Thread: Any of you used shave stuff buyers worry..

I'm a cop. The best thing I can offer for credentials on the following was advanced biology in High school.

My biology teacher brought up the EXACT point that has been voiced already in the thread, but put it in this perspective that has ALWAYS stuck vividly for me. Go to your grocery store, drug store, corner market, or freaking 7-11 and you will find at least a half dozen different brands of anti-bacterial hand soap, hand lotion, or waterless hand cleaner. Now...assuming the chances of killing EACH and EVERY single solitary germ on your hands are close to nil without the use of something as harsh as say bleach...and the bottles tell on themselves with "Kills 99.9% of bacteria" that means that 0.1% of the bacteria on you is immune or at least resistant to the treatment.

Now, having killed off the other 99.9% you are left with NOTHING but the resistant 0.1% and you have left them completely bereft of competition. That's right ladies and gentleman you have now cleared the way for an infestation of the SUPER-GERM. Oh...well I'll just use the hand cleaner again and again...DUH!!! you already proved that it doesn't work, that's how you got here to begin with. Short of bleaching your hands...you have now helped to create a race of demon germs that just won't die.

Ok so you go home and use bleach cause you KNOW there's some creepy crawlies left that are some tough bastards. Too late...your colony has now spread from your hands to every object you have touched between then and now. Marie Antionette may not have said "Let them eat cake"...but I'd like to go down in history as saying...

Let them eat dirt. It'll keep your kids happy and healthy for a long time...I know I was a mud pie connoisseur

EDIT : Oh yeah...my razor is a used Henckels. I polished the hell out of it...honed it on a sharpmaker...and cleaned it with alcohol. Good enough for me.

I'm not a doctor but I work with the insufferable bastards everyday. I also have an entire medical library sitting before me. And while this is not medical advice, let's pretend I know what I'm talking about.

Dry steel at room temperature is not an attractive environment for pathogens.

Most leather treatments make leather inhospitable to pathogens (that's why it doesn't rot)

The operative words here are dry and at room temperature.

Brushes present their own problems for obvious reasons. But they're more likely to grow things that floating in the air rather than a blood borne pathogen

Some of the simplest cleaning methods will kill anything you might be worried about.

Really worried about your health? Eat better, stop smoking, and fasten your seat belt.

regards &c

Library Guy (who was vaccinated for Hep B)

I just wish everyone would wash their hands after using a public toilet...

RT

I haven't really bought any used razors yet, except one that I picked up at an antique store and haven't used. But, really, I'm pretty sure alcohol and some hot water and soap go a long way.

However, I mentioned in the Barbicide thread that according to the people who make the stuff, you have to change it every day. That was pretty much scoffed at as a waste. This doesn't compute for me. If you're concerned, get the gallon jug, change it every day, and you'll be at least in as good a hands as the barber.

On my own razors I do either the Barbicide or Clippercide thing. I don't change the Barbicide that often as it is my own germs I am killing <g>. In a barbershop situation I would be changing the solution every day as suggested.
There is Barbicide and Barbicide Plus. The Plus is effective against several strains of hepatitus and even tuberculosis.
On razors I hone I always spray them with Clippercide before packing, to prevent rust and to make the buyer feel a little better since I have handled it a bit.
I am not a germ freak by any means. In my house the 30 second rule can stretch to 30 minutes (if my wife is not looking <g>) but I do think if your face is prone to irritation a good cleaning of your razors each time can only help.
Tony

I use Barbicide on my own razors and when I buy a used razor I use Barbicide plus to disinfect it. I've also used a 10% bleech solution which will kill most anything of concern, and the finish off your razor if you use too much bleech in the mix.

Alcohol isn't as effective as bleech , barbicide, clippercide, etc...

In the first post, Straightman noted that there is a large difference between disinfecting and sterilizing. But frankly, what is the difference? If a disinfectant kills all the germs/viruii/fungi what's the technical difference between that and "sterilized"?

Don in Ohio

Pick me! I Know!

To disinfect is to destroy, reduce numbers, or otherwise render useless micro-organisms capable of causing disease.

To sterilize is to destroy all mico-organisms on or about an object.

Thus, alcohol based products disinfect. An autoclave sterilizes.

There would be little point in having a sterile razor unless your bathroom is sterile too.

Regards &c
Library Guy (who is not sterile)

What library guy said. Generally, to disinfect is to destroy "most" of the microorganisms, while to sterilize is to kill all the microorganisms. You can sterilize with "cold sterilizing solutions" but it usually takes about 24 hrs whereas some autoclaves can sterilize in 10-20 minutes.
And it's true that to maintain an effective immune system it needs to be challenged. This is done constantly in our environment as we go about our daily lives. We are literally exposed to millions of pathogens every day which in turn keeps our immune systems "well rehearsed".
However, our immune systems can be overcome and when they are illness is often the result. How ill we become depends on the pathogen, its virulence, and how susceptible we are. Therefore it's probably not a good idea to just always leave it up to our immune systems to take care of any "bugs" we may be exposed to. If we were able to do that there would be no reason to sterilize surgical instruments or even wash our dishes and eating utensils, or wash our hands after, uhhhh, pooping. By the way, antibacterial soaps are not.
Anyway, I didn't mean for this thread to turn into a lecture in immunology, primarily because I'm not an expert in the field although in my occupation immunology was an integral part of my training. I was only wanting to convey the idea that unless you're already doing so (and it sounds like most of you are), it might be a good idea to be cautious about how you handle used shaving items until they're at least disinfected. I'll shut up now.

Tom

So, basicly, disinfecting kills, or neutralizes the bad stuff, but maybe not everything. Whereas sterilizing kills everything regardless.

I understand the distinction, but it seems like a very narrow difference to me.

Don in Ohio

Damn, Straightman beat by 4 minutes. I gotta learn to type faster!