Thread: alcohol or Lysol effects on various scales???

Have ordered a few razors and am considering taking a few marginal efforts toward sanitizing/sterilizing the blades before use.

Now I know there are several threads - many quite lengthy - debating and discussing the effectiveness and merit (or illusion thereof) of sterilizing blades...

That's not what I'm interested. I'm not out to make them the so sterile you can perform surgery on a newborn with them. I've already decide a soaking in alcohol or a spray down with Lysol is will be sufficient to let me sleep at night.

My question is this: Does anyone know if soaking in alcohol or spraying with Lysol causes and adverse side effects to various types of scales - e.g. horn, wood, bakelite, etc.?

Insight/experiences from anyone who's used either would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

eh....soaking the whole thing in alcohol is overkill I think. Just dip the blade in it, count to 30 or something and wipe dry.

I might do it with acrylic or G10 but not wood or bone. That's just me though.

Yeah, that's basically what I was thinking too - let the blade hang down in the bottle for a few minutes or something or give the blade a quick hit with Lysol.

I'd just hate to see just a few moments of unintended contact -- a few drops inadvertently rolling along the shank to the scales, an accidental splash, or overspray, in the case of Lysol -- result in some kind of irreprable stain or some such, so thought it best to ask before moving forward on it.

Wiping 90% isopropyl alcohol on is sufficient. It takes less that 30 seconds for it to kill 100% of bacteria, and most viruses. Great stuff.

Cool, thanks!

I used anti-bacterial soap to clean mine before using the first time. Most viruses cannot survive for more than a few minutes outside the body or on material less than body temperature so that shouldn't be too much of a concern. You also might consider buying some barabasol from one of the Barber/hair salon suppliers and use it to clean the razor. I think a dip in alcohol would be sufficient as well.

I've learned the adverse effects the hard way... by screwing up scales in the learning process. Here is what I have found:

Barbicide:

Celluloid - Makes scales stink. Turns black scales green, probably (almost definitely) starts cell rot. The first and last time I soaked scales in barbicide.

Bakelite - Never tried. I don't recommend it either, it could screw with them as even alcohol soaking makes these scales lose their sheen for a month or two.

Bone - Didn't hurt bone in the least. Makes lacquered bone smell a bit (MAYBE), but if so, the smell dissipates. May actually dissolve some of the lacquer. Dissolves glue on bone repairs.

Ivory - Probably like bone, but if you soak ivory, you're crazy. I never did and never will.

Horn - Makes the scales soft. Watch how long you soak them if you soak them at all.

Tortoise - Probably behaves like horn. Again, if you soak tortoise, you're crazy.

Aluminum - Doesn't hurt them at all, actually removed a little corrosion.

Alcohol:

Celluloid - Makes scales stink, discolors them. Don't do it... Soaking in alcohol isn't an alternative to barbicide, it's just as bad. In the case of yellow celluloid (not the multicolored stuff), it makes them stink and (at least on the one razor I tried this on), they seem to come back around... only there is a white chalky substance on the scales and they have no sheen. Even a quick wipe of alcohol can make scales smell a bit funny, only wipe the inside of the scales.

Bakelite - I think there was a slight smell, it never really faded. Perhaps the scales were celluloid not bakelite, but I'm pretty sure they weren't as they didn't turn green. I'm never soaking bakelite again. It made them lose their sheen for a good month or so.

Bone - Same as barbicide

Ivory - probably the same, but don't do it

Horn - Same as barbicide

Tortoise - same story most likely

Aluminum - Doesn't hurt it


The cleaning method I have arrived at:

Soak only the blade in barbicide by suspending it over the solution. Soak for 15 minutes and I'm done, remove the blade and rinse it.

Clean only the inside of scales (the place were biological material would become lodged if it was there at all) using a q tip with alcohol, and rinse with water immediately afterwards.


Hopefully this was helpful. I learned this the hard way.. First with Barbicide, then with alcohol (I figured I had to soak the scales in something right)?

Thanks SavantStrike - that's the info I was looking for.