Disinfecting a vintage razor?

[sharktown]

I know there's Barbicide but have never used it. In the past I have used what my father had done years ago to a razor or two that were especially grungy.
1. Boil in plain water for 10 minutes, without blade - let cool
2. Immerse in isopropyl alcohol for 10 minutes, rinse in water
3. Clean with dish detergent and a tooth brush, rinse with water
4. Buff to shine
5. Clean with dish detergent and a tooth brush, rinse with water
6. Dry
Never an issue with a razor's finish, that's the truth.
What say you??

 

[guitarslinger]

Lately, I've been using what I have on hand in my office.
Overnight soak in vodka to sterilize and loosen scum.
Toothbrush + glass Cleaner to get it cleaned off.
rinse.

 

[Macduff]

I know there's Barbicide but have never used it. In the past I have used what my father had done years ago to a razor or two that were especially grungy.
1. Boil in plain water for 10 minutes, without blade - let cool
2. Immerse in isopropyl alcohol for 10 minutes, rinse in water
3. Clean with dish detergent and a tooth brush, rinse with water
4. Buff to shine
5. Clean with dish detergent and a tooth brush, rinse with water
6. Dry
Never an issue with a razor's finish, that's the truth.
What say you??

I think that’s 100% sufficient. Personally i bought barbacide for the convience in cleaning. 10 min soak, clean with dish soap and rinse. But your method sounds just as effective.

 

[Scaramouche]

Well, to avoid wasting good vodka.... Boiling is sufficient to disinfect - 5 minutes is probably enough, then clean with a mild detergent. Or use Barbicide for 10 minutes, then clean - one advantage of Barbicide is that it is unlikely to damage plastics or natural materials (unless staining is an issue). Alcohol is not really necessary except as a solvent, can actually damage some aluminum alloys, and is not a particularly effective disinfectant unless 70 percent, and even then not the best.

 

[johnwick]

Impossible that a vintage razor would harbor any bacteria unless used very recently. But the boiling would help clean it up along with the dish soap and tooth brush!

 

[ajkel64]

I normally soak mine in dish washing detergent and hot water then scrub with a soft old tooth brush when the water cools. Normally do this twice and the 3rd bath is in diluted Dettol in hot water. I did boil a razor in a sauce pan on the stove but I DID damage the plating. Also never boil a Gold razor as you will damage the gold. You live and learn. I HAVE damaged razors by cleaning them too aggressively.

 

[RayR]

Impossible that a vintage razor would harbor any bacteria unless used very recently. But the boiling would help clean it up along with the dish soap and tooth brush!

Agreed, extreme germaphobia. A dip in rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide would do the job too.

 

[les24preludes]

I just dip the head in methylated spirits and give it a bit of a brush.

 

[dmshaver]

I've heard several stories of alcohol soaks &/or boiling water causing damage to plating. I soak in hot tap water with Dawn for an hour, scrub with a toothbrush, rinse & do it again for an hour, rinse & scrub with a toothbrush, then soak in hot water again with Dawn for an hour & clean with a toothbrush. I may then pour rubbing alcohol over the entire razor & rinse off immediately. If there is still crud not coming off I'll use a little Flitz polish very lightly with a soft cloth, then rinse off & enjoy the razor.

 

[Frozenshades]

I've never boiled a razor, always afraid I'd damage it.

Ethanol or Isopropanol (diluted) works, but it's not considered a high-level disinfectant ( which I also don't think is warranted for this use really). For a number of common pathogens it can work as quick as 10-15 seconds.

I don't generally use peroxide, but I'd do a 5 minute soak with that.

Usually I do like others said: a hot water soak with dawn, a good scrubbing and thorough rinsing. I usually follow up with a quick alcohol soak for 1 minute then wipe it down and a final rinse.

 

[Graydog]

Lately, I've been using what I have on hand in my office.
Overnight soak in vodka to sterilize and loosen scum.
Toothbrush + glass Cleaner to get it cleaned off.
rinse.

What do you do with the Vodka after the soak

 

[Graydog]

I've heard several stories of alcohol soaks &/or boiling water causing damage to plating. I soak in hot tap water with Dawn for an hour, scrub with a toothbrush, rinse & do it again for an hour, rinse & scrub with a toothbrush, then soak in hot water again with Dawn for an hour & clean with a toothbrush. I may then pour rubbing alcohol over the entire razor & rinse off immediately. If there is still crud not coming off I'll use a little Flitz polish very lightly with a soft cloth, then rinse off & enjoy the razor.

This is the method that I have used over and over with no issues

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Anybody ever go to a sit down restaurant? Kind of places with metal forks? Forks other people have stuck in rare roast beef, then put in their mouths? Some of those diners maybe have gum disease, even. Last I knew, restaurants were not using vodka or barbicide to clean forks.

Relax.

You are not gonna suck on a vintage razor. I hope. Just clean it with hot water and Dawn. Maybe use scrubbing bubbles w/o bleach, too. And pop in a fresh blade.

Happy shaves.

 

[dmshaver]

Anybody ever go to a sit down restaurant? Kind of places with metal forks? Last I knew, restaurants were not using vodka... to clean forks.

Happy shaves.

LOL!
If restaurants were, they would never have a shortage of dishwashers!

 

[John Rose]

Well, to avoid wasting good vodka.... Boiling is sufficient to disinfect - 5 minutes is probably enough, then clean with a mild detergent. Or use Barbicide for 10 minutes, then clean - one advantage of Barbicide is that it is unlikely to damage plastics or natural materials (unless staining is an issue). Alcohol is not really necessary except as a solvent, can actually damage some aluminum alloys, and is not a particularly effective disinfectant unless 70 percent, and even then not the best.

The thing about merely soaking something in a disinfectant is that it only works on the surface it touches. If there's accumulated dried lather it may not go all the way through.
If you boil it (I vote for 10 minutes) then that sludge will not only have been softened, but also brought up to boiling temperature, which kills the germs. Anything after that is just cosmetic. A toothbrush and a toothpick for the nooks and crannies.
I wouldn't do that to a razor with plastic parts though, like Schicks injectors and later Black Beauties.
I think of Barbicide as a maintenance soak for non-porous items that are more-or-less clean already. Plus it convinces a barber's customers that the barber is at least making an effort to keep things sterile(ish), because that tall glass bottle of blue liquid stands out visually on a shelf.

Notice that the pitch is not exactly about how well it works, but how well the customers trust it.
I'm sure it's good stuff though, with lots of research documentation to back it up.

Funny story - I once boiled an aluminum handle in water with a little bit of some generic household cleaner (might have been "Simple Green" or "Mr. Clean") and the handle turned black. No need to panic though, because it came right off with a toothbrush.

 

[jmudrick]

Dawn, Scrubbing Bubbles.

 

[ED3054]

Dishwasher


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[emwolf]

I've seen photos of damage done to a Black Beauty after soaking in Barbicide for too long. Also, boiling would not be good to some of the plating. It is metal and very resistant to absorbing bacteria. A thorough cleaning in hot water followed by a brief dip in ethyl, isopropyl or Barbicide should do it.

 

[guitarslinger]

What do you do with the Vodka after the soak

scrub the sink with it.

 

[preidy]

The old standard non-bleach Scrubbing Bubbles and a soak in hot tap water and Dawn and then a light toothbrush scrub. Works as good as anything else, safer than boiling in water (yikes) and cheaper that buying Barbicide. 50 razors cleaned/disinfected this way and I'm still healthy and kicking.