And that would be "peace of mind," unless you're really giving the bugs a piece of your mind by sanitizing your razor.... 
Do you sterilize brand new razors?
- Thread starter 100pctFragranceFree
- Start date
If you’re talking brand new out of the box from the manufacturer, no. But if you are talking new to me second hand, then yes. Most definitely.
- Thread starter
- #64
Good post. You can apply the same logic to the rest of life. I once asked my doctor if there was a big disease risk using public washrooms. He said (and he was an old-time doctor), "Nobody would live past ten if that was the case."
- Thread starter
- #65
You are definitely representing the extreme clean position well.
There are dozens of things we touch frequently that are far dirtier than a razor including
Money
Door knobs
Your Wallet
Your Keyboard
Your cell phone
Fast food soda dispensers
Fast food Ice machines
Etc.
Hands have far more nooks and crannies for bad things to hide than a metal razor, and come into contact with bad things more frequently, yet washing your hands is sufficient to remove the "bugs".
The "ick" factor is mostly imaginary, but it is real nonetheless.
You have to live the way you think you should.
Money
Door knobs
Your Wallet
Your Keyboard
Your cell phone
Fast food soda dispensers
Fast food Ice machines
Etc.
Hands have far more nooks and crannies for bad things to hide than a metal razor, and come into contact with bad things more frequently, yet washing your hands is sufficient to remove the "bugs".
The "ick" factor is mostly imaginary, but it is real nonetheless.
You have to live the way you think you should.
- Thread starter
- #67
Great post. Informative (and funny). Damn bugs.
- Thread starter
- #68
Yeah, but those things don't have the potential to break the skin.
I can't believe this thread is still growing.
There might not be a big risk in public restrooms, but there is a risk. Many people in "the general public" are total idiots when it comes to health. That's why disease spreads. We may not all die, but we do all get sick, generally several times a year. And that's from disease that is spread from other people who don't give a damn.
Tip: Use a paper towel to open the door when you leave.
While I have talked with some fine doctors, the average doctor ain't that smart. I'm familiar with the history of medicine, and the medical profession has given some genuinely harmful advice to the public over the years.
Sterilize new razors?
Give me a break. Do you understand what "sterilize" means. You would need to use an autoclave. (Hmmm, are you worried about those foreign workers handling your razor?)
Clean, wash with soap, rinse with hot water - fine. Do it.
As to the person who ridiculed the idea of washing new clothes before wearing, OMG, of course I wash all my clothes before wearing them. Not so much because of germs, but because of all the weird chemicals used to manufacture the fabric and dyes. (Just look at the color of the water in the washing machine when you wash new clothes.) I don't want that clinging to my skin for 16 hours. Doesn't everyone wash new clothes?
If you feel you must sterilize your new razor, then I have a question for you:
What do you do with your toothbrush? Do you use the same toothbrush three times a day, every day? And where do you leave your toothbrush between use?
You are going to stick that in your mouth?
That, to me, is gross.
Here's a simple solution: Have about five toothbrushes and rotate them. Let each one dry out before you use it again. Simply drying out will take care of most problems. If you have a medical condition that warrants more, then sterilize them with a bit of bleach between use. But letting your brush dry helps a lot. Same thing with your dishes and flatware.
As to used shaving paraphernalia, most arrive relatively clean. But some (those corroded New Types) arrive dirty and dusty from sitting in a barn or attic for decades. I am less worried about germs on the razor than about dust mites and mold on the cases. Be careful where you open them -- preferably outside.
But the fundamental question is: Has anyone gotten skin infections from shaving with a dirty razor or brush?
Of course, there is a simple way to reduce this risk: Just wash your face with soap and water after shaving.
Yes, there are risks. But some people worry way too much.
-=-
Ice machines. That is, indeed, a problem area. You can't very well use soap on them. It is highly contingent on the quality of work done by employees. It is less of a problem in the U.S., where there are health inspections. But it can be a big problem in some foreign countries. Every now and then, when we used to have competent local newspapers*, you would read stories about a restaurant getting into trouble for not keeping their ice maker clean, and customers getting sick.
* That Patch **** is an embarrassingly pathetic excuse for journalism. That these "stories" get picked up by Google News is an affront. I made the mistake of opening one recently, and I wanted to scream, it was so brainlessly written with an absolute minimum amount of effort. It was the first time I saw the expression "would you believe it?" in something purporting to be news reporting. Actually, no, I can't.
There might not be a big risk in public restrooms, but there is a risk. Many people in "the general public" are total idiots when it comes to health. That's why disease spreads. We may not all die, but we do all get sick, generally several times a year. And that's from disease that is spread from other people who don't give a damn.
Tip: Use a paper towel to open the door when you leave.
While I have talked with some fine doctors, the average doctor ain't that smart. I'm familiar with the history of medicine, and the medical profession has given some genuinely harmful advice to the public over the years.
Sterilize new razors?
Give me a break. Do you understand what "sterilize" means. You would need to use an autoclave. (Hmmm, are you worried about those foreign workers handling your razor?)
