The Nurse Speaks

Hi Friends!

So - the wife, hereafter referred to as, "The Nurse", has called me a, "fool" if I want to shave with my yard sale razors due to potential infection.

I've said ofcourse I will disinfect them in a proper solution e.g., Barbicide.

This was met with an eye-roll, a sigh, and a look of disgust. "Well, if you do that, don't ever touch me or the kids again!" I was like, "What!?!"

According to The Nurse, whom it's very difficult to argue these things with, anything like may have had blood contact should be, "autoclaved" ( FYI - An autoclave is a device used to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to high pressure saturated steam at 121 °C for around 15–20 minutes depending on the size of the load and the contents.)

I was lectured of the various forms of Hepatitis, HIV, and other blood born nasties that could inhabit the pores....

So - is this overkill? If razors are sent to be polished, honed, restored is this how they disinfect them?

What's the scoop on this?

Go figure - Barbicide:

Barbicide is a United States Environmental Protection Agency-approved hospital disinfectant. It is a germicide, pseudomonacide, fungicide, and viricide. In addition, it kills the HIV-1 virus (AIDS virus), Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.

As a man, I would like to spoon feed this to her, as a married man, I'll mention it to her in the kindest, "Ohhh..this is what you meant darling, isn't it?" Manner...that age old adage, never crap in your own bed...

Everything you touch, breath and eat is covered with bacterial spores, which are extremely durable. A significant portion of dust is these bacterial "seeds." You are never going to get away from them. AIDS and hepatitis are known to not survive outside the body for more than a week.

Ask "The Nurse" what she would do if a patient with raging Aids somehow cut themself and spurt blood onto her. What would she use to sanitize herself enough so that she was confident that she wouldn't infect you or the kids? Would she place her arm in an autoclave? Hardly! The same method of disinfectant she used should be suitable for insuring that your blade wouldn't spread acne, the black plague or 'whatever' to you or your family.

Regards - Walt

Show her the number of hits on this and other straight razor shaving sites. Then show her the number of reported infections caused by these "infected" razors.

As a nurse of 23+ years of experience, there is a certain amount of bacteria or virus or even cooties that has to be present on any implement to actually spread disease. With that being said I wear hospital scrubs to keep the incidence down. I agree with the whole spoon feeding comment but it will probably be thimble full instead of spoon. Does she wear her l own uniforms to work or does she use the facilities provided uniforms. If she works in her own there is no telling what she is bringing home every day! Hey just my 2¢!

Haha - she just texted me back, said that was fine...couldn't find any Barbicide, so dropped by my old Barber and he sold me a 1.8 liter bottle for $10 Cdn!!

Going to mix 65ml with 1 liter of water (according to instructions) and drop the new razors in for 10 minutes (according to instructions).

Glad I always read the instructions, wouldn't have known to dilute it!!

BTW - going to use the, "would you autoclave your hands?", remark...will see how that goes '-)!!

In the early 80’s when the Aids epidemic was blooming there was concern about blood contamination. We handled blood contaminated evidence daily. We were recommended to use a 10pecent bleach solution to kill infectious pathogens. That is what we did even with bullets removed from bodies.

To this day, never had an infection. It is what the EPA still recommends for pathogen disinfection.

I wipe customer razors with a bleach solution with a Q tip, rinse, dry and apply a thin coat of oil and ship.

Dude, I sincerely hope you don't have to get a new "nurse" :)
Good Luck
:tu
Mike

I can see it now:

Phrank's Wife: "Hi, honey, I'm home from work!"

Phrank: "Hey, Babe! How was your day?"

Phrank's Wife: "Oh, my god, it was chaos! I just feel disgusting after everything I had to deal with today... I think I'm gonna jump in the autoclave real quick to freshen up!"

Phrank: "That's fine... I'll fix you a cocktail while you do for when you get out..."




