+1! Basically what I do.
On the rare occasions when I use a carbon steel blade, it gets dried on a paper towel after use.
Razor Blade Cleaning - A Question After 65+Years
- Thread starter john parker
- Start date
+1! Basically what I do.
On the rare occasions when I use a carbon steel blade, it gets dried on a paper towel after use.
Well, I started shaving with an injector razor, and there really is no way to safely remove the blade to clean it and re-insert it. Bad enough changing them.
I've cleaned blades once in a while when I was using soap made without EDTA. I have very hard water and was getting enough soap scum to keep the edge from reaching my skin, so bad shaves. Since I've used EDTA in the soap, I just shave and rinse well.
There was a small amount of soap scum on the blade I got 121 shaves with, nothing to get excited about.
Bacteria don't grow well in soap, pH is too high.
I've cleaned blades once in a while when I was using soap made without EDTA. I have very hard water and was getting enough soap scum to keep the edge from reaching my skin, so bad shaves. Since I've used EDTA in the soap, I just shave and rinse well.
There was a small amount of soap scum on the blade I got 121 shaves with, nothing to get excited about.
Bacteria don't grow well in soap, pH is too high.
+1
I don't like soap scum to build up on my razors so after a shave I rinse and carefully wipe the razor dry. I always have a hand towel beside the sink when shaving where I lay everything after rinsing. I thoroughly rinse my blades after a shave, lay it on a towel and fold it the towel over. I press down on the folded over towel to dry the blade then reassemble it all for the next shave. I don't rub the towel over the blade to protect the edge coatings.
I may be mistaken, but generally, soap is basic, not acidic. However, if the soap was formulated to be closer to skin's pH levels, then it could be slightly acidic.
That said, I have no idea what kind of pH level allows bacteria to grow.
You're absolutely right! I somehow misread your post as saying the pH was too low!
I remember little from my school days, and even less from chemistry, but I do remember acids being roughly 1 to 6, neutral being 7, and base being 8-14. IIRC, generally healthy skin is about 5.5 on the pH scale, making it slightly acidic. Soaps tend to be higher on the pH scale, which is also why some people have skin sensitivity to soaps.
ylekot
On the lookout for a purse
Guess I'm a filthy pig..... I just rinse under hot water and shake off the excess and put it on the shelf to dry. Give it a good scrub once a week when I change the blade..... no issues so far
- Thread starter
- #28
Reading the responses and revisiting memories, I do remember one real good reason for at least drying the blades. The Gillette reds would rust!!!
My experience has been that taking a Zamak razor apart too often leads to thread wear.
Water on the blade is not your friend. Knowing that's true, I still don't take the blade out after the rinse.
I've had three cuts from blades over the past 15 years or so. One was while shaving with a new razor and misjudging the distance to my chin. The other two were handling bare blades. I suppose it's reasonable to say that over the 1200+ blade changes that's not a tragic percentage, but both were right on the end of a finger, one on my first day of a Disney vacation (makes it interesting to button a shirt).
So I don't touch the blade any more than I need to. It's been many years since the last cut, but I still think about it every time I handle a blade (and I'm not becoming less klutzy as I age).
I've had three cuts from blades over the past 15 years or so. One was while shaving with a new razor and misjudging the distance to my chin. The other two were handling bare blades. I suppose it's reasonable to say that over the 1200+ blade changes that's not a tragic percentage, but both were right on the end of a finger, one on my first day of a Disney vacation (makes it interesting to button a shirt).
So I don't touch the blade any more than I need to. It's been many years since the last cut, but I still think about it every time I handle a blade (and I'm not becoming less klutzy as I age).
In my 50 years of shaving I’ve never cleaned a blade, nor have I wanted to. I rinse off the razor and hang it on the rack.
JCinPA
The Lather Maestro
I read somewhere that drying the blade after the shave makes it last longer. Then I started reading this thread. Tried some different things, then read those that said, "Rinse, set it down, pick it up next shave" and decided the heck with it. These threads get my OCD all spooled up in no time. Luckily I often come to my senses pretty quickly.
Now I'm back to what I've done for the last ten years. Loosen the razor a little bit, swish it around in some alcohol I keep in a spring sealed jar on the sink, shake it off, set it down.
In a private convo with @Atlantic59 he mentioned how the coatings are applied and how delicate they are. He concluded handling the blade as lilttle as possible, and definitely not trying to wipe it is probably best. They're typically good for 3-4 shaves anyway, don't mess with them.
Now I'm back to what I've done for the last ten years. Loosen the razor a little bit, swish it around in some alcohol I keep in a spring sealed jar on the sink, shake it off, set it down.
In a private convo with @Atlantic59 he mentioned how the coatings are applied and how delicate they are. He concluded handling the blade as lilttle as possible, and definitely not trying to wipe it is probably best. They're typically good for 3-4 shaves anyway, don't mess with them.
