Safety razor cleaning with an ultrasonic cleaner

[79ford]

I've been wanting to purchase an ultrasonic cleaner to clean various things around the house such as jewlery, shaving gear, gun parts and small engine parts. I even asked for some suggests here on B&B and ultimately ended up purchasing this 2.5L ultrasonic cleaner.

Since I've started shaving with a DE razor I've always cleaned my razor with some soap and running water than wiping it down with a towel and soaking it in alcohol from time to time. It kept the razor pretty clean but still had areas where water stains, some wax build up and so on, but the thing that also really bothered me is my handle had been getting more and more squeaky, mineral oil certainly has helped but didn't remove all the noise and did nothing for the feel of it when turning the handle, like some kind of build up of dirt or rust or whatever. Until now!

I first made cleaning solution consisting of:

• 1 qt. warm water
• 1 Cup vinegar
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp dish soap

Turned on the heater on the ultrasonic cleaner and then put in my Merkur 34C, and this is the results after a 3 minute cycle:





This thing looks as good as the day I bought it and to make things even better, the handle no longer squeaks at all, not even a little bit and the handle spins smoothly once again.

The level of cleanliness from using the ultrasonic cleaner is just awesome and clearly gets into areas that I couldn't reach using just soap and water or even a toothbrush (such as inside the handle).

Granted the 2.5L ultrasonic cleaner may not be for everyone. If you're looking for just doing your razor equipment and jewelry then a smaller and less expensive cleaner like this smaller cleaner would be perfect.

After cleaning I also let it soak in a barbicide solution overnight. Sterile and clean!


I have even used the ultrasonic cleaner to clean my shaving brush as well. I just dip the brush into the same cleaning solution and hold it so just the bristles are in solution and turn on the cleaner for another 3 minute cycle.




Word of warning as others have pointed out, if your razor is in bad shape and it's finish is flaking off then it's probably best NOT to use an ultrasonic cleaner as it "could" further damage your damaged razor.

 

[ackvil]

Also, if your razor has painted numbers such as found on a FB or Slim, they will fade with the ultrasonic cleaner.

 

[FatboySlimadjustable]

I thought cleaning with vinegar was bad? doesn't it strip the plating?

 

[dionesius3]

I thought cleaning with vinegar was bad? doesn't it strip the plating?

If you leave it in a high concentration of vinegar long enough it sure will. But three minutes in an ultrasonic or 20 minutes in a cup on the counter will not strip the plating. Just make sure the solution is below 10%.

 

[Bob57913]

Just a word of warning to everyone looking into an ultrasonic. Do not put your hand or other body parts in there while it's running. If you have to move something turn it off to do it or grab something to do it for you.

Beyond that they work great for cleaning up small parts and not just razors. I use them to clean pocket knives and even parts slathered in grease even if I spent hours cleaning it. I found even hot tap water and some dish soap works wonders. Just be careful as these can strip coatings off parts, I had one strip off the teflon coating on a new Ka-Bar knife before as well as an titanium nitride coating (if I remember correctly) on another knife. So please keep an eye on your razor in there, what others say about these being able to strip off the coating on things is quite true.

 

[blzrfn]

Be very wary of putting gold plated Gillettes in there, I have noticed that the water gets a nice golden color afterwards...

 

[79ford]

I thought cleaning with vinegar was bad? doesn't it strip the plating?

As dionesius3 said as long as you use a low concentration as I've mentioned above you should be just fine. I also give the razor a bath in either alcohol or barbicide after the cleaning cycle as mentioned above which only further rises the razor.

Just a word of warning to everyone looking into an ultrasonic. Do not put your hand or other body parts in there while it's running. If you have to move something turn it off to do it or grab something to do it for you.

Beyond that they work great for cleaning up small parts and not just razors. I use them to clean pocket knives and even parts slathered in grease even if I spent hours cleaning it. I found even hot tap water and some dish soap works wonders. Just be careful as these can strip coatings off parts, I had one strip off the teflon coating on a new Ka-Bar knife before as well as an titanium nitride coating (if I remember correctly) on another knife. So please keep an eye on your razor in there, what others say about these being able to strip off the coating on things is quite true.

I've already used this to clean several other items such as my wife's jewelry, and some other small engine parts. I've also found putting the cleaning mix in a plastic bag or small glass jar and putting the item to be cleaned in said bag or jar also works great. Just put the bag or jar in the cleaner and fill the ultrasonic cleaner with plain water and turn it on. This keeps the ultrasonic cleaner clean and keeps all the crud in the bag or jar!

 

[vadim]

I see several pieces of bad advice here. As has been mentioned, vinegar is bad. If there is ANY damage to your chrome plating, vinegar will eat through the zinc in no time. Also, do not soak in Barbicide for longer than the recommended time period (10 minutes). Overnight is incredibly excessive and can also damage the razor. Let me be clear, Barbicide is perfectly safe when used as directed; but there have been cases of damage to razors when left soaking overnight or over a weekend.

