Thread: Sanitation question on vintage razor

GOLD..

You need not worry unduly, simple cleanliness is usually sufficient. I clean them with dish soap and water, taking an old toothbrush to the jumps. If you wish, you can dip the blade only in alcohol or apply hand sanitizer (which is typically 60% ethanol) being careful not to get it on the scales since it will attack some materials. Steel is not very porous so a good cleaning should do the job. I put a drop of Ballistol on the pivot pin since it displaces water but there are many other products that will work just fine.

rs,
Tack

[edit: the bleach idea sounds good too.]

Scrubbing Bubbles (yeah, the bathroom cleaner) works wonders as well and will remove 99 and 44/100% of the bacteria

I personally use marvicide which is bssicly the same as barbercide.... The same stuff your barber uses to clean their instruments. I can assure you this is overkill and just plain soap and water / alcohol would do the trick just as well. However as a creature of excess I sprung for the specific product. If you are in to collecting straights a marvicide jar and solution will prob cost around 25$ looks great in your shave den and serves various other purposes. I clean my brushes in the stuff and it get them nice clean and smelling fresh! YMMV

Thank you everyone for the quick reply. I figured it was a simple solution since it is never really brought up anywhere. I will make sure it is nice and clean. Thank you all so much.

I would be more worried about mouse turds or cockroach footprints that who used it last! After 50 years in a basement drawer.

Clean with soap and water, hone and/or strop and go for it.

Originally Posted by GOLDD3000

Thank you everyone for the quick reply. I figured it was a simple solution since it is never really brought up anywhere. I will make sure it is nice and clean. Thank you all so much.

Actually it has been brought up several times. But since the only bad question is the unasked question keep asking any you can't find yourself.

Short answer; bleach/oxidizer bad, 5 min soak in alcohol/barbercide/soap good. Also takes care of mouse cuties. Sterilization - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Long answer; homework.
Longest virus can [live|survive] outside the human body
Popsci How long do microbes like bacteria and viruses live on surfaces in the home at normal room temperatures?
Wikipedia - Virus


Jonathan

The really nasty bacteria you won't find on your razor but on you own skin!
Soap and water can kill more than people think.

Originally Posted by JoeLowett

I personally use marvicide which is bssicly the same as barbercide.... The same stuff your barber uses to clean their instruments. I can assure you this is overkill and just plain soap and water / alcohol would do the trick just as well. However as a creature of excess I sprung for the specific product. If you are in to collecting straights a marvicide jar and solution will prob cost around 25$ looks great in your shave den and serves various other purposes. I clean my brushes in the stuff and it get them nice clean and smelling fresh! YMMV

How do you clean your brushes in it?

I have always been told to use borax and water to clean brushes.