Thread: Razor Sanitizing

Hello All,

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to sanitize a razor. Especially a used one from Ebay. I though about boiling a razor but was not sure if the heat from boiling and cooling down would warp the steel. Is alcohol effective? Any other suggestions.

Thanks

Jim

A good scrubbing with soap & water does wonders for killing germs. Isopropyl alcohol also works. I would steer clear of boiling personally. Regardless, watch the sharp edge. An old toothbrush is great for scrubbing. Rinse in hot water and dry, again being careful of the edge.

That is what I do. Do not use boiling water if the scales get in you will have mush

Don't boil it. It will ruin the scales. Soaking it in a mild bleach solution for a few minutes will do wonders. Personally, I use Barbicide. I open the razor up to a little past 3/4s open and then hang the blade over the side of the Barbicide jar for about 10 minutes.

Try doing a search on this topic because I'm pretty sure it's been covered before. Bottom line is to not soak it for too long or it will rust. I ruined a razor by soaking it in alcohol for only 20 minutes.

If you don't care too much about the scales' finish, here's the best way to do it:
1) Give it a good cleaning with an antibacterial cleaner or soap (including between the scales) to scrub away all the accumulated soap residue which may protect some microbes. Clorox wipes are the ideal tool for that.
2) Soak the whole thing in a 1:1:1 solution of Alcohol:Water:Bleach for about 20min. That should kill any germs on it.
If you're wondering why I'm including the scales, it's b/c some more resillient viruses may hide b/w the scales and get transferred onto the blade. The chances are microscopic (pun intended) but it's better to be safe than sorry.
Bleach may be aggressive on some finishes, but in a salon where a friend of mine works, they make a special point of not using Barbiside on metal implements. Look into using clippercide though.

I have always wondered about buying a used razor or a vintage - how can one be sure that clinically it is free from any DNA from the previous users - i guess may be i am being paranoid here but regulation in some countries no longer allows barbers to use straights to shave multiple people - does anyone think that in buying used or vintage there could be potential threats and if so does any one offer a medical treatment for used razors

steel is not preferred substrate for pathogens, if you clean the blade with soap, and then alcohol it should be fine.

Originally Posted by sensei_kyle

A good scrubbing with soap & water does wonders for killing germs. Isopropyl alcohol also works. I would steer clear of boiling personally. Regardless, watch the sharp edge. An old toothbrush is great for scrubbing. Rinse in hot water and dry, again being careful of the edge.

I use this technique, then I place the entire open razor into a plastic tea bottle that contains a Barbicide mixture for 20 minutes. I then remove and hot rince, dry and soak in mineral oil.

Whatever you do, DON'T soak in bleach! Don't even get bleach close to a straight razor as you are asking for nightmares. Carbon steel and stainless steel are not places that "cooties" can survive long. The air we breath is quite deadly to blood-borne pathogens. Disinfect your blade with isoprophyl alcohol (I use 91% solution, the higher the better), please don't soak it...it doesn't need it. You can either dip it or wipe it. Just remember to oil the blade afterwards...

FYI: The #1 killer of "cooties" is soap...penicillin hasn't killed 1% of the germs that soap has.

As the others have said, alcohol works great. If you really want to be sure you can use the Clorox bleach free anti-microbial wipes before the alcohol.