Thread: How to Sterilize a Straight Razor?

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I would just scrub it good with an old toothbrush and some antibacterial soap and water. If soap and water is good enough for a surgeon it's good enough for me.

I figger thet if'na razor's done been honed up proper like, all thems nasty bacteria and virumusses has been ground offn it.

Originally Posted by sezer

Hello everyone, perhaps this question has been asked, but being new to this forum i couldn't find older posts regarding this subject. Also there is a very good detailed explanation about how to sterilize the razor, its really good and clear but because i am in the UK. can someone please tell me what and which chemicals to be used, the cleaning and sterilizing stuff mentioned, can't understand what they are. Here we got an antiseptic liquid called 'DETTOL' will it be ok? how long shall i leave the razor in that liquid? if that liquid is not good enough what else i can use? as i bought a second hand razor frm e-bay, i want it nice and sterilized at least.
thanks alot.

Sterilize, and Sterilization are formal terms in the US.
They mandate some serious, serious processes that
are hard as heck for an individual to address. Most
conforming processes will rust steel and melt or dissolve
scales.

Sanitation is less strict and can be addressed
in a lot of ways many of which I saw posted to this
already long thread.

DETTOL is an antiseptic, disinfectant and
a good one as best I can tell. However it
is not a sterilization agent.

I agree washing with soap and water is all you really need. When barbers are particularly careful about sterilizing, or even when some jurisdictions require it, it is because clients worry about other clients.

Alcohol should be fine, since they use it to sterilize your skin before injections or minor surgery. It will also remove forms of greasy dirt which might promote rust. If it goes on and doesn't stay forever, it has evaporated. In the UK the most readily available kind is sold as methylated spirit, with a purple dye to discourage the great majority of potential drinkers of the stuff. In Saudi Arabia I have denatured alcohol from Ace Hardware in Kuwait. I've never had a determined customs search at the land border, and I am sure I would be OK with something in a can with "poison" written on it.

But you should be very careful with any kind of alcohol and celluloid scales. I once witnessed an attempt to get chewing gum off piano accordian keys with methylated spirit, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

sezer,

+1 on CrazyDiamonds suggestion of using an 'anti-bacterial' soap.

In general a good cleaning of the blade with something like CIF bathroom cleaner (this contains quartenary ammonium surfactants) or ant-bacterial soap would be enough to satisfy your needs, possibly with a quick dip boiling water afterwards (blade only !!).
IIRC :
In the UK the most common formulation of 'over the counter' meths, in addition to ethanol ('alcohol'), contains 'wood naptha' (methanol), pyridine and a blue dye (usually methyl violet). Surgical spirit BP has methyl salicyalte, methanol and diethyl phthalate and sometimes castor oil. added to the ethanol.

You can get MAAS polish from Lakeland Plastics if you have a branch near you. Halfords has AutoSol.

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

You can use regular soap to accomplish the same thing. The only thing anti-bacterial soap accomplishes is the acceleration of bacterial evolution in their never ending quest to take up shaving.

Seriously, please don't use anti-bacterial soap.

I dont know if its right or wrong, but I poured Iodine onto a razor I just bought from the antique store and called it good.

My old barber (from when I was a little tacker) always had a few cut-throats soaking (blades only) in diluted Dettol to use for neck shaves and never (to my knowledge) had any issues.
I've used it as well, however, now I pull down every razor I get and they get the full treatment so I don't really see the need.

Originally Posted by ubet

I dont know if its right or wrong, but I poured Iodine onto a razor I just bought from the antique store and called it good.

I just hugged and old Genco Wedge and called it "sweetie"...