Attachment 136098

Yeah, Barbicide is the same thing as hydrocide (hospital sanitation solution). It's made to kill Hep B, HIV, MRSA, mycoces (fungus), streptolococcus, bacillus, TB mycobacterium, Herpes virus, shingles virus, C-dif,...pretty much if it can reproduce it will kill it. You're fine, otherwise they would have to auto clave the hospital rooms everytime someone w/ contact guard precautions left. Just for reference...I am a nursing student, and I work for a regional medical center hospital...hydrocide and virex is what we use in the clinic. :soapbox:

@crouton - she's probably tell me to hop in, just make sure the insurance was up to date!!

@Mcbladescar - greetings to Tilsonburg from Toronto, had a couple of friends from there, and any place that Stompin' Tom writes a song about you know has to be great! But we all know, the best darn potato's that ever was growed, are from Prince Edward Island!

To all who don't know who Stompin' Tom Connors is - he is a musical Canadian legend - Google him and listen to Bud the Spud!

Also - now that I think of it...when she makes me that cocktail, better make sure it's not Barbicide on the rocks!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phrank

Haha - she just texted me back, said that was fine...couldn't find any Barbicide, so dropped by my old Barber and he sold me a 1.8 liter bottle for $10 Cdn!!

Going to mix 65ml with 1 liter of water (according to instructions) and drop the new razors in for 10 minutes (according to instructions).

Glad I always read the instructions, wouldn't have known to dilute it!!

BTW - going to use the, "would you autoclave your hands?", remark...will see how that goes '-)!!

---

It is worth mentioning Barbicide is only effective for one or two days. My barber informs me Minnesota law requires the solution be made fresh every day.

Dave

Yep, Barbacide is just fine. My wife (also a nurse), picked up a big jug of it along with the jar when I started picking up used straights.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phrank

Hi Friends!

So - the wife, hereafter referred to as, "The Nurse", has called me a, "fool" if I want to shave with my yard sale razors due to potential infection.

I've said ofcourse I will disinfect them in a proper solution e.g., Barbicide.

This was met with an eye-roll, a sigh, and a look of disgust. "Well, if you do that, don't ever touch me or the kids again!" I was like, "What!?!"

According to The Nurse, whom it's very difficult to argue these things with, anything like may have had blood contact should be, "autoclaved" ( FYI - An autoclave is a device used to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to high pressure saturated steam at 121 °C for around 15–20 minutes depending on the size of the load and the contents.)

I was lectured of the various forms of Hepatitis, HIV, and other blood born nasties that could inhabit the pores....

So - is this overkill? If razors are sent to be polished, honed, restored is this how they disinfect them?

What's the scoop on this?

---

Undoubtedly, she has seen a lot of infection take place in hospitals despite precautions taken.

Once something has been washed and soaked for about 10 minutes in Barbicide, then washed again, I don't worry about infection.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rolodave

It is worth mentioning Barbicide is only effective for one or two days. My barber informs me Minnesota law requires the solution be made fresh every day.

Dave

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Thanks. I didn't know that. I'll keep that in mind.

As far as I am concerned, it is pretty hard for bacteria or virus to survive on a steel blade. It would be like being on a desolated desert with no water at hand: you would not live that long. Many bacteria and viruses cannot survive long outside a "biological" creature or away from an organic material.
Despite of this, it is of course wise and good to clean and disinfect a vintage razor. I personally have more than one hundred and always followed a quite simple cleaning and disinfecting processing. Nothing bad happened so far. Finger crossed, of course! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rolodave

It is worth mentioning Barbicide is only effective for one or two days. My barber informs me Minnesota law requires the solution be made fresh every day.

Dave

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Yes - read that on the bottle, going to make a small amount - soak the new yard sale razors for 10 minutes (according to instructions), rinse and dry throughly, then let air dry. The one's I'm going to send out (the Solingen Holeka 50 seems shave ready - will find out) I will oil after twenty minutes or so of air drying. The other, will use again in two days so figure I'm not going to oil.

Thanks!