How do YOU do it? Clean your DE Razor that is!

[bbobbdd]

I know, there must be several opinions regarding this and I've heard a few. I did a quick search here and didn't come up with an answer.

The one that puzzles me is I was told to NEVER use a soft toothbrush!

I was told, "rinse it, use Dawn dish soap to clean it and then a microsoft towel to dry and buff it." The part that doesn't make sense to me is "how do you get into the nooks and crannies, to get the hair and shave soap out" and the razor clean.

Of course I've also heard "use a soft toothbrush and Dawn" (I question the frequency).

So, to all of you who do clean their razors, be they $25 or $300 tell us how you do it and why it works, please!

Thanks all you seasoned wet shaving experts.

 

[DesertIguana]

New Soft Toothbrush, and Toothpaste works for me.

 

[smudge]

Soft toothbrush and toothpaste too.

 

[wetshaver233]

The more people you ask, the more answers you will get.

First of all, it really depends on the razor itself - if it's a razor that you use all the time or if you just bought a vintage/modern razor, which someone else have been using.

If it's your own razor, then the recommended "use a soft toothbrush and Dawn" combined with hot or warn water is enough in most cases. I rarely need to clean any of my razors, because after each shave I rinse them thoroughly under the sink and then I use a soft towel to wipe them out from the water and in 99% of the time they as clean as the day I got them.

You can also use the same method for cleaning razors that have been used by someone else and it's also highly recommended to disinfect them in whatever way you like just to be extra sure.

 

[JimL911]

Sonicare toothbrush under running water before a new blade is used.
Not dirty as I use 2 blades/razors a week so 4 shaves is the most any razor gets before a change.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I have one of those little brushes designed to clean fingernails... It's semi-soft and bigger than a toothbrush... I use that to get in the nooks and crannies of the base plates. I do have a couple of Timeless cleaning brushes, sized to fit the channels in their base plates. They work well but the fingernail brush does a decent job as well.

 

[tehnothing]

Plain old water. I do not sweat it. I have hard water and often use Proraso cream which leaves a white film on everything. I picked up some citric acid and will eventually run them through my ultra sonic with the citric acid. I might brush them with the acid when I get around to it. I am in no rush. I buy brushed or machined finished razors. My razors are not jewellery. I only take pictures of them when they are new.

 

[JCinPA]

Soft toothbrush, a little 91% alcohol, and a terry washcloth to buff it up when finished. I don't do it often a little soap scum doesn't ruin the shave for me. But that's what I do every now and then.

I've also heard Scrubbing Bubbles, a bathroom cleaner spray is a good solution, and apparently not harmful to razor finishes, but I'm no chemist and I've never used it. It is popular on shaving forums, though.

And being a gun nut for over 40 years, and kind of an OCD gun cleaner, I can tell you that anyone who thinks a soft toothbrush is going to hurt a razor in any way, is way too worried about this. Absolutely cannot hurt, and as has been said, how would you get into the nooks without it? Toothbrush with confidence. Wire brush? No. Toothbrush? Can't hurt it.

 

[Jay21]

I wipe them down with a microfiber cloth after every use and that keeps the scum at bay. I don’t have to ever do deep cleans.

 

[nemo]

I hardly ever clean mine, if they get a little soap scum it's no big deal. Once in a while I'll use a soft toothbrush and some leftover lather -- never toothpaste, nothing abrasive. Years ago I'd be all fanatical with Scrubbing Bubbles and alcohol but now I just use that stuff on my bathroom tiles.

 

[Rob72]

Soft toothbrush is fine, with mild dish soap or rubbing alcohol. I dunk my razors in Barbicide and let them sit the ~2 minutes it takes to dry my face, after shave & dress.

Caution with Barbicide- it will remove laquer on vintage razors and may blacken the brass. Keep the dunk short and you'll never have residue of any sort on your shavers.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Maybe some of these will help:

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[Wombat ESQ]

I never read the instructions! I'm a MAN !!

Gold, I'm a little careful and dip it in hydrochloric acid [32% muriatic] or good old Drain Cleaner +/- Concentrated Bleach, like a tea bag, you jiggle in a cup, dangle in a pot until I'm satisfied or scrub with a brush any brush I feel like.
What dissolves Gold? Aqua-regia which is strong Nitric + Sulphuric acids, hence good ole hydro aint gunna do squat in one minute or sometimes 5 minutes?

Silver, that gets a secret sauce of
C22 H46 O6 Laureth-5
C18 H29 NaO3 S Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
Na2 CO3 Sodium Carbonate
simply pour on, brush, rinse ... it converts the silver sulphide back to silver, simples as, no loss of silver as polishing does remove the dead silver sulphide.

I'm currently cleaning a silver job, so I stopped and half/halfed it for demonstration purposes >>>>>>>>>

Nickel, all bets are off !
even down to using a brass wire brush if necessary !! but the good old drain cleaner and gel bleach [domestos] rid the old soap scum, hair, and cooties PDQ [pretty damn quick] and or a dip in the good ole hydrochloric then Autosol for polish then a cotton buff wheel..
If replating, well thats all of the above plus a sandpaper strip or chemical strip and thats nasty stuff, ferric chloride

I did not tell you to do anything, this is just as asked, ''What do 'you' do''.

I have done and will do, its metal, gold silver or nickel, it is HARD, there is no "might", it will or it won't.
Your razor, treat it how you wish to.


Edit; why do i use drain cleaner? easiest way to buy "Lye"
What is soap? Lye + Fat/oil
soap plus another dose of saponification = more soap
it dissolves organics ... aka Hair
me granny used lye and boiled clothes in a copper on washing day any body oil in clothes is saponified, and yes lye will saponificate the oil on your skin, use gloves.

 

[DesertIguana]

Been told DAWN Dish Soap is also good on bad grime, if you soak 20/80 mixture, 1 OZ Dawn 4 OZ. Water.

 

[Frito Ray]

The one that puzzles me is I was told to NEVER use your current toothbrush!

Fixed it.

 

[Dtownvino]

Dawn dish soap when i am rotating a razor out or use for a few weeks. Just gently. An occasional quick dip in 70% alcohol in between some shaves.

Scrubbing bubbles - soft tooth brush if i Am selling a razor. Never use the one with bleach. Only the standard scrubbing bubbles foaming can.

 

[ERS4]

One of the biggest benefits of DE is that it is simple and strong.
So you can clean it pretty much any way you like other than with gunpowder or burning.

 

[Lil Cooties]

Every so often with a boar bristle nail brush (I figure it's softer than a synthetic bristle brush), just with hand soap, then a buff with a cotton cloth. I've got nice soft water so I don't find soap scum or build up to be a problem.

 

[musicman1951]

It's your razor, do what makes you happy. There is a wide range of procedures here and apparently they all work just find - because we're all still here to write about them.

I generally find a bit of soap hiding under the corners of the cap every couple of weeks. I use an old toothbrush and hot tap water. If that doesn't do the job (and it usually does) I'll add a little soap - whatever is at my sink, not Dawn, because I'm upstairs and too lazy to go downstairs for a little soap.

My advice is to worry about it less, but you don't really need my advice and some people are quite fastidious with the cleaning because that's what makes them happy. Find your happy place and then don't worry about it.

 

[Quaznoid]

Don’t.