In the bathroom of my apartment I have a slot that's made to drop used razor blades in. I suspect that the blades just drop into the side of the building. Obviously I live in an old building, built when DE's were the norm. My question is about the life of a (modern) dangerous blade. I think that when the building (and the slot) were made that carbon steel blades were the most used. Those blades probably rusted into nothingness while in the side of the building. But what about new stainless platinum coated blades. Do they just sit and wait for a future construction worker to cut his finger?
A long question.
- Thread starter The Snark Hunter
- Start date
IIRC those blade drops have some kind of container inside the wall. At least I've seen one like that, not dropping directly into the wall space. I think the idea is that long before it fills up, the building will probably be replaced LOL.
It's my impression that if it's a slot in a medicine cabinet then the blades are going between the walls and studs. This is a known problem for people destroying buildings and they have to be very careful. I have read (here) that a wet dry vac is used to suck up the blades but you can only use the hose once. Presumably because the blades get stuck in the hose.
I watched one of those remodeling shows on HGTV where they were ripping a bathroom apart. Behind the medicine cabinet was a small collection of DE blades on top of the horizontal stud used to frame the bottom of the cabinet opening. The were pretty rusted, but still looked like they could cut someone if they weren't paying attention. I imagine a pro would be aware of the danger.
V
VR6ofpain
I wish I had seen that. Too crazy.
I worked for a commercial construction company about 20 years ago, and we did quite a few rehabs for low-income housing in Chicago. In demo, we were well-aware of these blades.
They don't rust away, they remain there. The opening is 16" x 3.5" x about 48". Make a box that size, and consider how many razor blades can fit.
We always knew (especially in these old buildings) that they'd be there, and they're somewhat dangerous, but in the context of wrecking a wall, they're not much different than things like "metal lath" (which left some serious scars on my arm) wooden lath with sharp nails sticking out...etc.
Generally you slice sections of the wall with a Sawzall, beat it down with a sledge hammer, shovel the rubbish into a wheelbarrow, and tote it to the dumpster.
So...big picture-- you have a typical bathroom wall, 6-8 feet long. The plumber has removed the old fixtures. You stick a crowbar behind the medicine cabinet and jerk it out. It tumbles to the floor and the mirror breaks. Someone slices the wall in the corners and down the middle, you beat it until theres a pile of rubble there, and you shovel and sweep until you're done. What's left might be some dust and a few razor blades. Someone says "Better pick up those damn blades" so you kick the few that didn't get shoveled up back into what will again be the wall cavity, or with a leather glove, you toss the ones you can pick up into the wheel barrow.
The whole process (of that size wall) is about 15-30 minutes--less than a good shave. No one that I can remember, ever gave a second thought about bio-hazard, or how to dispose of them.
In some VERY depressed areas of Chicago, when one would peel back the carpeting, one would find syringes with needles on them. We always thought those were the places where Doctors must have lived. They got the same shovel/toss treatment.
I have a slot in my medicine cabinet. The house was built in the late 60's. SWMBO lived in the house as a child, and her father used the slots, I continue to. If a subsequent owner wants to re-do the bathroom, I'm sure the construction workers who tear the wall down will be well-acquainted with this issue, and handle it just like I would. No big deal.
DUMPSTER DIVERS BEWARE!
They don't rust away, they remain there. The opening is 16" x 3.5" x about 48". Make a box that size, and consider how many razor blades can fit.
We always knew (especially in these old buildings) that they'd be there, and they're somewhat dangerous, but in the context of wrecking a wall, they're not much different than things like "metal lath" (which left some serious scars on my arm) wooden lath with sharp nails sticking out...etc.
Generally you slice sections of the wall with a Sawzall, beat it down with a sledge hammer, shovel the rubbish into a wheelbarrow, and tote it to the dumpster.
So...big picture-- you have a typical bathroom wall, 6-8 feet long. The plumber has removed the old fixtures. You stick a crowbar behind the medicine cabinet and jerk it out. It tumbles to the floor and the mirror breaks. Someone slices the wall in the corners and down the middle, you beat it until theres a pile of rubble there, and you shovel and sweep until you're done. What's left might be some dust and a few razor blades. Someone says "Better pick up those damn blades" so you kick the few that didn't get shoveled up back into what will again be the wall cavity, or with a leather glove, you toss the ones you can pick up into the wheel barrow.
The whole process (of that size wall) is about 15-30 minutes--less than a good shave. No one that I can remember, ever gave a second thought about bio-hazard, or how to dispose of them.
In some VERY depressed areas of Chicago, when one would peel back the carpeting, one would find syringes with needles on them. We always thought those were the places where Doctors must have lived. They got the same shovel/toss treatment.
I have a slot in my medicine cabinet. The house was built in the late 60's. SWMBO lived in the house as a child, and her father used the slots, I continue to. If a subsequent owner wants to re-do the bathroom, I'm sure the construction workers who tear the wall down will be well-acquainted with this issue, and handle it just like I would. No big deal.
DUMPSTER DIVERS BEWARE!
bet the mice all have nicely trimmed moustaches. 
Similar threads
