Any of you used shave stuff buyers worry..

...about disease? As a health professional I would. Diseases like hepatitis B can live for 7 days on a counter top let alone used razors, brushes (these could house bacteria for much longer), mugs, or strops with blood remnants or bacteria on them. I'm betting the overwhelming majority of used shave items are not truly sterilized. Not trying to be an alarmist and I can't prove anyone has ever contracted a disease from used shaving items. However, all the ingredients are potentially there, especially blood remnants. I would love to browse through flea markets for used shaving stuff but I have to admit I'm hesitant to do so.
The only reason I bring this up is to give all forum participants here a heads up and to say "be careful out there". The most likely dangerous disease you could come in contact with is hepatitis B which, for some people, is not too big of a deal but for others...well, lets just say many of them are not with us anymore. And if you would happen to nick or cut yourself with a razor that someone else shaved with just a few days ago bacteria or pathogens of any kind could easily be transmitted to you.
Perhaps Dr. Moss or another knowledgeable forum participant could comment more expertly on this and maybe offer some suggestions on how shaving accessories could be sterilized or at least disinfected. I know many Ebay items are advertised as "sterilized" when in actuality they are disinfected and there's a huge difference between the two. And I'd bet that many items are neither sterilized nor disinfected regardless of the way they're advertised. Maybe I'm being a bit of a "Chicken Little" about this and I'm not trying to "rain on anyone's parade". But it does give me reason for concern. Comments?

Tom

You bring up a good point. All of the used DE razors I have purchased have been submitted to a good scrubbing, then to a 15-20 minute rolling boil bath, then steeped in alcohol for a half hour. Any of the straights that I have bought used have been wiped down with alcohol, and sprayed with Clippercide.

RT

Used str8s I buy get scrubed and polished, then dipped in Barbicide. Boiling would damage the scales. I give blood (whole blood, plasma and platelets) on a regular basis so I watch risks to my health. I'm also a "Panel cell" donor. They use enzymes in my blood to help match organ donors to recipients to reduce rejection.

What is clippercide? How is it used? Who sells it and how much is it?

I only have 2 comments:

1: I worry about parents "disinfecting" their kids too much giving them less resistance to bacteria ...
2: I worry about Doctors and medical people messing up as this has killed far more people over the years than an individual using a used razor which might have any bacteria on it.

Dunk it in 90% alcohol if you are that insecure..

Hoekie

edit: was not awake, removed typos

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Originally Posted by HoekmanX

I only have 2 comments:

1: I worry about parents "disinfecting" their kids too much giving them less resistance to bacteria ...
2: I worry about Doctors and medical people messing up as this has killed far more people over the years than an individual using a used razor which micht have a bacteria on it.

Dunk it in 90% alcohol if you are that insecure..

Hoekie

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I have to say I agree with HoekmanX. I realize there is a theoretical possibility of contracting any number of illnesses from a used razor but I think it is GROSSLY overexagerated. I think we have become an overly cautious society. I have things running around in my body that my doctors have not been able to identify. Although I haven't delved into the exciting world of used shaving items, I would have no qualms about using them if some minor precautions like the ones mentioned by rtaylor and wopman' were taken.

Louis

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Originally Posted by RAM

What is clippercide? How is it used? Who sells it and how much is it?

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Clippercide is made by the manufacturer's of Barbicide, but it comes in a spray can. I paid about $7 bucks for my cann at Sally's Beauty Supply, and it should last well over a year. I also spray my straights after each use. Search on Google for other suppliers.

RT

Well, nice desinfecting bath makes 1/3 bleach, 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 water. I read this here. dunk the razor for couple of minutes there and you are safe. Just watch the scales. And ofcourse, use some common sence. I spray 96% ethanol alcohol before each use, after stropping.

Nenad

I DON'T USE oops, caps lock on - sorry!

i don't use strops or brushes that i haven't bought new as i can't be sure they are "clean" and i use clippercide which is anti bacterial, viricidal and anti fungal on razors and mugs before i do anything else.


i think mr. hoekmanx is right about people living in an environment which is too clean - i was always filthy as a child, loved getting dirty, fishing, etc and my immune system is great!
if you live in a sterlie environment your body doesn't get exposed to bacteria etc so surely can't build up a strong immune system.

:)

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Originally Posted by HoekmanX

I only have 2 comments:
1: I worry about parents "disinfecting" their kids too much giving them less resistance to bacteria ...

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Well, the AMA and CDC seem to agree with you. The overuse of antibiotics has led us to crisis in many areas where resistant strains of bacteria like MRSA are running rampant and taking lives. Doctors are now prescribing fewer of these drugs.

Still, with razors and such it seems wise to use one of the products mentioned prior to first contact with your strop or skin.

I am not a Doctor.

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 :D

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. :rolleyes:

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!

Tom,

You brought up a worthy topic, definitely worth discussing. I know that the majority of items I have purchased (most ebay items excluded) have all appeared to be "spotless", but regardless, we are responsible to ourselves, therefore a few simples steps are well worthwhile.

RT

I think some of us obsess on this topic too much. As far as used razors go for the usual Eboy special even if someone with every known disease used it the day before selling it until the auction is over and then mailing by itself is probably at least 2-3 weeks total and most razors haven't been used in years before the auction. I can't think of any bacteria that can live on a blade for that long a period. Of course that doesn't count spores and things like that. usually when I get a new razor it gets a good scrubbing with anti-bacterial soap and gets an ammonia bath last and it has to endure honing. So I'm not worried.

