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  1. #11
    Loudmouth FiReSTaRT's Avatar
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    I never take my blades to the strop or even the hones before they're sterilized. Alcohol isn't very effective at sterilizing, but it's good for dissolving soap scum so it cleans that stuff off the blade and also for penetrating any soap scum that the scrubbing has missed so the bleach can do its work.

  2. #12
    DMS
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    Thanks for the info guys.

    I found an article online from the Ottowa Public Health dept that classifies Barbicide as a low level disinfectant and makes it sound too weak for sterilization of instruments that can or have pierced flesh:
    http://www.nbdhu.on.ca/en/Personal%2.../barbicide.htm

    I don't know if Barbicide Plus is strong enough to qualify as a higher level disinfectant but they (OPH) claim that autoclaving or dry heat sterilization are the only appropriate methods for straight razors (critical items). Barbicide Plus is not a Quaternary Ammonium compound like regular Barbicide, it's an oxidizer which makes me nervous about using it on carbon steels even though they claim it contains a rust inhibitor.

    For semi-critical items such as clippers or scissors that have nipped flesh they recommend an intermediate to high-level disinfectant. Examples of an intermediate level disinfectant would be a solution of 70% to 90% ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, or a solution of 1 part bleach and 99 parts water (1% dilution).

    Can a razor that doesn't have wood scales be submerged in a Barbicide jar for the recommended 10-15 minutes w/o causing any problems? Soaking or swabbing down with alcohol is starting to look like the easiest solution.
    Last edited by DMS; 09-25-2006 at 04:14 AM.

  3. #13
    Senior Member azjoe's Avatar
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    This has been debated a number of times on this forum, as well as others. For the purist, it's agreed that the only sure kill is with an autoclave. Of course, your razor's scales will not survive that.

    So let's think about what germs you're trying to kill... and how long ago was your razor infected? My understanding from previous threads is that HIV and other such nasties don't live long outside the body... hence they're probably already dead. My take is that if you scrub the damn thing well with soap and water, then wipe it down with alcohol, dry it, and then give it the 20-min clippercide treatment you're chance of anything surviving are nil. And there's no rust problem with Clippercide since it includes a protective lubricant. You can get it from Sally Beauty Supply... there's probably 3 or 4 of them in the Houston area. Figure $5-$7... a can will last a LONG time. I keep a can in the bathroom and use it on all my grooming tools... ie, razors, beard/sideburn clippers, nose/ear hair trimmer, and nail clippers. just my $.02

  4. #14
    Senior Member blabbermouth
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    a bit off-topic but since Ilija brought up the toilet - there was a research I read 7 or so years ago, which found out that your kitchen sink has more and worse bacteria than a toilet. They dropped a carrot in the toiled and in the full sink and picked up more nasties in the sink.

    Now, I understand that there is a difference between a toiled and a toilet (and a sink), and I think one of the reasons why the sink had the worse result was that people wash raw meat, etc. stuff without really sanitizing the sink afterwards

    Urine is sterile... which does not mean I'd like to drop my razor in it but basically you could probably use it to disinfect / rinse your razor. Yeah, this is sick but I've seen something like this in a turkish movie once... the movie was gross

    Cheers
    Ivo

  5. #15
    Hones & Honing randydance062449's Avatar
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    I avoid bleach like the plague. It's Clippercide or alcohol for me and then only on newly acquired razors for one time.

    Just my two cents,
    Randolph Tuttle, a SRP Mentor for residents of Minnesota & western Wisconsin

  6. #16
    Loudmouth FiReSTaRT's Avatar
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    I read the article and from what I understand, you may be able to get the best of both worlds:
    1) Clean the whole thing with soap/detergent
    2) Soak it in alcohol (unless the scales are celluloid)
    3) Sterilize just the blade in boiling water

    That way the area that does the actual cutting gets a REAL sterilization and the rest of it gets what it needs to get by.

  7. #17
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    Default I go through a whole ritual

    Before I work on a blade, let alone shave with it I go through the same ritual with any (especially and ebayer) will all razors.

    First, I drop it in a container of dishwashing liquid an water and let it soak for 10 miniutes. Then it clean it with a tooth brush and scrub pad to get all the crud off.

    Then I soak it in Jewelry Cleaner fo 2 to 3 miniutes and scrub with the tooth brush and scrub pad, again. The razor is then place in a container of rubbing alcohol. So far, I haven't had a problem with celloid, plastic, or bone scales. Let it soak in the alcohol for a couple miniutes.

    Then I'll either dry the razor and continue working on it or if I'm done with it for now. I'll put a coat of Castor oil on it, put it in a baggie, and put it away till next time.

  8. #18
    The Hurdy Gurdy Man thebigspendur's Avatar
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    I've always thought most guys here were kind of anal (excuse the pun) about this sterilization thing. When you really think about it if your talking about new razors from Eboy or some other place first think when was the last time someone shaved with the thing and the transit time and the time until you starting honing and cleaning and polishing and all that. I believe the most resistant bug out there your likely to pick up is hepatitis C or B which can live exposed to the air for about a week. Do you think any self respecting bug will last that long and throught all the edge processing we do. heck the simichrome I use alone is loaded with ammonia, that by itself will kill anything.

    As far as once a razor is in my rotation I never sterilize em and have been shaving a few years now. I know I know I'll probably die from something tomorrow but in reality I think a quick bath in clippercide will do the trick on your razors if your worried.
    No matter how many men you kill you can't kill your successor-Emperor Nero

  9. #19
    DMS
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    Yeah, there's a big difference in the level of sterilization needed for sharp implements that are used for the general public and those that we only use on ourselves. The more I've thought about it and read here, the less I'm concerned about it. A good scrubbing and alcohol swab on ebay razors and I won't be losing any sleep over this.

  10. #20
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
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    I read somewhere, just recently, that straight shaving was the most sterile form of shaving there was. But I'm not sure why exactly.

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