Razor and blade soak cause rust?

[IAmTheJody]

A question for those experienced...

If I fill a Barbicide jar with rubbing alcohol, would it be ok to leave my razors and blades in it when not using them or would paint start coming off of the razors (such as in the numbers on adjustables) and blades start rusting or blades suffer some kind of other damage like lose their edge, etc? Any parts inside a razor that may be affected by doing this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bnndx2]

I think DE blades now days are made from stainless steel, so you should be fine. I wouldn't worry about them rusting.

 

[Rev. Nathan]

Hmm... I don't know any users who do that. Sounds like overkill to me. As bnndx2 said, blades are stainless steel. They can stand having water dropletts on them between shaves. Razors, too: they are made to withstand years of water abuse, etc. Most, if not all of us, simply leave our razors and blades out in the open... and we're all fine!

 

[IAmTheJody]

Hmm... I don't know any users who do that. Sounds like overkill to me. As bnndx2 said, blades are stainless steel. They can stand having water dropletts on them between shaves. Razors, too: they are made to withstand years of water abuse, etc. Most, if not all of us, simply leave our razors and blades out in the open... and we're all fine!

Thanks to you both, and I completely understand about leaving them out. But I'm asking if I decide to do this - when I'm not using them, leave them in a Barbicide jar full of rubbing alcohol, will it hurt the razor and/or the blade. And I do know of blades can and will rust. There's been plenty of threads and pictures here at B&B showing this. I just want to know if anything bad would happen to my razors and blades if, when I'm done using them, I put them in the rubbing alcohol and leave them there until my next use.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Whether paint will be hurt by alcohol depends on the formulation of the paint. Some will hold up and some won't. You cannot make a blanket statement for all types of paint.

Alcohol won't hurt stainless, nickel, chrome, or gold. So no worries there.

If a blade rusts, no big deal. I change them every three or four days, which isn't enough time for major rust to set in.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Alcohol sanitizes by evaporation, so leaving a razor in it is actually pointless - the benefits only accrue when you take it out and expose it to air.

 

[clonesharky]

dount use wood alcohol it will remove pant

and make sure its over 90 percent the prob.with alcohol is that it evoperates off living water behind esp in jar like your talking about

mineral oil is the best to use to soak razor and blades between uses its been said it make your blades stay sharp longer. i spray my razor with alcohol 1st then put in a jar with mineral oil keeps the razor head working smoothly too

 

[Fairlight]

dount use wood alcohol it will remove pant

Not to mention poison you if you get a nick. Methanol is not safe for your skin.

 

[christof]

is possible this work

 

[Hank21]

I've never seen it. I wouldn't do it and I don't know anyone else who would either.

 

[AndrewGWU]

Alcohol sanitizes by evaporation, so leaving a razor in it is actually pointless - the benefits only accrue when you take it out and expose it to air.

This was my thoughts as well. You would be just as well served without the risk if you just opened it up and wiped it off with alcohol or briefly dunked it after each use.

 

[Drubbing]

At 3-4 shaves/days per blade, really, how much can it rust? Many people toss blades after two shaves.

Plated razors were built to get wet, and to last.

 

[Osborn Cox]

I have a small canning jar with a couple of inches of 93% alcohol in it. I used to soak my razors in it for a few minutes after use while cleaning up my brush, soap etc. One of razors is a Parker with a black painted handle, and after a couple minute soak the paint started to flake off the handle. That was the last time I soaked. Now I just give them a couple of seconds swirl in the jar and remove it. Lesson learned, I'm just glad it was a Parker and not the paint from a vintage Gillette adjustment ring. YMMV-maybe the Parker paint used is just inferior but I'm not taking any chances.

 

[drandall]

the only blades that rust are those made of carbon steel...like treet "black beauties". all others are stainless.

as for barbicide, i know it's safe on metal in the short term, but permanent contact? i don't think it's necessary.

a blast of scrubbing bubbles between blade changes should keep them clean and if you want to have a regular barbicide dunking session every once in a while...have at it.

doing more is, in my opinion, unnecessary.

 

[Blue-EyedSon]

Alcohol sanitizes by evaporation, so leaving a razor in it is actually pointless - the benefits only accrue when you take it out and expose it to air.

This was my thoughts as well. You would be just as well served without the risk if you just opened it up and wiped it off with alcohol or briefly dunked it after each use.

I'd never heard this before. So, if I am understanding you correctly, soaking a razor in alcohol overnight or wiping it down for 5 seconds is going to have the same sanitizing/sterilizing effect. Is this correct?

 

[Go West Young Man]

AFAIK, yes.

 

[Stubblefield]

the only blades that rust are those made of carbon steel...like treet "black beauties". all others are stainless.

as for barbicide, i know it's safe on metal in the short term, but permanent contact? i don't think it's necessary.

a blast of scrubbing bubbles between blade changes should keep them clean and if you want to have a regular barbicide dunking session every once in a while...have at it.

doing more is, in my opinion, unnecessary.

Agree with the unnecessary part. Give your razor an occasional cleaning, change your blade frequently--and that's it. Soaking in alcohol, barbicide, whatever just seems like overkill, and totally unnecessary. I can see an occasional dip and dry in alcohol, I guess.

Of course, if you live in unsanitary conditions, have a skin condition or BBP, are a germophobe, or live in certain parts of the world where cleanliness is taken as high art, your mileage may then vary.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

When I am done with the razor and am going to change blades, I soak it in a Barbicide solution for about 20 minutes because I have found it quickly gets all the soap scum off.

 

[Razorburne]

I'd never heard this before. So, if I am understanding you correctly, soaking a razor in alcohol overnight or wiping it down for 5 seconds is going to have the same sanitizing/sterilizing effect. Is this correct?

yup

 

[klm099]

another word for rusting is oxidation, that is reacting with oxygen to change the chemical state of the substance, there is oxygen in iso. alcohol, but it should not react unless some substance (like salt from sweat) aheres to the razor or some chemical from your shaving soap/cream has active ingredients

note: barbicide, I have lost more than one gold tone razor by forgeting there were soaking, there is something in it that will strip away a gold finish; if it is reactive with gold it will probably do the same to some paints

I agree the alcohol is overkill unless you are sharing a razor which I cannot even imagine (shudder)
50 years of wet shaving and never a skin infection
ken