How do you care for your equipment?

[Big O]

Ok so I'm still new to this. Like week 2 or 3 new. I have 3 razors so far 2 brushes 1 boars hair 1 badger. I would like to see how all of you are taking case of your equipment. I give my razor a wipe down after each shave otherwise they look dull and gunked up and I don't want to have to do a full reclean already. So what's your routine for maintenance?

 

[Teppanyaki]

Aside from rinsing, when my razors have enough soap scum to annoy me I blast them with Scrubbing Bubbles (no bleach or lactic acid!), let it sit for 15-20 minutes, and then finish with a soft toothbrush.

 

[hakemakmal]

As for razor i give it a quick wipe with towel,pull out the blade and let everything dry seperately. As for the brush remove the excess water,towel dry and hang it upside down. Once a month i clean my razor with rubbing alcohol and bangg shine like new!

 

[guerreit2]

Rinse. wipe down with towel. shake off. When the razor gets nasty, take all apart & scrub with a toothbrush & soap.

 

[DVM2012]

Second the periodic rubbing alcohol. Seems to work very well and without the hassle of scrubbing them down with the "Bubbles" like i had to when I first got them.

 

[Toothpick]

my razors I rinse off after a shave and dry them. put them in the medicine cab. I might thoroughly clean them with a 10 min hot water soak and toothpaste/brush maybe once every couple months....maybe.
or when I'm bored and feel like cleaning them.

my brushes i'll shake excess water out and sit on the shelf until next time I use them. I don't know the last time I really cleaned them....

 

[Trek2100]

Try this for cleaning your razors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YAEU5x48T8

Cleaning and conditioning your brush:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NMhYtrCovI

 

[Senshi]

After each use I always open up my razor, be it TTO or three piece, and rinse it under warm water to get the soap and stubble out. Maybe once every two weeks they get a nice toothbrush and micro-fiber towel treatment (I hate the soaps that form that thin white layer on the razor)

The brushes get shaken until no water comes out and then I have a towel that I use to dry them. They get hung upside down for 48 hrs and then are stood up on the handle.

 

[tiernan22]

Scrubbing bubbles works really well and it's around 3 bucks for a huge can at Walmart. After every shave, I dip my razor in a Barbicide bath. I primarily use it to displace water but it certainly helps to keep it shiny. It's completely unnecessary but does it looks cool in the bathroom and I've gotta use it for something!

 

[Eeyore]

I don't really do anything special. Once every few months I soak my razors (I have two *) in dishwashing hand soap (not the machine tablet). I wash my brushes (also two) with regular shampoo when I think it's time ... once in a year maybe.

I think scrubbing bubbles is a USA only product? But I feel it would be overkill to keep my razors in usable condition anyway.

* actually three; a Gillette Rocket, a Feather Popular, and recently a backup for my Feather (but that one is not in use). 90% of the time I use the Feather Popular, so that is the one I need to keep clean mostly.

 

[KipNoxzema]

A good rinse, then dried off with the bath towel. Then I simply store it in a big ceramic coffee mug in the corner of the shower because I shave in there. It keeps the razor dry.

 

[Curlingfly]

Usually I'll clean the razor throughly at every blade change since I need to take it apart anyway. But after every shave I usually just rinse and store on the shelf. The brushes get cleaned about every two months or so or when ever I think about it.

 

[OneBadBadger]

Personally I'm anal. After every shave I pull my razors apart and rinse and dry them off every time. Piece by piece. Granted I don't have any twist to opens. Just 3 piece razors. As far as brushes. I borrow my fiancé's shampoo and conditioner once a month and wash it just like you would your hair. Scrubbing out most of the soap scum etc.

 

[Eeyore]

Personally I'm anal. After every shave I pull my razors apart and rinse and dry them off every time. Piece by piece. Granted I don't have any twist to opens. Just 3 piece razors. As far as brushes. I borrow my fiancé's shampoo and conditioner once a month and wash it just like you would your hair. Scrubbing out most of the soap scum etc.

How many years are you going to keep up with that? I have wet shaved for 30 years, and to me it is unthinkable that I would so a cleaning session every days, or even every week. I just shave and get it over with ... razor and brush are tools to me, so I don't need to pamper them. Once a few months is enough for me, but YMMV applies here as well

 

[drawonme]

With both DE and Feather straights, I rinse well, towel dry, then a 10 second dip in 90% alcohol. Seems to keep the blades sharper longer, especially if it is a razor not used often.

Marty

 

[Mick]

Dry with a towel, let them dry for a day, then put them away.

 

[StephenP83]

I keep a little jar of rubbing alcohol on the sink. I dip my razor in it before I shave because in my mind this sterilizes it before it touches my face (there is always a chance I'll get a small cut after all). After I finish shaving, I dip it in alcohol again, shake the excess of, and place it on the razor holder. I think the alcohol dip displaces any leftover water and it evaporates really fast also so you don't need to worry about it drying on the blade.

 

[aihpcfl]

I rinse my razor off under the tap when I'm done. Every once in a while I use a wash cloth and soft soap to get the soap scum off so I can admire the chrome for a little while.

I rinse my brush in hot tap water in the sink three times. I swirl it around and bob it up and down for 10 seconds or so, and repeat with fresh water. Every once in a while I lather up some shampoo on my hand to clean the brush whether it needs it or not.

 

[MrLara]

The brushes get shaken until no water comes out and then I have a towel that I use to dry them. They get hung upside down for 48 hrs and then are stood up on the handle.

I do same to my brushes. Although i only use the towel to dry the handle, not the bristles.

I clean whatever razor i use after shaving, that way all my razors are always ready for use.

 

[john shea]

I used to run my Gillette DE razors under hot water and shake dry, but found that this was not working well for modern DE alloy razors which started to show signs of beginning corrosion. I now rinse Alloy DEs under hot water and dissemble them after each shave and wipe clean with a towel. I blow into inaccessible areas that cannot be disassembled to remove water. I then wipe the DE blade dry and reassemble the razor before storage. The enhanced maintenance takes less than 3 minutes to perform. This method has even been working well on the complicated adjustable Merkur Vision which is noted for alloy corrosion issues unless diligently cleaned.

While I never had corrosion issues with my plated brass Gillettes, I now perform the same maintenance on the Gillettes and appreciated them keeping cleaner with less white film. From time to time i soak the DE razors in scrubbing bubbles and brush clean with a soft tooth brush.

For SRs, I rinse the blade under hot running water and wipe dry. Never let water get between the scales, this will cause carbon steel blade rust and staining, especially around the pivot pin. If water gets between the scales, it must be completely dried out and protected before storage without fail. I protect carbon steel SR blades between uses by wiping them with camellia or mineral oil for short time razor storage or a good firearms protective coating for long term razor storage.

My brushes are rinsed under running cold water while brushing the palm of my hand. I circle the bristles with my fingers to prevent splaying and let water run into the core of the knot. When the water runs off clean, I gently shake out the brush and stand it knot up on end or hang it knot down on a stand. I try not to be rough when lathering avoiding pressing hard into the puck while making circular motions. I use back and forth and circular motions to whip up lather.

HTH