Thread: Sterilizing Razors

I've seen sterilization mentioned in a couple threads but ran a search for it in here and came up empty so thought I'd pose a newbie question to cover the whole topic.

• How often should straights be sterilized?
• What's your preference on what to use and how to use it?
• Where do you get the stuff, and how long does it last?
• Anything else important that I should have asked

Thanks,
Dave

I use a 15min bath in a 1:1:1 mix of bleachater:alcohol. First i clean the razor with an antibacterial soap/detergent to get all of the soap/grease residue out and I do it inside the scales as well (floss it with a detergent-soaked strip of cloth). However, if the scales are celluloid, don't use alcohol, it may make them deteriorate. The bleach will expose corrosion on carbon-steel blades, so you will need to use a metal polish after that to remove it.
Sterilization is to be done once you get a vintage blade or a display piece from a store or when you drop a razor in the toilet (this never happened to me, but it's an extreme case where it's absolutely necessary lol).
Bleach in the laundry section of any larger grocery store, alcohol in any pharmacy (99%) and water right out of your tap.

you can use a mixture of the old school barbicide/water ...the blue stuff from your barber they leave their combs in.


also you can go to a local pet store / groomer and ask what they use for their clippers. alot use Clippercide or some professional grade product from like Oyster etc etc that sterilizes. that will also work for ya. its cheap, 7$ ish for some. it kills everything.


~J

Bleach won't "expose" corrosion on carbon steel blades. It will cause it. Never bring bleach near steel if you give a damn about your razors.

It will accelerate corrosion where it already exists. However the clean spots will stay the same. I've used it on every one of my razors except for the Bismarck without any issues that a quick rubdown with CLR metal polish didn't fix. The key to it is a good rinse:
1) First you rinse the blade and the sterilization container well under water
2) Fill up the container with water and leave the razor in there for another 5min
3) Rinse again
4) Wipe
5) Clean

I talked to a stylist friend who told me that they don't use barbicide on metal implements in the salon as it also corrodes the steel.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

It will accelerate corrosion where it already exists. However the clean spots will stay the same. I've used it on every one of my razors except for the Bismarck without any issues that a quick rubdown with CLR metal polish didn't fix. The key to it is a good rinse:
1) First you rinse the blade and the sterilization container well under water
2) Fill up the container with water and leave the razor in there for another 5min
3) Rinse again
4) Wipe
5) Clean

Chlorine is a powerful oxidizer, so I'd rather find something easier to use that won't damage the steel if left in contact. I don't even keep the buckets of pool chlorine tablets in my garage for that reason - don't want to run the risk of corrosion on cars, tools, etc.

I have no doubt that it's an effective sanitizing agent and appreciate the response though.

That's why I limit it to 15min and make sure I rinse the razors well. Yes some rust will gush out of the pitting, but once you've cleaned the blade well, it won't be an issue. Especially since ideally it's done only once in the lifetime of the razor. If you don't wanna corrode the blades, then don't use barbicide either. Barbers only sterilize plastic combs with it for a reason. It oxidizes metal as well. Use clippercide as the next best thing.

here ya go:

clippercide and barbicide on the same page for sale:

http://www.cachebeauty.com/wholsale/king.htm


here is the link to the OSTER product i got from the pet grooming place.

http://www.jbpet.com/Shopping/produc...ookie%5Ftest=1

~J

I wipe my blades with rubbing alcohol after each shave. If I'm concerned about the condition of one (it was found in an unsanitary position) I'll do it before I shave as well. I often wonder whether that should be before or after stropping though.

X