Thread: High Humidity Maintenance

Thanks for all the input!

To those who use silica packets: Where is a good place to get them?

To the rice user: Have you ever compared the effectiveness of the rice to that of silica packets?

Originally Posted by mad434

Thanks for all the input!

To those who use silica packets: Where is a good place to get them?

To the rice user: Have you ever compared the effectiveness of the rice to that of silica packets?

I hang on to all those packets that come in boxes. Camera stores often carry them.

Originally Posted by mad434

Thanks for all the input!

To those who use silica packets: Where is a good place to get them?

To the rice user: Have you ever compared the effectiveness of the rice to that of silica packets?

No. I have access to silica in my lab and I use it there and can recharge it there, but at home I have considered the rice to be fine. I occasionally swap out the rice and eat it so there is no need to re-charge it. I don't use any sort of desiccant in my gym locker and have never had any rust issues there either, despite extreme humidity there, so I assume that my mineral oil/isopropanol mix is adequate. I just consider the rice to be added insurance for my favorite razors.

The advantage of the rice over the silica is that it is readily available in any grocery store and you could swap it out every time you cook rice. BTW, brown rice is much better for you. Whether or not it's a better desiccant, I've no clue!

Dry-Packs Dehumidifier - Default Store View

I have heard that these little guys work very well. You might consider one of these for your bathroom. They are also easily reactivated (instructions are printed on the box).

I live near the ocean so rust can be an issue for me.

What i have been doing lately is spraying the bi-carb water that i use on my hones on the razor after washing it under the tape so the last water that touched it was bi-carb water. Then towl dry. I have found it really helps.

+Buckler

I live in Bangkok, so humidity can be a big problem for me. After every shave I wipe the razor on a towel (damp towel is ok) and then dry them with my wife's hair dryer. Once I am certain all the moisture is gone I store them in a wooden box with a number of silica packets. This works well for me. When I am at home the air con keeps the air fairly dry, so I leave the box open so I can admire my razors. But when I go to school in the morning I close the box.

I haven't seen any bad advice in this thread, but I'll toss in my $.02

I too live in a damp area. The Willamette Valley in Oregon. It rains here almost as much as Seattle, more some years. Plus, it can be cool and damp for much of the year, which is MUCH worse for rusting.

I have always found that the best way to keep anything from rusting, is to use it regularly. (Also the best way to keep silver jewelery from tarnishing)

No oil, no desiccants, just regular use. Every time you shave, the blade is getting cleaned with shave soap or creme, as well as the oils from your skin. Then it's rinsed in warm water (which evaporates quickly even in damp climates) and tried on a soft towel.

The only reasons I would bother oiling a razor are if it was going to be stored for a period of months, if I had so many razors in my rotation that they only get used once every few weeks, or if I had a razor that had past issue with rust and needed extra care to keep it from rusting again.

If it was for really long term storage, I'd probably dip the blade in hot beeswax because it will leave a very thin coat if the wax is good and hot, and create a more durable protective layer.

Originally Posted by Kenrup

Camera stores often carry them.

+1 There are some nasty fungi that can actually grow on the coatings of lenses, so photographers with thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars worth of lenses go to great lengths to keep their gear and moisture away from each other.

If you go to a camera store (a real camera store, not best buy or even shutterbug) and they don't have them, they'll be able to direct you to sources for good small-space dehumidification.