What do you guys recommend for doing your regular cleaning on your de's? I heard barbicide can hurt the finish. I want to use something that won't harm it.
barbicide or alcohol?
- Thread starter mike72
- Start date
I use scrubbing bubbles and a tooth brush and it seems to do the trick for me. If you need something with a little extra kick I'd just go with the alcohol, it's cheap and readily available. I've heard barbicide can harm some gold finishes not sure about others.
alcohol is cheap and very effective - works for me
Heck--there's probably enough chemicals in Scrubbling Bubbles to kill any creepy crawly's that you have to worry about.
I use Soft Scrub with bleach-the sodium hypochlorite is a great disinfectant and the product works very will to clean up razors with a tooth brush. I then spray with Lysol spray, which is really just alcohol, and let air dry. When worried about a shave brush I soak in 70% isopropyl alcohol after a good cleaning and then let air dry. So, I think alcohol is effective, cheap, available easy to use.
Pretty much what Binowatch said. I start with WD40 to clean. 2nd step Scrubbing bubbles a/o dish soap. 3rd step Bleach bath for about 15 min. 4th step Metal polish. 5th step 90% Isopryphol Alcohol. 6th step 70% Isopryphol Alcohol. If all the beasties aren't dead... God help us all!
Jay
Jay
When I read this I thought I was in the speakeasy.
Barbicide has some kick but it leaves a wicked hangover. I'd stick with alcohol.
Barbicide has some kick but it leaves a wicked hangover. I'd stick with alcohol.
Why not add a bit of boiling to the equation? Traditionally surgical instruments were boiled/autoclaved to sterilise them. If the razor is someone else’s and has been 'preloved' you have to be fairly careful to get rid of all the bugs that might be lurking in the nooks and crannies. However if it is your personal razor that just needs a spruce up I would use a detergent solution with a toothbrush followed by a rinse in methylated spirits (denatured alcohol).
In the past I have wondered about the 'sanitariness' of the shaving process but you use soap (which is mildly caustic) and hot water to soak, raise lather and rinse off with. These things tend to have a bactericidal action. You don't hear of many people who have become infected as the result of shaving. After all, the germs that are present are your germs so you are probably used to them.
In the past I have wondered about the 'sanitariness' of the shaving process but you use soap (which is mildly caustic) and hot water to soak, raise lather and rinse off with. These things tend to have a bactericidal action. You don't hear of many people who have become infected as the result of shaving. After all, the germs that are present are your germs so you are probably used to them.
My own experiences have led me to believe that boiling razors is not needed to clean them to a sanitary condition, and in fact, may harm certain razors.
Some razors (no plastic, no lacquered gold) will stand the boiling process, but in order to actually sterilize them they need to be held in contact with steam (not just boiling water) for a period of time. This can be done with a pressure cooker and a rack that holds the razor above the water level.
We often have spirited discussions as to whether or not a razor needs to be sterile (no) and what the best methods are to accomplish the process.
Hot soapy water (an ultrasonic cleaner helps, too) gets rid of dirt and crud. Metal polish (MAAS, Simichrome, Wright's) gets rid of tarnish and protects the surface. Scrubbing bubbles will kill anything that may be on the razor that survived the first two processes.
Remember also that if you did cut yourself, it is not the razor that cuts but instead it's the bade.
