DE Razor Polishing/Cleaning/Maintenance etc - Tips & Tricks - Products

[saj]

hello people, so what do you use to polish, clean and maintain your de razor?

i've only ever had cheapo de razors so never been too fussed about polishing so long as cleanliness was taken care off

anyways getting more into the hobby ive been getting vintage razors, so ive got to a point wher ei'd like to know more about this aspect of wet shaving

someone on another forum mentioned this stuff peek polish to polish up de razors etc,
saw it on amazon and ordered it, got it delivered today but still obviously havent used it yet but the seemed to get good reviews on amazon

so im thinking something along the lines of cleaning with washing powder/soap, toothbrush and water,
the leaving it to soak in baking soda and water, once thats done, clean it again either with toothbrush or microfibre cloth,
then soak in mix of apple cider vinegar diluted with water (if you know acv you know its some strong potent stuff lol!)
and then from there again use toothbrush or microfibre cloth then use the polish to finish up

am i doing it wrong? or should i add something else to that or is it near enough covered? what do you think people? thanks

 

[CzechCzar]

hello people, so what do you use to polish, clean and maintain your de razor?

i've only ever had cheapo de razors so never been too fussed about polishing so long as cleanliness was taken care off

anyways getting more into the hobby ive been getting vintage razors, so ive got to a point wher ei'd like to know more about this aspect of wet shaving

someone on another forum mentioned this stuff peek polish to polish up de razors etc,
saw it on amazon and ordered it, got it delivered today but still obviously havent used it yet but the seemed to get good reviews on amazon

so im thinking something along the lines of cleaning with washing powder/soap, toothbrush and water,
the leaving it to soak in baking soda and water, once thats done, clean it again either with toothbrush or microfibre cloth,
then soak in mix of apple cider vinegar diluted with water (if you know acv you know its some strong potent stuff lol!)
and then from there again use toothbrush or microfibre cloth then use the polish to finish up

am i doing it wrong? or should i add something else to that or is it near enough covered? what do you think people? thanks

View attachment 1196514

Interested in this question as well.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[saj]

Interested in this question as well.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

yea i think will help many of us noobs hopefully

i assume with modern razors its not much of an issue but its just that some people seem to have vintage ones,
and tbf some of the conditions of the vintage ones on ebay etc arent exactly in tip top condition,
so its interesting from a restoration point of view whats used and what works best

i wonder how many vintage se/de/straight razor restorers we have on the forum

 

[dobbermn]

There was a video on razor emporiums YT channel about this. Need to be careful with vintage especially plated razors. The plating is VERY thin and can be rubbed off easily. Do NOT use a dremel tool.

Try soap and water and scrubbing bubbles or something like that. You can try a little flitz too but be VERY gentle with it. Toothpaste is another good thing. There's a mild abrasive in toothpaste. I actually use it to polish some watch crystals.

 

[saj]

There was a video on razor emporiums YT channel about this. Need to be careful with vintage especially plated razors. The plating is VERY thin and can be rubbed off easily. Do NOT use a dremel tool.

Try soap and water and scrubbing bubbles or something like that. You can try a little flitz too but be VERY gentle with it. Toothpaste is another good thing. There's a mild abrasive in toothpaste. I actually use it to polish some watch crystals.

yea didnt even think about toothpaste, good idea

how does it work on watches? just on the front or the back too?

i actually used toothpaste on car headlights recently to get rid of the foggy look,
works a treat like you say because its mildly abrasive

 

[saj]

btw when placing the razor in hot water, does the water need to be boiled on the cooker or will from the kettle do?

whats better to kill anything off?

 

[santamariasteve]

Soap, warm water and a soft toothbrush will do the job nicely after a brief soak in warm soapy water.

Caution: Gold is fragile, so be gentle and don't get carried away, or you will rue the day.

Silver also is fine with warm soapy water, but over time it does tarnish. It benefits from occasionally polishing (several times a year?) with silver polish, available at a hardware store.

I change a blade once per week, and blade change time is an ideal time for a light cleaning onceover. It's also easier at that time, rather than waiting for the razor to get truly dirty.

 

[santamariasteve]

btw when placing the razor in hot water, does the water need to be boiled on the cooker or will from the kettle do?

whats better to kill anything off?

Hot water is a no-no, especially with gold. Don't over-think this. Do you use HOT water to wash your dirty hands? Warm water is all it takes, even if you have to re-lather and wash a second time.

It's a myth that germs live on razors. What would they eat? They would quickly die. A spoon in a restaurant is not washed with boiling water. And then you put it in you mouth. I assume you've not sickened or died from the experience.

