Overkill on cleaning or being safe

[Jim1968]

What I want to know is did I go to extreme or ensured everything was clean and sterile. I had never bought a vintage razor before and I wanted to make sure it was safe to use. This is what I did to clean it.

1. Sprayed with antibacterial scrubbing bubbles and waited 10 minutes.
2. Scrubbed with toothbrush to get into the small spaces.
3. Rinse with running water for 5 minutes.
4. Sprayed with Lysol disinfecting spray and waited until it was air dry.
5. Rinsed with running water for 5 minutes.
6. Immersed in Barbicide for 10 minutes.
7. Rinsed with running water for 5 minutes.

This is why I titled the post overkill or being safe. Did I kill everything?

 

[hypo_style]

I think you can safely assume so, yes.
Typically, I think the Barbicide alone would do the trick.

 

[dpmtherrien]

Yeah, I think you'll be fine.

But you may want to invest in a autoclave.

 

[luvmysuper]

What I want to know is did I go to extreme or ensured everything was clean and sterile. I had never bought a vintage razor before and I wanted to make sure it was safe to use. This is what I did to clean it.

1. Sprayed with antibacterial scrubbing bubbles and waited 10 minutes.
2. Scrubbed with toothbrush to get into the small spaces.
3. Rinse with running water for 5 minutes.
4. Sprayed with Lysol disinfecting spray and waited until it was air dry.
5. Rinsed with running water for 5 minutes.
6. Immersed in Barbicide for 10 minutes.
7. Rinsed with running water for 5 minutes.

This is why I titled the post overkill or being safe. Did I kill everything?

Personally, I think the Lysol and Barbicide was over kill, but if it makes you happy, and makes you feel safer, who cares what I think, eh?

I usually just do the bubbles, a good soap and brush scrub and a thorough rinse.

I wish I owned stock in your local water company though!

 

[Xavier]

I think you only forgot to autoclave it for spores, but I doubt 99% of members have one handy. Lysol was the way to go, but other steps included just makes it better.

 

[Stubblefield]

You forgot the alcohol bath and irradiation lamp.

You will be just fine.

 

[Jim1968]

I knew I forgot to do something when I was cleaning the razor. Thanks next time I will have to use the autoclave.

 

[82R100]

You were probably o.k. about 10 seconds into #3.

- Chris

 

[cooncatbob]

I don't know about where you live but here in California we're in a drought.
Running the water for 15 minutes to rinse a razor is obscenely wasteful.

 

[Blondie]

I don't know about where you live but here in California we're in a drought.
Running the water for 15 minutes to rinse a razor is obscenely wasteful.

+1. I also get a kick out of the, "can't rinse between passes with the water already in the sink" folks. Then they discuss how using DE blades is better for the environment.

Back to the OP though, overkill.

 

[RagingRazor]

Most bacteria and viruses dont live beyound a few days, most die much sooner than that on a dry surface.

People go nuts about sterilizing these safety razors because they are afraid to catch the last guys disease, but we all go out everyday to public places, touch filthy door handles, shake hands, handle money, and objects that lots of other people touch and leave their germs on.
But who goes home and scubs their hands with some bathroom cleaner, boils them in hot water, and finallly soaks then in alcohol, to be sure our hands are clean?

A thorough cleaning with a toothbrush and soap will suffice, and for mental comfort a quick dip in alcohol will put all fears to bed.

 

[mark_mw]

+1

 

[mdunn]

...letting it sit somewhere cool and dry overnight would have had the exact same effect


...just sayin'

 

[Slivovitz]

. . . People go nuts about sterilizing these safety razors because they are afraid to catch the last guys disease, but we all go out everyday to public places, touch filthy door handles, shake hands, handle money, and objects that lots of other people touch and leave their germs on. . .

Or my favorite example, go to a restaurant and eat with silverware which has been in thousands of mouths, and which we haven't personally seen cleaned.

And yet, I give every vintage razor I buy a barbicide treatment the first time after I've hand scrubbed it because after all, what could it hurt? And I already bought the barbicide.

 

[WhosYerBob]

You missed the bleach and 91% alcohol steps.

Just kidding - your process is very similar to mine.

 

[honed]

Howard Hughes would have used that razor

Nothing wrong with being careful.

 

[BEAR DEN]

Howard Hughes would have used that razor

Nothing wrong with being careful.

 

[njpaddy]

Not only did you kill everything on the razor, but inhaling the Scrubbing Bubbles and Lysol fumes probably killed some of your body's cells and altered some genes. Still, I use the SB and an alcohol soak on "new" razors to kill any cooties (real or imagined).

 

[Unknownsoldier]

One further step to consider, Biscuit tin (empty of course), razor in there, then pop into a rather hot oven, for 30 minutes (my grandmother was a nurse, and she sterilised her bandages etc. like this, when autoclaves were not readily avaliable outside main hospitals)

BTW Drought!?!? I thought the US was under 8 feet of snow like us???

Tom

 

[Loner16]

Most bacteria and viruses dont live beyound a few days, most die much sooner than that on a dry surface.

People go nuts about sterilizing these safety razors because they are afraid to catch the last guys disease, but we all go out everyday to public places, touch filthy door handles, shake hands, handle money, and objects that lots of other people touch and leave their germs on.
But who goes home and scubs their hands with some bathroom cleaner, boils them in hot water, and finallly soaks then in alcohol, to be sure our hands are clean?

A thorough cleaning with a toothbrush and soap will suffice, and for mental comfort a quick dip in alcohol will put all fears to bed.

Now, I have no medical background or training, but I believe this to be true... And, I've lived this long...