 

[the_edski]

Personally, I think anything over hot, soapy water and a toothbrush is overkill. But if it works for you, then it's ok. Just don't say we didn't warn you if something goes wrong!

 

[79ford]

If there is ANY damage to your chrome plating, vinegar will eat through the zinc in no time.

and thus this line "Word of warning as others have pointed out, if your razor is in bad shape and it's finish is flaking off then it's probably best NOT to use an ultrasonic cleaner as it "could" further damage your damaged razor."

Further, those are fear the highly diluted vinegar mix can simply not include it in the mix. No one is forcing anyone to use it.

Personally, I think anything over hot, soapy water and a toothbrush is overkill. But if it works for you, then it's ok. Just don't say we didn't warn you if something goes wrong!

Couldn't agree more. It's all a personal opinion just as what razor, soap, brush, hot or cold rinse, after shave, lotion, oil or splash to use.

For me I couldn't find a tiny enough toothbrush to get the cleaning I wanted or to remove the build up that caused squeaking and rough feel in the handle when changing the blades.

 

[79ford]

Just wanted to update everyone as it's been a while. So far I'm still cleaning my razor in the ultrasonic cleaner and do so about once every 4-5 weeks. While some have said this will ruin the razor this has not been the case, the razor still looks and works like brand new and has not blown up into a billion tiny pieces.

The cleaning solution remains the same and I'm still using the iSonic ultrasonic cleaner.

In fact I just cleaned the razor about a week or two ago.

Before:



After:



After cleaning the razor looks and feels like brand new.

 

[TexLaw]

I use a US bath from time to time, myself. A toothbrush is good, but it never will get into all the nooks and crannies, nor will it get inside the mechanism of a TTO without taking the razor apart. The key is to not overdo it. A long soak in hot, mildly soapy water does wonders to loosen things a bit, and then a short cycle in the US bath gets all that stuff off.

Overdoing it in the US bath will take paint off, craze plastic, and do other nasty things to your razor.

 

[poikkeus]

If you have, say, a solid metal razor, an ultrasonic clean is perfect. Better than using chemical metal cleaner.

However, most less expensive (plated) razors will lose some plating in an electronic cleaning. You might not even know you're losing plate. As noted above, if you're cleaning a gold plated razor, you'll lose some of the lacquer protective surface and some of the gold. If it's chrome plated zamak - take care.

 

[dionesius3]

Ultrasonic is way too much for 90% of cleaning jobs. I take TTO razor completely apart to clean them. They are very simple and easy to take apart and clean. And I buy razors in various states of disrepair and dirtiness. I use these razors once cleaned and I take the apart again for inspection from time to time.

Few TTO razors ever need an Ultrasonic cleaning. To gum up a razor you have to use it for a very long time without ever cleaning it. My routine involves rinsing a razor under hot water and lightly brushing with a toothbrush after every shave. I make sure that every surface has been cleaned and there is no soap residue left anywhere on the razor. I then either dip the razor in Isopropyl Alcohol or squirt the alcohol on the surface to displace any moisture. The razor is then ready to hang back in the rack for the next use.

I have TTO razors that I have used for over 100 shaves following this routine and when they are disassembled and inspected all that is found is a very light coating of soap residue. And I am talking very little residue. I have also left out the rinse and toothbrush routine and shaved for a month with the razor. When taken apart there was quite a bit of residue and the razor looked like it had lost some plating due to the soap residue etching the surface.

So in my limited experience I have come to the conclusion that soap and water residue are the main cause of wear on a razor surface. Doing a proper rinse and wiping or brushing every surface followed by removing all traces of moisture by the Alcohol dip keeps a razor in tip top condition for a very long time.

Ultrasonic cleaners are great, I have one and use it for several jobs around the house, but for maintaining a vintage or modern razor it is doing more damage than good IMHO!
I have a Super Speed razor that I have been using for nearly two years now and I would be willing to bet the interior has only a light residue of soap and no water/soap etching anywhere in the plating. Our grandparents and some of our father's who used these razors back in the day did not clean the razor ever. And the layers upon layers of soap residue slowly ate away all the plating and hard water built up scale and crud to the point that some razors look like petrified objects.

But if you rinse and displace water after each shave, your razor and plating will last a long time and the chances of built up gunk inside the razor are nearly zero.

Take it for what it's worth, But in the nearly two years of tinkering and fussing , and restoring vintage razors this is what I have observed and seen in my own collection and in the collection of others here who also tinker and collect as I do.

