Evening all! Hope you're well! Can anyone shed some light or possibly give some tips on the best methods to clean and polish a razor? I've read a lot online but would like some more info and also am interested in what some of you may use. I won an auction on eBay for a blue tip Super Speed and it needs a good clean and polish. I'm in Thailand so some of the products you guys use may not be available here so perhaps be a little specific rather than just naming brands of cleaning products. Thanks in advance!
Cleaning and polishing a razor.
- Thread starter Shaver Nath
- Start date
Most will recommend a soak in warm water and mild dish soap to loosen up the accumulated crud, followed by a scrub with a soft toothbrush.
As for polishing, I will leave that discussion to others.
As for polishing, I will leave that discussion to others.
I would up the warm to hot, but not boiling water. Might take more than one soak. And if there is hard water scale, might give a 1 part vinegar, 8 parts water soak as well.
Non-bleach scrubbing bubbles is popular as well.
Depends on what type of metal/plating, but Flitz is popular and good for most types.
I find using a dry thin cloth with a dry razor easily removes soap scum and whatever else accumulates on the razor between blade changes, blade changes are usually weeks apart.
dave
dave
I soak mine in a sink of hot water with Dawn dish washing liquid and then scrub them gently with a tooth brush. If the brush is really filthy when I purchase it, it make take several soaks to get it clean.
Once the razor is clean I use Scrubbing Bubbles on it.
I never polish my razors but Flitz is a very good metal polish.
Once the razor is clean I use Scrubbing Bubbles on it.
I never polish my razors but Flitz is a very good metal polish.
Dish soap, toothpaste, and a tooth brush do wonders. I would caution you in over scrubbing the blue paint.
I personally don’t bother with polishing the razor. A couple of good soaks in dishwashing detergent and a scrub with a toothbrush or sometimes a fingernail brush works fine for me. I used to also include a bath in diluted Dettol Antiseptic Liquid but that was overkill.
For cleaning, I've soaked my used Gillette TTO adjustable razor from ebay in hot water (directly from the faucet) and plenty of dish soap. Toothbrush and cotton ear swabs were used for scrubbing. Baking soda can also provide some abrasion on this step.
For polishing, I started with baking soda and a few cleaning towels. Eventually, I resorted to Simichrome metal polish. I, then, proceeded with another soak and wash using dish soap as well as a soak in barbicide.
For polishing, I started with baking soda and a few cleaning towels. Eventually, I resorted to Simichrome metal polish. I, then, proceeded with another soak and wash using dish soap as well as a soak in barbicide.
The cotton swabs with wooden sticks are especially useful, as one can whittle the end of the stick to whatever shape is needed as a non-marring scraper for small spaces. Pipe cleaners are also very useful.
Good idea.
I use toothpicks or flosspicks to scrape/pick out the little crevices.
Hot water and Dawn dish soap, then a soft cloth (old tee shirt works best). Repeat. 
Toothbrush and Scrubbing Bubbles if things are especially bad. That’s pretty much it around here.
Toothbrush and Scrubbing Bubbles if things are especially bad. That’s pretty much it around here.
- Thread starter
- #12
Thanks guys! I'll give it all a go and see what happens.
I notice many replies say "Scrubbing Bubbles". I'm guessing you won't find it on a store shelf in Thailand. It's a spray bathroom cleaner / soap scum remover. Whatever brand you use, try to ensure it does not contain bleach.
I just picked up a $10 dermal tool from harbor freight and used the cloth wheel and the nylon brush tool with some paste polish to clean up some old Gillette superspeeds from the 40s, 50s and 60s, It worked great after soaking the razors in mineral oil. I also used it to polish up my new ATT slant and that came out nice also. Light pressure and going slow worked using the dermal tool.
- Thread starter
- #15
You're spot on! Thanks for clarifying what "Scrubbing bubbles" are though. I hear it mentioned a lot.
