I noticed many members encourage the purchase of used/ vintage or previously owned straight and safety razors. Is no one worried about blood borne diseases? or does everyone clean their razors maticulously once they recieve it? I just recently purchased a razor from whipped dog, it has yet to arrive but iam already looking up methods to completely sanitize the razor and hone. Also it scares me when honemesiters are using razors sent to them to do a "test shave," does this bother anyone else or just me?
Blood borne diseases?
- Thread starter zamanakhan
- Start date
All of mine are experienced razors. I gave them all a nice scrubbing bubbles bath before using them. I figure if the scrubbing bubbles can't kill it it's meant to live. 
How long would the bugs live on an exposed steel surface? Plus once you restore it, sand it, polish it, the out layer is gone.
I just barbicide all the blades before using (and after if I sell one).
That said when I take a vintage razor through the restoration process and remove a lot of metal, I'm not too concerned over anything remaining.
That said when I take a vintage razor through the restoration process and remove a lot of metal, I'm not too concerned over anything remaining.
When you get your stuff from Larry you will get some pages of information with it. In it he states how he sanitized the blade before sending it to you.
He uses 1% sodium hypochlorite and then a soak in 70% isopropyl alcohol
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- Thread starter
- #6
you can never be too careful with such things tho, Even when i got my brand new Dovo i dumped it in alchol. I did look on ebay for some DE razors but couldnt bring myself to buy one just for the same reason. I was a little more comfortable with larry's razors as they are highly recommended but the fear is still there. Even when i used to go to my previous barber i used to deny any razors or shaves when he would cut my hair.
BTW where can i find barbicide?
Barbicide will kill anything you need to worry about.
I bought mine from a beauty supply shop on ebay.
I bought mine from a beauty supply shop on ebay.
I think I got mine on amazon or eBay. Comes in a concentrated bottle that you dilute.
I have read a lot about it. Plus, as a hospital pharmacist for 14 years, I've had some experience with aseptic technique.
When preparing IVs in a laminar flow hood, we used 70% isopropyl alcohol as an antiseptic. I use 70% isopropyl alcohol, as stated above, to sterilize razors before mailing.
In the hospital, we also mixed bleach solution in a 1:5 mixture to create another antiseptic solution we called Dakins solution. Nurses used that by the boatload to clean surfaces. I use that also to sterilize razors.
If you read the antibacterial spectrums covered by the above, it is quite good in my opinion.
24 hours in fresh air will kill almost everything you need to be concerned about.
Hot, soapy water will take care of the vast majority of the rest.
Simple Green or Scrubbing Bubbles will make it clean enough to eat off of (and cleaner than any fork at a restaurant, which you put right in your mouth.)
Hot, soapy water will take care of the vast majority of the rest.
Simple Green or Scrubbing Bubbles will make it clean enough to eat off of (and cleaner than any fork at a restaurant, which you put right in your mouth.)
- Thread starter
- #12
this thread eases my mind a lilttle, its good to know people do take such things seriously. I've known too many people that have contacted lifelong diseases simply from used needles from tattoo parlors or getting cut my something years and years ago.
Lord,the clorox in your laundry room will kill even ebola,is nothing to pine over.
I never really worried much about it myself. Mine are all vintage and have been sitting around a long time. I'm sure any bug that got on them in years past is gone by the time I get them.
A quick wipe down with barbicide should ease anyone's mind.
A quick wipe down with barbicide should ease anyone's mind.
Hydrocide/barbacide... then you are good to go.
You are in much greater health risk if SWMBO finds out how much $$$$ you've been spending on razors and associated goodies....
Good ol warm water and soap will get most of it. follow up with up 10:1 bleach solution, let it air dry and your good to go. Mainly I just hit mine up with scrubbing bubbles and call it a day, never had a problem. One of the guys cultured his razors and sinks awhile back when this debate was really raging and AFAIK it came back as nothing spectacular.
You could give it a polish with Brasso. The ammonia in that will kill anything.
You are aware that Larry's razors come pre-honed/ shave ready correct? They shouldn't need to be honed for quite awhile.
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