Water and soap residue are the two things that will cause damage. And those two can be handled easily by a daily rinse, rub, and dunk to rid them of the two culprits. I don't even take the blade out of three piece razors or open them until I change the blade. and the level of soap residue after 30-50 shaves is less than what you see on a razor that has been used once and rinsed and left to dry on its own. YMMV!

 

[dionesius3]

For me I couldn't find a tiny enough toothbrush to get the cleaning I wanted or to remove the build up that caused squeaking and rough feel in the handle when changing the blades.

Here are some;
http://www.amazon.com/Cleaning-Brus..._1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1460054519&sr=1-1

 

[RuffRich]

Ultrasonic is way too much for 90% of cleaning jobs. I take TTO razor completely apart to clean them. They are very simple and easy to take apart and clean. And I buy razors in various states of disrepair and dirtiness. I use these razors once cleaned and I take the apart again for inspection from time to time.

Few TTO razors ever need an Ultrasonic cleaning. To gum up a razor you have to use it for a very long time without ever cleaning it. My routine involves rinsing a razor under hot water and lightly brushing with a toothbrush after every shave. I make sure that every surface has been cleaned and there is no soap residue left anywhere on the razor. I then either dip the razor in Isopropyl Alcohol or squirt the alcohol on the surface to displace any moisture. The razor is then ready to hang back in the rack for the next use.

I have TTO razors that I have used for over 100 shaves following this routine and when they are disassembled and inspected all that is found is a very light coating of soap residue. And I am talking very little residue. I have also left out the rinse and toothbrush routine and shaved for a month with the razor. When taken apart there was quite a bit of residue and the razor looked like it had lost some plating due to the soap residue etching the surface.

So in my limited experience I have come to the conclusion that soap and water residue are the main cause of wear on a razor surface. Doing a proper rinse and wiping or brushing every surface followed by removing all traces of moisture by the Alcohol dip keeps a razor in tip top condition for a very long time.

Ultrasonic cleaners are great, I have one and use it for several jobs around the house, but for maintaining a vintage or modern razor it is doing more damage than good IMHO!
I have a Super Speed razor that I have been using for nearly two years now and I would be willing to bet the interior has only a light residue of soap and no water/soap etching anywhere in the plating. Our grandparents and some of our father's who used these razors back in the day did not clean the razor ever. And the layers upon layers of soap residue slowly ate away all the plating and hard water built up scale and crud to the point that some razors look like petrified objects.

But if you rinse and displace water after each shave, your razor and plating will last a long time and the chances of built up gunk inside the razor are nearly zero.

Take it for what it's worth, But in the nearly two years of tinkering and fussing , and restoring vintage razors this is what I have observed and seen in my own collection and in the collection of others here who also tinker and collect as I do.

Water and soap residue are the two things that will cause damage. And those two can be handled easily by a daily rinse, rub, and dunk to rid them of the two culprits. I don't even take the blade out of three piece razors or open them until I change the blade. and the level of soap residue after 30-50 shaves is less than what you see on a razor that has been used once and rinsed and left to dry on its own. YMMV!

Thanks for this info @dionesius3 ! I just ordered an old gold plated #16 Aristocrat coming in from Brazil that looks like it's seen a good bit of neglect with hopes of getting it cleaned up a bit (at least to my user grade). I ran across this thread while thinking of putting the ultrasonic cleaner to it, and now I'm thinking just a thorough soak and toothbrush scrub to start with is the way to go. If all goes well, I'm hoping to have found a good user #16 that is a replating candidate down the road.

 

[dionesius3]

Thanks for this info @dionesius3 ! I just ordered an old gold plated #16 Aristocrat coming in from Brazil that looks like it's seen a good bit of neglect with hopes of getting it cleaned up a bit (at least to my user grade). I ran across this thread while thinking of putting the ultrasonic cleaner to it, and now I'm thinking just a thorough soak and toothbrush scrub to start with is the way to go. If all goes well, I'm hoping to have found a good user #16 that is a replating candidate down the road.

Sounds like a good plan.
I have an old Senator that I bought thinking it was destroyed finish wise. It looked awful and once I got it home and did an hour soak in Dawn and hot water I discovered to my amazement that the darn razor was in nearly perfect condition under all that gunk. It took two soak and scrub cycles but in the end I got a great razor that had simply been used for a time and then stored in some dry place with the old soap scum in place. It had no water to activate the corrosion and none happened.
But I have only found one razor like this out of well over 100 finds.
Maybe that #16 will turn out to be one!

 

[BubbaBlade]

Not plated razors maybe, but for really old brass and solid metal razors US is the shiznik period.

 

[MicBP]

What about vintage razor blades??? will they be damaged or dull after a trip in the ultrasonic cleaner...???

 

[Flying Dutchman]

I use an simple ultrasonic cleaner to clean razors after polishing to remove dirt and and residu. I use just warm water with some dishwashing soap.