 

[ouchyfoot]

I gently scrub with a soft child’s toothbrush after each shave to make sure no soap collects in crevasses and then place the razor in a hydrosonic cleaner. I also put the blade in the hydrosonic cleaner.

 

[saj]

Soap, warm water and a soft toothbrush will do the job nicely after a brief soak in warm soapy water.

Caution: Gold is fragile, so be gentle and don't get carried away, or you will rue the day.

Silver also is fine with warm soapy water, but over time it does tarnish. It benefits from occasionally polishing (several times a year?) with silver polish, available at a hardware store.

I change a blade once per week, and blade change time is an ideal time for a light cleaning onceover. It's also easier at that time, rather than waiting for the razor to get truly dirty.

how about rubbing alcohol is that fine on all materials like gold etc, do you know mate?

 

[saj]

Hot water is a no-no, especially with gold. Don't over-think this. Do you use HOT water to wash your dirty hands? Warm water is all it takes, even if you have to re-lather and wash a second time.

It's a myth that germs live on razors. What would they eat? They would quickly die. A spoon in a restaurant is not washed with boiling water. And then you put it in you mouth. I assume you've not sickened or died from the experience.

yea you make fair and genuine points tbh,
i'll avoid hot water and use luke warm water instead

in regards to disinfectants will any do like dettol for example?

 

[saj]

anyone got any idea if a degreaser is fine to use to get rid of any residue and dirt before soaking the razor in water with baking soda?

 

[santamariasteve]

how about rubbing alcohol is that fine on all materials like gold etc, do you know mate?

Ask a veteran jeweler. He will probably tell you it's overkill. There's no need to massage a razor with alcohol.

Reading between the lines, you impress me as being paranoid about germs. It's a misplaced concern. There're more germs on the door knob of your front door than there is on your razor.

I've shaven daily since 1951 (nineteen fifty-one) and I've never rubbed a razor with alcohol. I've never sickened after a shave and I've never died. I'm 84 years old.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

anyone got any idea if a degreaser is fine to use to get rid of any residue and dirt before soaking the razor in water with baking soda?

Don't over think this. A soak in dish soap and a scrub with a old tooth brush will clean all but the grungiest razor. Unless you are shaving plague victims, you don't need to disinfect your own razor.

 

[saj]

Ask a veteran jeweler. He will probably tell you it's overkill. There's no need to massage a razor with alcohol.

Reading between the lines, you impress me as being paranoid about germs. It's a misplaced concern. There're more germs on the door knob of your front door than there is on your razor.

I've shaven daily since 1951 (nineteen fifty-one) and I've never rubbed a razor with alcohol. I've never sickened after a shave and I've never died. I'm 84 years old.

nah honestly im not mate or else i wouldve have got a second hand vintage razor tbh lol

imo though with current circumstances like covid etc we should be a bit careful,
suppose im just trying to learn and see how people approach this subject

 

[saj]

Don't over think this. A soak in dish soap and a scrub with a old tooth brush will clean all but the grungiest razor. Unless you are shaving plague victims, you don't need to disinfect your own razor.

yea youre right maybe i am...

i was just asking as i have this stuff laying around so it just came to mind, thats all...

 

[saj]

I gently scrub with a soft child’s toothbrush after each shave to make sure no soap collects in crevasses and then place the razor in a hydrosonic cleaner. I also put the blade in the hydrosonic cleaner.

i searched up about those sonic cleaners, those look really good, didnt even know about them before

 

[JWCowboy]

Don't over think this. A soak in dish soap and a scrub with a old tooth brush will clean all but the grungiest razor. Unless you are shaving plague victims, you don't need to disinfect your own razor.

Yes indeed. Letting them soak overnight in Dawn dishwashing liquid and warm water will work wonders. Then if you still want to polish them up use a little Flitz.

There are few experiences more satisfying than purchasing a grungy looking vintage razor from a yard sale or flea market for next to nothing, taking it home and soaking it in Dawn overnight. The results are amazing....

 

[Avi]

I use one of those ultrasonic thingies + dawn + warm water .. I like it so much I do it every time it starts looking ugly and and it comes out new.

I think I got the Magnasonic MGUC500 on the recommendation of this forum come to think about it.

 

[sugardaddy]

1. Ultrasonic cleaners are amazing, but can remove paint, like the numbers on the adjustment dial of a slim or fat boy.

2. Soaking in near boiling water with some dawn in it ... is good.

3. Working it with a toothbrush after doing no. 2 will get you most of the way.

4. Scrubbing bubbles is great, But be careful about two things: don't use the kind with bleach, and don't leave stuff soaking in it too long.

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