Thread: Disinfect a used razor?

Originally Posted by eTom

I use Chlorox and it works perfectly.
But I put the razors only one minute into Chlorox (mixed with water).
Never had a problem with different kind of scales.

But you should be patient!

And you should be warned:
Anyone who wants to try this on their own razors should be aware that Chlorox (bleach) can create rust on a razor very quickly. If you watch it under a microscope, you watch it form after very brief exposure.

That's correct.
After desinfection I use water and prepare the blades for honing.
If I'm ready with honing I use Ballistol.
Only in this case you should use such aggressive items.

Like Utopian said, sodium hypochlorite is a heavy oxidizer and will ruin a blade pretty quickly. Your two primary concerns are the HIV and HBV viruses. HIV will have died in transit of your new blade and the HBV virus will die if you rinse the blade in 90% alcohol available at your local drug store.

I have a container of Barbicide wipes. The blade has to stay wet for a few minutes to "complete" the process, but afterwards I wipe the blade clean and oil very lightly with Ballistol, since I have about 20 razors in my rotation and they do sit a long time between uses.

I'm curious why you feel the need to disinfect your own razors between uses. Are you afraid of catching your own cooties?

From my research, sodium hypochlorite (Clorox) is best mixed with water in a 1:5 ratio. I use it to sterilize straights, but leave it on just a few seconds for the reasons mentioned above. Then, rinse off with water, and finish with 70% alcohol.

I believe 70% alcohol is the best germicide concentration.

Bleach corrodes steel.
From How to Brew by John Palmer.
How to Brew - By John Palmer - Appendix B - Brewing Metallurgy

Pinholes completely thru a brew kettle or keg in a few days. Incomplete rinses, drying concentrating the bleach, bleach solution around the pivots under the scales (not as critical as on the edge, but still not desirable) will damage the brass as well.

How to Brew - By John Palmer - Cleaning Products

CDC Natural Disasters | Cleaning and Sanitizing With Bleach after an Emergency

The items need to air dry to complete the sanitizing process, which will help lead to corrosion and pitting.

A 20 minute soak in a solution that is one tablespoon bleach to one gallon water is supposed to be no rinse (read the label), but the drying would definitely leave concentrated spots of bleach. Which would rapidly corrode the steel blades.

I'll probably use an alcohol soak of the blade before I send my blades off to be honed. Ensuring I don't soak the scales. These things have been around for quite some time (I think the newest one was from WWI), so I really don't need to worry. But I'm a bit cautious when it comes to communicable diseases.

For a Bactericide, fungicide and virucide bleach is your cheapest and best bet outside of getting a product like clippercide. Clippercide will kill HIV, TB.

Bleach for sure is your best bet for cost. The idea that it needs to dry is to allow enough time for the bleach to do its work. As long as the blade is clean of hair and other debris you should be ok with a few minutes and rinse and dry.

I always wondered if isopropyl alcohol would permanently discolor/tarnish a blade.

Originally Posted by rostfrei

I always wondered if isopropyl alcohol would permanently discolor/tarnish a blade.

No, it won't.

For about the past 8 years, I have been protecting my blades by dipping them in a solution of mineral oil in isopropyl alcohol in about a 1:200 ratio. I dip the razor and immediately remove it. The water is quickly evaporated with the alcohol and a thin layer of oil is left behind. I have never seen any discoloration from doing this and I do not think the oil would prevent discoloration or tarnish if the alcohol had any tendency to do so.