How can I sanitize a razor with what I might have in the household?
How can I sanitize a razor?
- Thread starter ShaneN.
- Start date
Assuming it's not a straight razor take it apart and give it a nice spray with scrubbing bubbles, (no bleach variety). Let it sit for a few minutes and rinse it off and you'll be good to go.
If it's got some stubborn soap scum buildup you can take an old toothbrush to it as well.
If it's got some stubborn soap scum buildup you can take an old toothbrush to it as well.
Scrubbing Bubbles should work well but I would not use it frequently. I highly recommend purchasing a small bottle of Barbicide concentrate. It's ridiculously cheap, is designed to be heavily diluted (so that small bottle goes a long way), and has a proven disinfecting track record.
- Thread starter
- #4
I don't have either of those available at home. What about rubbing alch or something?
Rubbing alcohol works. 70 percent is actually better than the ninety percent stuff.
Clean gunk off the razor with dishsoap and water. Then put the razor in rubbing alcohol. Leave it in there for 15-20 minutes, then take it out and let it air dry.
Clean gunk off the razor with dishsoap and water. Then put the razor in rubbing alcohol. Leave it in there for 15-20 minutes, then take it out and let it air dry.
Is it all metal? For just sanitizing why couldn't you put it in boiling water a few seconds?
I have heard that boiling can damage plating. For stuff in the house I have used both 70% rubbing alcohol and Scrubbing Bubbles that has a Lysol-type disinfectant (kills 99.9% germs, the quaternary amines like Lysol).
Letting the Scrubbing Bubbles sit for a while really helps to loosen the soap scum in my experience (much moreso than spraying it on and trying to clean).
Letting the Scrubbing Bubbles sit for a while really helps to loosen the soap scum in my experience (much moreso than spraying it on and trying to clean).
I use barbicide. You can get it at a beauty supply store and it's cheap and lasts a long time.
I can appreciate someone not wanting to go and buy a whole bottle of Barbicide concentrate, cost notwithstanding. I picked up a bottle of Hydrocide (Basically the same thing used in many hair salons around here which must meet stringent Health Dept. criteria) for about $5.00; it should last the rest of my life. But for $5.00?? I'm glad I have it.
The suggestion to wash it thoroughly, hit it with the Scrubbing Bubbles, then a brief soak in alcohol is a fair idea for getting the job done with stuff you probably have on hand. Alcohol will kill MOST but not all germs, bacteria, and viruses. That is a fact. However unless this razor came from some festering pit environment, really what all do you have to sweat over? AND...if it is that huge of a concern, $5.00 is chump change to pay in exchange for your peace of mind.
I have to wonder why Gary hasn't jumped all over the concept of buying a gallon of concentrate and re-selling it priced at a couple bucks for enough to make a quart or so of solution, which would last someone for a year or so??
The suggestion to wash it thoroughly, hit it with the Scrubbing Bubbles, then a brief soak in alcohol is a fair idea for getting the job done with stuff you probably have on hand. Alcohol will kill MOST but not all germs, bacteria, and viruses. That is a fact. However unless this razor came from some festering pit environment, really what all do you have to sweat over? AND...if it is that huge of a concern, $5.00 is chump change to pay in exchange for your peace of mind.
I have to wonder why Gary hasn't jumped all over the concept of buying a gallon of concentrate and re-selling it priced at a couple bucks for enough to make a quart or so of solution, which would last someone for a year or so??
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I like the Isopropyl Alcohol and toothbrush idea.
Rubbing, vodka, any alcohol.
Why do you say this? I think that 70% is totally sufficient, but I don't see why it would be any better than 91%
Also, it shouldn't be necessary to let it sit in there for 15-20 minutes. A simple dip and air dry should be sufficient to kill practically anything.
I think anything beyond what I'm describing is overkill.... Isopropyl alcohol should kill virtually anything that's going to be on your razor.
- Badger Bill
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The 70 > 90% thing only really applies to spraying it on a surface. The 90 percent just evaporates too fast.
There are three levels of Decontamination:
Sanitizing (the removal of dirt and some bacteria) should only require getting the crud off with a toothbrush and some hot soapy water.
Disinfection (the removal of nearly all harmful viruses and bacteria in the vegetative stage with little effect on spores) should use at least a 10 minute soak in: 70+ % isopropyl alcohol, or barbacide, or scrubbing bubbles, or lysol.
Sterilization (complete removal of all life forms from an object) 15 minutes in a pressure cooker with water boiling at 250 degrees is the standard for medical equipment, but even holding it over a bunsen burner until it glows red hot won't eliminate all of the Prions.
Ahhh... this makes a lot more sense (the spraying vs dipping). I always dip to make sure that I get everywhere.
As far as the decontamination goes, I'm totally with you on that. I just think that for real world practicality, anything beyond a dip in alcohol is overkill.
