Injector Disinfecting?

[Jim99]

I also have had concerns cleaning newly acquired injectors. I’ve soaked them overnight, rinsed them and then injected new blades, only to see the crud come out.

I once ruined a Schick C3 in an overzealous attempt at cleaning under the spring and blade guard. Ughh!

I like to go with the theory that germs and viruses cannot live years, if not decades, on a metal razor.

 

[santamariasteve]

Tools which involve sharp blades, blood and being used not knowing where they've been all these years - do you really want to be casual about it ? At a minimum a barbasol dip would do wonders imho.

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Brother luv,

I'm not discounting a legitimate concern. And I believe in good hygiene. I'm only saying sickness or death is surprisingly rare from using used shaving tools that have not been "sterilized." The average used razor in an antique store has not been used in months. Germs have died from starvation. I suggest warm soapy water and a used soft tooth brush does the deed. If one still is nervous after the "soak and scrub," put the razor outside in the sunlight for several hours or more.

Such simple suggested measures probably produce a used razor that in fact is cleaner than the plates and the tableware at your favorite restaurant.

 

[Raissermesser]

Disinfecting isn't exactly the same as sterilization. I don't even sterilize the blade on my pocket knife when cutting out a splinter. But I do try to disinfect it, if at all possible.

There's different issues here. The one with the chronic disinfecting used razors topic is the longevity of infectious agents on bare metal. When I found my father's razors, bloodborne pathogens, if he had had any, would have died out a long time ago. But I still cleaned them before use, because they had accumulated grime just from sitting around, and there are some non-bloodborne nasties.

If I found a razor in the wild, I wouldn't know how long it had been since someone last used them. We assume years, but maybe someone tried it that very week before deciding to sell it. That deals directly with bloodborne pathogens on bare metal, or dried blood (saw one on sale that looks suspiciously like it had just that on it). This gets into cleaning and disinfecting and all the other nice stuff that crops up now and then on B&B.

The injectors that don't open up for cleaning raises an issue. Used ones likely have crud in that small gap just from normal use. With DE, adjustable and TTO will have crude, too, in the handle, but that's a bit different from the area close to the blade, where you might be swishing the crud through the water to remove lather.

When I think about crud, I think about various nasties like staph. And tetanus. And, to be extreme, anthrax. The potential of each is likely listed in diminishing probabilities, and while tetanus spores are long lived, the type of wound matters, too. Anthrax is frankly a wild one, but it was in those non-sterilized horsehair brushes during WWI

If we look at death by shaving, blood poisoning does come up, and the culprit there is likely staph. That said, it turns out that David Thoreau's brother died from tetanus after cutting himself shaving. Thoreau's brother would have used a straight razor, of course, but it still happened.

All I'm looking for is a way to get rid of the crud, where it will do some good to slosh it in a disinfecting solution, and a disinfecting solution that wouldn't damage plastic parts.

 

[Ron R]

All I'm looking for is a way to get rid of the crud, where it will do some good to slosh it in a disinfecting solution, and a disinfecting solution that wouldn't damage plastic parts.

I boil in water when I get a vintage razor and then scrub in dawn dish soap (2 times) and then I use 100% isopropyl alcohol for a good soak. Anything to live through that has to be one mean bug IMO.

 

[Galhatz]

I am never compromised on my sanitation standards, if I cannot get razor clean to my liking I am just going to pass. Regardless if the dead skin has been dead inside for 40 years. Clean is clean.
The self cleaning action of a blade pushing the old blade is limited, and it is not good enough, for me that is.

For G or E razors, you can open them, I posted about an E mod a while ago, just be careful with it. They are not meant to be opened anymore than a car gearbox is meant to be opened. If you are careful and have tge required technical skill it is fine.

L, J... I had NOS units and they are very mild. You can get a new O clone at ebarbershop
It is very similar to the L.

Pass on the J and get a Hydromagic which is easier to clean effectively, same head geometry.

 

[Flintstone65]

I'll admit to being a clean-freak when it comes to using used/vintage shaving gear. I've heard the arguments raised in this thread and others, and my rational mind accepts and takes comfort from them, but to calm my "irrational" mind, I've come up with a process that works for me.

1) Initial clean with Dawn Dish Detergent, hot tap water and a toothbrush
2) Then Scrubbing Bubbles with a 5 minute timer -- reapply SB during the time as the bubbles fade and scrub with toothbrush
3) Then boil 6 cups of water, let water stand for 1 minute after the boil, pour water into a container with a tablespoon of Lysol concentrate, and put razor into water for 10 to 15 minutes
4) Rinse razor thoroughly with hot-warm tap water
5) Depending on the razor, I use flitz to polish it a bit
6) Before I use it, I will also give it a minute or two soak in 98% isopropyl alcohol

Now the only injector I have is a Schick E-type -- and after reading horror stories about prying open the blade holder to "wash" inside, I just did my steps above and replaced the blade. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, and I'm not overjoyed that I can't scrub the blade holder as well as I'd like, but I've made my peace with it, and I'm looking forward to my first injector shave very soon.

So clearly I am a damaged individual . I do eat in restaurants (using their flatware, plates and cups) and I don't walk around in a plastic bubble. But I absolutely do not judge others for how much or little they choose to do when cleaning and/or disinfecting their equipment. To me, this topic is less about our treasured concept of YMMV and more of a "Whatever Gives You Peace".

By the way, my process is an amalgamation of things I've learned on this site...hopefully my process will give someone else some ideas that could work for them.

 

[santamariasteve]

Brother Flintstone,

With your razor cleaning regimen I predict you'll live to be 120 years old! Congratulations.

BTW used razors have been used by new users probably millions of times. I have never heard of a single case of a new user dying or getting sick because of germs on a razor. Has anyone? And does that tell us anything?

But whatever gives one peace.