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

Al raz.

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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Thanks, Utopian! I've still gotta send you that razor!

That is true, but you can not actually make 100% ethanol (even if that is what is says ont he bottle). The best you can do is 95% without a very good lab and you won't buy the 100% in your local drug store. I use bleach on the blades before I start sanding. But, beware it is very bad for blades and will stain a nice razor, so I do not recommend it on nice clean looking razor. I also rinse it thoroughly and then go over it with alcohol (70%). Peroxide and bleach are the natural defense in the human body and each are made by your immune cells so they are generally effective. The bleach is the best viricide, but not as effective for bacteria. The alcohol is better for bacteria but not as good for viral pathogens.
The good news is that HIV, Hepatitis and most blood born pathogens do not live in open air very well unless they are spore forming( ie certain bacteria, fungi). The best news is that if you eat brains or mad cows then the prions in the meat can not be killed or destroyed by anything including heat, bleach, alcohol, or anything else you can imagine. So don't worry. Your alcohol will do just great!

i just wipe the blades with a Q-TIP that I dipped in rubbing alcohol and let it air dry while i take a shower. Sometimes the blade is still wet from the alcohol i rubbed on it so i just wipe it clean with more q-tip and then I shave with it. It makes me feel like it's clean enough to me.
What do ya'll think about that?

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Originally Posted by treydampier

That is true, but you can not actually make 100% ethanol (even if that is what is says ont he bottle). The best you can do is 95% without a very good lab and you won't buy the 100% in your local drug store. I use bleach on the blades before I start sanding. But, beware it is very bad for blades and will stain a nice razor, so I do not recommend it on nice clean looking razor. I also rinse it thoroughly and then go over it with alcohol (70%). Peroxide and bleach are the natural defense in the human body and each are made by your immune cells so they are generally effective. The bleach is the best viricide, but not as effective for bacteria. The alcohol is better for bacteria but not as good for viral pathogens.
The good news is that HIV, Hepatitis and most blood born pathogens do not live in open air very well unless they are spore forming( ie certain bacteria, fungi). The best news is that if you eat brains or mad cows then the prions in the meat can not be killed or destroyed by anything including heat, bleach, alcohol, or anything else you can imagine. So don't worry. Your alcohol will do just great!

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Not true. 100% ethanol can and is made commercially. The 95% limit only applies to purification by normal distillation. 100% ethanol can be produced by either extractive distillation or by normal distillation followed by molecular sieve dehydration, both are practiced on a commercial (not just laboratory) scale. 100% ethanol, also known as absolute ethanol) is, however, tightly controlled and difficult to get. You certainly will not find it in your local drug store. Ethanol is a low level disinfectent. I will kill all viruses, but only a small number of bacteria. Isoproynol, will only kill some viruses and a small number of bacteria. Both will kill HIV, Hep-A, Hep-B and Hep-C viruses.