Rinse or wipe (your razor)

[Cheech]

I normally rinse my razor in the sink while I'm shaving. That is, I fill the sink and use it to rinse the razor, wet the towel to wipe my face, and do a "gray rinse" of the brush when I'm done.

Today, I was looking at the sink and thinking about how much water I use while shaving. (One of the reasons I love shaving with a straight is that I don't contribute to landfill with plastic.) I started to wonder how else I could use less water. Then I thought about the gallon or so in my sink.

Anyone here simply wipe their razors on a towel while shaving and then rinse them under a tap when done?

Any other ideas to conserve?

And before you ask, yes I am in California

 

[SpyvSpy]

why not put a cup or whatever in your shower when your showering and use the water from that to rinse off your razor?

 

[Samouraï]

I haven't been filling my sink, but rather turning on the faucet in short bouts (spouts). I rinse my razor quickly under water and wipe. I would be too afraid of putting the razor in a glass and swirling it around should I accidentially nick the edge. I am interested in this topic, though, as I am still figuring my routine.

 

[Koss]

I would think it would be easy to accidently swipe the blade edge with the towel. Could it damage or dull it? Eh, I don't know these things...

I say drink less water and more beer to offset the water you use in your sink during shaving.

 

[Seraphim]

I would think it would be easy to accidently swipe the blade edge with the towel. Could it damage or dull it? Eh, I don't know these things...

I say drink less water and more beer to offset the water you use in your sink during shaving.

Koss for Governor!

 

[Chimensch]

I just let a little bit of water run and rinse the blade under the faucet. I probably don't use more water than you do filling the sink and there's less danger of hitting the edge. I also don't turn the faucet on and off because I think I would waste more water trying to regulate it. If you wipe on a towel, you have to wash the towel, so there's waste there, too. I think I'm just going to have to live with my guilt here.

 

[Koss]

Koss for Governor!

Vote for Koss '09! I'll invite the public I represent over for beers at my home just like President Obama!

I, Koss, endorse this public message.

Bottoms up!

 

[English]

Interesting that you've got gallons of orange juice and those wonderful walnuts but no water. Somebody sold the business IMHO.

Still, I agree that water is a precious commodity.

The old barbers used very little water. They used a little to make the lather but for the actual shave they would use a linen cloth to wipe the blade of lather and shavings and they would wipe your face with a damp cloth.

Incidentally, a blade with a true mirror finish, washes faster and quicker than ones with a non true mirror finish.

 

[JBLAZE725]

I would think it would be easy to accidently swipe the blade edge with the towel. Could it damage or dull it? Eh, I don't know these things...

I say drink less water and more beer to offset the water you use in your sink during shaving.

I think the thread is done here. A more perfect answer you cannot find.

 

[Tolduonce]

Lately I've started being more conscious about our resources. I used to do a quick on/off rinse of the blade as needed. The last few shaves I've been wiping the blade, edge trailing, on the forearm of my off hand. Plenty of room for several passes. After I'm done, I clean my arms, splash my face and anxiously await my next shave. Don't know if I'm actually saving water this way, but it does work. Thoughts?

 

[leighton]

To save water, the best approach would be to use your arm to wipe the lather off the blade. When finished, wipe your arm off on the towel and dry your razor on the towel. Voila! Minimal water useage.

I'm going to keep rinsing my razors under hot running water from the faucet though. That said, I wouldn't recommend swirling the razor around anything hard...

 

[SavantStrike]

I haven't been filling my sink, but rather turning on the faucet in short bouts (spouts). I rinse my razor quickly under water and wipe. I would be too afraid of putting the razor in a glass and swirling it around should I accidentially nick the edge. I am interested in this topic, though, as I am still figuring my routine.

Yes. This could only end in heartbreak .

I have a routine that uses virtually no water. Does anyone want to hear it? Good, because I'm telling you all any way .

I have a normally sized washcloth which I like to rest on my right (or left), thigh, depending on my mood. I like to keep it bone dry so I don't wet my pants when I shave. During the shave I wipe lather onto the wash cloth, using small sections each time. There is plenty of space to keep wiping during even a multi pass shave.

At the end of the shave, I put my blade onto the counter still open, and take the wash cloth with stubble and lather on it and beat it senseless against the side of the bath tub, thus getting 90 percent of the gunk off of it. I then put the wash cloth somewhere to dry from the (minimal) amount of water it has on it from the lather, and I rinse my straight and dry it. Once a week I wash the wash cloth so it doesn't get too gnarly.

The only water I use is for the lather, and the single rinse of the blade after I'm done shaving.

 

[BrightFutur]

Something I've been doing since I'm new to straight shaving is wiping the lather off the blade with a spine -> edge movement of my finger. This lets me check for beard remains to see how well my blade is cutting and if I need to change my angle. I then just dip my finger into the mug I used to soak my brush.

 

[Luc]

I usually rince in the sink. Edge up so I do not knock it. I always wipe before a start a new pass and when I'm done shaving.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

I haven't been filling my sink, but rather turning on the faucet in short bouts (spouts). I rinse my razor quickly under water and wipe. I would be too afraid of putting the razor in a glass and swirling it around should I accidentially nick the edge. I am interested in this topic, though, as I am still figuring my routine.

That's how I do it, too.

 

[quixand]

It's been so humid around here lately I can pretty much just swish the blade through the air and that should do the job. It gets scarry when the stubble is floating in mid-air though

Seriously, though, I'm too affraid to shake/dip the razor in the sink so I just wipe it on my arm. And lately I've been using cold water for shaving, so there was no point to do the ghetto scuttle thing either. I use about half a cup of water to soak the brush, and maybe another two cups total for the face towel and washing the blade when done.

 

[PolsBirthday]

Perhaps you could just wash yourself with a rag, possibly on a stick, then you'll be saving water even with a sink full of shaving waters.

 

[Monkeydad]

Why fill up the sink when the toilet is right there, always full?

 

[brothers]

I just rinse the razor under the faucet, which I turn on and off as needed. That works for me. I don't use much anyway.