I used to work in a DNA research lab and we'd sterilize gloves and equipment before working with cell cultures in a sterile hood using 70% isopropyl in a spray bottle. If it's good enough for there, it's good enough for my razor.
- Badger Bill
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I never use anything more than 70% alcohol, either. I'm an infectious diseases physician. I quoted the 70% better than 90% and the 15-20 minute soak from CDC recommendations. I agree that a quick dip and air dry is likely sufficient. The bactericidal action mostly occurs during drying, so it is important to let it air dry.
I don't know exactly why the CDC wants the soak prior to the air dry, but I figured it couldn't hurt his razor.
I don't know exactly why the CDC wants the soak prior to the air dry, but I figured it couldn't hurt his razor.
My understanding is that the alcohol coagulates the organism as it penetrates the cell wall. A 90 percent solution of alcohol will penetrate quickly and coagulate, but that in turn prevents the alcohol from penetrating completely through the organism.
The weaker solution at 70 percent allows for complete penetration of the cell wall throughout the organism, and therefore kills it instead of driving it into a "dormant" but still alive state.
A good article here;
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/features/article_7bc21024-3029-11e2-b509-001a4bcf887a.html
The weaker solution at 70 percent allows for complete penetration of the cell wall throughout the organism, and therefore kills it instead of driving it into a "dormant" but still alive state.
A good article here;
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/features/article_7bc21024-3029-11e2-b509-001a4bcf887a.html
Having spent a good portion of my career involved with aseptic manufacturing of pharmaceuticals I can attest that effective sterilization can be a complex endeavor. For the purposes of sterilization of an "old" razor I would first clean the razor as completely as possible using detergents, mechanical removal of scale, dirt, corrosion etc. (ultrasonic cleaning is good if the equipment is available) and then place the disassembled parts in a pressure cooker with fresh water (distilled if available) and cook for 30 minutes at 250 F (121 C) at 15 psig and then let cool for 60 min. in the cooker. This will kill all vegetative cells and bacterial spores. If present, prions would survive (highly unlikely they would be present). Simple boiling will not guarantee destruction of heat resistant bacteria or some bacterial spores. Also, 70 percent isopropyl alcohol is very effective for vegetative cells but not spores. A soak for 15 min. is recommended to allow saturation, followed by air drying (do not rinse). Another option is dry heat sterilization. This would require the cleaning regiment followed by 360 degrees or higher for at least one hour in an oven with no moisture or liquids present (a convection oven that circulates the hot air would be preferred to insure even heat distribution). This may cause some discoloration of the metal depending on material and coating. This temperature would not be recommended for any plastic components. Again slow cooling for 60 min. is advised to complete the cycle and protect the material being cooled from thermal stress.
Understand that sterilization is a relative term and generally the wet or dry heat method will achieve 6 sigma levels or less that 1 in a million organism surviving. The alcohol method may give up to a 6 sigma result but is more dependent on penetration of the liquid to the cell wall and is not very effective with spores.
One final approach with alcohol is to treat for 3 successive days with the razor air dried after each treatment.
This is more effective for penetration and also as spores begin to vegetate they become new targets on successive days before they get an opportunity to produce new spores. Once the "old" razor is cleaned and sterilized then daily or weekly treatment with alcohol or a germicide such as Barbicide is a very reasonable approach. Keep in mind that the other tools and materials used for your shave prep including the brush, blade, dish, cream/soap are not sterile. Good overall hygiene and cleaning of the equipment and area to be shaved (face, head, body) is the best practice.
Understand that sterilization is a relative term and generally the wet or dry heat method will achieve 6 sigma levels or less that 1 in a million organism surviving. The alcohol method may give up to a 6 sigma result but is more dependent on penetration of the liquid to the cell wall and is not very effective with spores.
One final approach with alcohol is to treat for 3 successive days with the razor air dried after each treatment.
This is more effective for penetration and also as spores begin to vegetate they become new targets on successive days before they get an opportunity to produce new spores. Once the "old" razor is cleaned and sterilized then daily or weekly treatment with alcohol or a germicide such as Barbicide is a very reasonable approach. Keep in mind that the other tools and materials used for your shave prep including the brush, blade, dish, cream/soap are not sterile. Good overall hygiene and cleaning of the equipment and area to be shaved (face, head, body) is the best practice.
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This is very interesting information. Thanks for sharing. I have a follow up question for you... I think that many here are mostly concerned with disinfecting a razor that they buy, say, on ebay or BST that someone else has used. In your opinion, is a short 70% rubbing alcohol soak sufficient to kill any bacteria/virus that would cause a human illness that would still be surviving on the razor for days during the shipping process? Although things like HIV would certainly die during the shipping process, I would think that something like staph could certainly survive.
The key here is the distinction between true sterility and functional cleanliness/stuff that could get people sick, I think.
- Badger Bill
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