sanitizing?

[Legion]

As a matter of fact, I believe this is a very neglected subject by straight razor users. Nothing against anyone who buys a used razor and just washes it with soap and water, everyone is free to act as they see fit. Maybe use a lifetime without any problem. But in scientific terms I think the thing is much more complex, and little is said about it in forums. Although several generations have used carbon steel straight razors for shaving, I believe that it is technically not recommended, so much so that all surgical materials use stainless steel with a certain standard (surgery inox). I don't know much about medical standards for disinfection, just based on my personal convictions. Personally, what I do (feel free to do what you think is best for you) When I get a new razor I like to wash it with soap and water and then leave the blade in boiling water for approximately 8-10 minutes, after which I apply 90% alcohol. If it's a used razor, I like to remove the scales (I don't reuse used scales), I give the metal a general wash with soapy water and a sponge. Then I send it to an autoclave disinfection. As they are carbon steel, they come back all rusty. I would not recommend this process for razors with gold trim. I remove the rust with an abrasive sponge, redo the polish with a micro grinder and felt with chromox. Then I exchange the scales for new ones. Then it moves on to the sharpening process. After the entire sharpening process, I wash it with soap and water and do the process I use with a new blade. Whether it's correct or not I don't know but it's what I do.
ps. sorry my bad english (non native).

How do you sterilise your strop?

 

[FarmerTan]

How do you sterilise your strop?

Man. I'm trippin'...

 

[APBinNCA]

Man. I'm trippin'...

Try mounting your strop to the towel bar and stop forcing the garden gnomes to strop your razor!

 

[Darth Scandalous]

How do you sterilise your strop?

Or your face? Betadine as a preshave?

 

[Possum092]

Man. I'm trippin'...

Me too!

 

[luvmysuper]

Tableware at restaurants are washed, and people seem to have no issue with sticking them in their pie hole.
These are items that other people have put in their mouth, where many users likely have small but open cuts, kids have shoved up their nose, and people have dropped and walked on after stepping in animal feces outside.
I generally use the methods that are used for cleaning tableware at restaurants.
Which is to say "a good wash with soap and water". Cooties don't "soak" into steel or brass.
Barbicide or alcohol would be a fairly reasonable step further.

or

Give the razor a 24 hour soak in scrubbing bubbles
2 hour boil in CLR
Soak in Barbicide for 2 days
Scrub with toothbrush, toothpaste, alcohol and MAAS for at least 60 minutes
48 hours in the Autoclave
Another 1 hour boil in CLR and Vinegar
Just to be safe, hit it with a Propane Torch with a full Rosette Tip.
Then throw it straight in the trash because it will be ruined and useless.

 

[Possum092]

Tableware at restaurants are washed, and people seem to have no issue with sticking them in their pie hole.
These are items that other people have put in their mouth, where many users likely have small but open cuts, kids have shoved up their nose, and people have dropped and walked on after stepping in animal feces outside.
I generally use the methods that are used for cleaning tableware at restaurants.
Which is to say "a good wash with soap and water". Cooties don't "soak" into steel or brass.
Barbicide or alcohol would be a fairly reasonable step further.

or

Give the razor a 24 hour soak in scrubbing bubbles
2 hour boil in CLR
Soak in Barbicide for 2 days
Scrub with toothbrush, toothpaste, alcohol and MAAS for at least 60 minutes
48 hours in the Autoclave
Another 1 hour boil in CLR and Vinegar
Just to be safe, hit it with a Propane Torch with a full Rosette Tip.
Then throw it straight in the trash because it will be ruined and useless.

Or send everything my way postage paid by me for recycling. Go green recycle with Possum’s SR Recycling Center. DM for address and prepaid labels.

 

[Adonay]

First, I apologize if I offended anyone with my personal overzealousness. 1- Scales are made of plastic, similar or wood that are porous materials, which can absorb fat, blood, the most varied human waste, the positive side is that you will not touch your face. I prefer to change, because they usually come with a bad appearance of wear. 2- As for carbon steel, because it rusts more easily than stainless steel, it is conducive to the formation of bacteria such as tetanus.
Be happy with your methods.