I don't use used brushes and I'm not worried about used strops. Heh, its the suff floating around us that you need to be worried about.

One last comment and I really will shut up...when I was a kid I played in just as much dirt as anyone here. I remember one time when we had mass innoculations for polio (mid to late 1950's). The syringes and USED needles were just dumped behind the building the innoculations were performed in. One of my playmates and myself rummaged through the syringes and used needles and took some home to play like we were doctors. We were smart enough to place them in a coffee can of alcohol before showing them to our other friends, however, we did handle them before taking them home. I would like to think we didn't eat after handling them or anything like that, but I can't remember for sure. Makes me sort of cringe when I think of it today. We eventually made darts out of some of the syringes and needles. :rolleyes:

Tom

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Originally Posted by straightman

I know many Ebay items are advertised as "sterilized" when in actuality they are disinfected and there's a huge difference between the two. And I'd bet that many items are neither sterilized nor disinfected regardless of the way they're advertised. Maybe I'm being a bit of a "Chicken Little" about this and I'm not trying to "rain on anyone's parade". But it does give me reason for concern. Comments?

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As far as I know, this issue was addressed a long time ago. Long before our time. Barbicide has been in use for ages and takes care of this problem. Razors, scissors combs, just about anything barbers use gets soaked in it, and it kills anything living. it complies with all health codes through out the country. You may have heard that str8 shaving has run into ptoblems with health codes. That was because of strops and brushes; razors and scissors and such have always been handled effectively by Barbicide.

Anything I buy, I subject to a good cleaning, and I finish up with a good soaking spray with Clippercide. This is an aerosol made by the Barbicide people and it too kills anything living, including specifically hepatitis. It is made for electric clippers and also includes a lubricant. So my razors end up lubed and disinfected.

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Dunk it in 90% alcohol if you are that insecure..
Maybe I'm being a bit of a "Chicken Little" about this
I think we have become an overly cautious society.

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OMFG why do people shun due diligence and despair when they realize they have adopted risk patterns.
We glean through pages and pages to learn a new tip on advancing our shaving experience but God forbid learning a new technique on protecting yourself and your family. Nietzsche was full of crap…that which does not kill can make you weak as a kitten and ruin your life!
You don’t build resistance to HEP A<B<C You get sick.
You don’t have ocd if you wash your hands before you eat. You are being prudent.

Read more, do what you can.

On used razors, after polishing and buffing I soak the blade in a 1:5 clorox to water solution for a couple minutes (mindful of the scales of course). I'm no expert but anything that can live in clorox is one tough bug. I have also used barbicide.

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Originally Posted by rtaylor61

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

RT

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I wish people would learn to not piss on their hands.

J.




/ok, ok, ok, I know. It was a joke. Well, not really, I do hope they don't. Just wash afterwards regardless.

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Originally Posted by Library Guy

I'm not a doctor but I work with the insufferable bastards everyday.

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Woah! Easy man, some of us are married to them y'know?:fim:








OK, she can be pretty insufferable. Good point. ;)


(You know, in my line of work I gotta deal with a lot of librarians... I'm not saying ANYTHING!) :p

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I wish people would learn to not piss on their hands

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:nono:I've always been less concerned with whether they were pissing on their hands and more concerned with the fact that they were holding their sweaty penis or using the thumb hook underwear and glands technique. Ewww
75 percent of the reproductive-age population has human papillomavirus, or HPV according to the hpv genital warts site. :gth

Well, I have been vacinated for Hepititis A and B. Hep C is another matter, so I do disenfect new to me razors.

I clean shaving stuff once when I recieve it and never give it a second thought, it gets soap all over it every week. There are numerous other contact points of infection during a normal day that far surpass the risk level of the shaving shelf.

Reasonable cleanliness, yes.

Dave.

The only one here who worries is my wife. I just wash it rinse it in alcohol and off I go.

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Originally Posted by RichZ

I just wash it rinse it in alcohol and off I go.

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Pretty much what I do.

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Originally Posted by RichZ

The only one here who worries is my wife. I just wash it rinse it in alcohol and off I go.

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Minimalist yet adequate...Rich, you da man! (BTW, that is my approach exactly).

Just another data point,
Ed

You can't buy decent strength rubbing alcohol in the UK (as far as I know) so what I do with my razors is bring a small pan of water to a rolling boil, then wrap a towel around the scales, and immerse just the blade in the boiling water for 20 to 30 secs.

Other than that I just clean with soap/water and wipe them dry.

I would argue most people who buy something off ebay would probably hone the edge. By the time the razor has been honed, there is a whole fresh edge left on the razor anyway. Any nasties that have survived all that time sitting on the old steel no longer have a home.

Buying a shave ready razor might be something different - especially if it has been shave tested - but then with postal services taking 7 days plus for most deliveries anyway, what are the real chances???

Si

I usually don't bother because any of the used razors I buy have not been used for a long long time.
Then I create an entirely new edge on them, and some of the blades also need sanding and polishing.
For me the blade is clean enough when I am through with it, considering that the whole process of restoring a razor can take anywhere from a couple of day to a couple of months, depending on priorities.

Even the blades I hone for other people only get a quick rub with desinfectant AFTER I am done with honing.