 

[Adonay]

It seems to me that Dovo razors come in sealed packaging. I don't know why anyone hasn't gone there yet. lol

 

[Darth Scandalous]

First, I apologize if I offended anyone with my personal overzealousness. 1- Scales are made of plastic, similar or wood that are porous materials, which can absorb fat, blood, the most varied human waste, the positive side is that you will not touch your face. I prefer to change, because they usually come with a bad appearance of wear. 2- As for carbon steel, because it rusts more easily than stainless steel, it is conducive to the formation of bacteria such as tetanus.
Be happy with your methods.

Tetanus has nothing to do with rust.

Do Rusty Nails Really Give You Tetanus?

Tetanus has nothing to do with rust itself.

www.livescience.com

 

[Adonay]

Tetanus has nothing to do with rust.

Do Rusty Nails Really Give You Tetanus?

Tetanus has nothing to do with rust itself.

www.livescience.com

You're right. It is that rusty objects have greater porosity.

 

[luvmysuper]

I would agree and strongly advise against shaving with a rusty razor.

I understand and empathize with the fact that everyone must do what they personally feel comfortable with, that's your choice.
The only issue is when people push that a certain action is necessary to prevent danger.
That type of fear mongering is bad.
I'm not saying anyone has gotten to that point, just putting it out there.

 

[Toothpick]

I used to work at a waste water treatment plant. If I don‘t already have/had it, then I’m immune to it. Nuff said

 

[FarmerTan]

I used to work at a waste water treatment plant. If I don‘t already have/had it, then I’m immune to it. Nuff said

Amen....and after my first accidental needle stick I quit counting...

 

[anoop]

(Resurrecting an old thread.)

I would like to sanitize my personal care items after each use. Up until now I have not been doing anything other than wiping with a kleenex/tissue after use.

Would using a sanitizing wipe suffice? Maybe something like the following:

Sani-Hands Hand Sanitizing Alcohol Wipe - https://www.carewell.com/product/sani-hands-hand-sanitizing-alcohol-wipe/
This seems to be more for hands, but I assume it would work ok on scissors. I prefer this because they are individually wrapped, so no risk of drying out from infrequent use.

Sani-Cloth Plus Surface Disinfectant

www.carewell.com

 

[Titleist]

(Resurrecting an old thread.)

I would like to sanitize my personal care items after each use. Up until now I have not been doing anything other than wiping with a kleenex/tissue after use.

Would using a sanitizing wipe suffice? Maybe something like the following:

Sani-Hands Hand Sanitizing Alcohol Wipe - https://www.carewell.com/product/sani-hands-hand-sanitizing-alcohol-wipe/
This seems to be more for hands, but I assume it would work ok on scissors. I prefer this because they are individually wrapped, so no risk of drying out from infrequent use.

Sani-Cloth Plus Surface Disinfectant

www.carewell.com

I use Clippercide spray. Works like a charm.

 

[Tomo]

Just don’t cut yourself. Problem solved.

 

[Mitzie]

It's because of these issues with sanitization that barbers started using shavettes

 

[Slash McCoy]

The brand new razor that you buy from a vendor or even straight from the factory is not sterile. Your DE blades are not sterile. There are germs everywhere, including on your skin. New to me, vintage razors arriving, out of what I regard as an overabundance of caution, get a soak in the Barbicide jar at unboxing, then again after any polishing, repairing, honing, whatever. Outgoing razors also get a bath in the Barbicide. I call it good. In the past, I have also relied on just soap and water. Germs don't particularly like or thrive on clean, dry steel very much. They like filth. Many of the worst germs, the ones we worry about the most, don't survive outside the human body for very long, anyway. Finally, I choose to not cut myself with my razors when I shave.

If you don't keep Barbicide, you can just splash on some alcohol based aftershave, if you are noid about a razor even after you have cleaned it. I am pretty sure that statistically you are more likely to be struck dead by lightning than to die or even be seen by a doctor for a shaving infection.

 

[Yodascaretaker]

Barbicide. I bought a gallon or something on Amazon along with one of those glass cylinders you see in barber shops (they keep combs and what not in them): Its great to have for disinfecting when you buy a used straight or DE.

On the bottle there are mixing ratio instructions (water : barbicide). They clarify that it’s the ratio hospitals use, so it’s definitely strong enough.