Clean, wash with soap, rinse with hot water - fine. Do it.
As to the person who ridiculed the idea of washing new clothes before wearing, OMG, of course I wash all my clothes before wearing them. Not so much because of germs, but because of all the weird chemicals used to manufacture the fabric and dyes. (Just look at the color of the water in the washing machine when you wash new clothes.) I don't want that clinging to my skin for 16 hours. Doesn't everyone wash new clothes?
If you feel you must sterilize your new razor, then I have a question for you:
What do you do with your toothbrush? Do you use the same toothbrush three times a day, every day? And where do you leave your toothbrush between use?
You are going to stick that in your mouth?
That, to me, is gross.
Here's a simple solution: Have about five toothbrushes and rotate them. Let each one dry out before you use it again. Simply drying out will take care of most problems. If you have a medical condition that warrants more, then sterilize them with a bit of bleach between use. But letting your brush dry helps a lot. Same thing with your dishes and flatware.
As to used shaving paraphernalia, most arrive relatively clean. But some (those corroded New Types) arrive dirty and dusty from sitting in a barn or attic for decades. I am less worried about germs on the razor than about dust mites and mold on the cases. Be careful where you open them -- preferably outside.
But the fundamental question is: Has anyone gotten skin infections from shaving with a dirty razor or brush?
Of course, there is a simple way to reduce this risk: Just wash your face with soap and water after shaving.
Yes, there are risks. But some people worry way too much.
-=-
Ice machines. That is, indeed, a problem area. You can't very well use soap on them. It is highly contingent on the quality of work done by employees. It is less of a problem in the U.S., where there are health inspections. But it can be a big problem in some foreign countries. Every now and then, when we used to have competent local newspapers*, you would read stories about a restaurant getting into trouble for not keeping their ice maker clean, and customers getting sick.
* That Patch **** is an embarrassingly pathetic excuse for journalism. That these "stories" get picked up by Google News is an affront. I made the mistake of opening one recently, and I wanted to scream, it was so brainlessly written with an absolute minimum amount of effort. It was the first time I saw the expression "would you believe it?" in something purporting to be news reporting. Actually, no, I can't.
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With or without the blade?
That would explain some of the people I've known. (No one here at B&B)
Only kills cookies?
50% of all doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class.
Voice of reason.
Yes, they do. They are called "scientists."
As to the lifespan of bacteria and viruses, I call BS. No, they cannot do this -- live months, weeks outside the body -- at normal room temperature and humidity.
In a freezer or Antarctica or the extreme Arctic, yes.
But even the Arctic isn't as cold as it used to be.
-=-
Douglas Adams got it right, 40 years ago:
We are descended from a race of marketing consultants and telephone sanitizers banished to Earth from another, more rational, planet.
Anyone want to buy a telephone sanitizer? WalMart has shelves full of them.
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Discussed before, but actually, they can and do. Not specifically germaine to sanitizing a razor, but bacterial endospores (some really nasty ones) survive under very harsh conditions - including heat/cold/radiation that can kill just about anything else - for centuries. Perhaps millenia. Perhaps eons. So there's that.
Aspartic acid racemization constrains long-term viability and longevity of endospores
Correlation between aspartic acid racemization kinetics and survivability of Geobacillus stearothermophilus.
Some bacteria can. Some spore forms can stay dormant for decades.
The razor doesn't either, the blade does.
Albeit, the razor is in very close proximity to the blade, and therefore any break in the skin.
But we touch the items I mentioned with hands, and hands touch areas where you may not even realize have a skin break.
I'd love to see any legitimate article or white paper which linked the razors used by the membership here with illnesses.
Not a member, but George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon (yes, that Lord Carnarvon of King Tut fame) has long been anecdotally said to have died from a razor cut on an infected mosquito bite, leading to septicemia and death. Sanitizing his razor likely wouldn't have helped, but I suppose you could say he died from a razor nick. Type of razor unknown, but I'm guessing a straight.
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon - Wikipedia
Not a member, but George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon (yes, that Lord Carnarvon of King Tut fame) has long been anecdotally said to have died from a razor cut on an infected mosquito bite, leading to septicemia and death. Sanitizing his razor likely wouldn't have helped, but I suppose you could say he died from a razor nick. Type of razor unknown, but I'm guessing a straight.
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
If we can anecdotally reference one guy in the last 100 years, we're in pretty good shape!
If we can anecdotally reference one guy in the last 100 years, we're in pretty good shape!
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So you say the scientist know for sure. Yet you don’t believe the scientist that know for sure
When I said no one knows for sure I mean they don’t know exactly how long bacteria and virus can survive. They give estimates - depending on the bacteria or virus. Some are hours to day. Some are weeks or longer. So yeah, I guess someone does know that they do live outside of the body FOR SURE. But can’t tell you XYZ bacteria/virus will live on a razor for 1 day. You might be safe after a few hours, or a few days.
So, by this reasoning, what we should really be worried about is sterilizing new razor blades!
This would include cartridges and disposables, which, though they are generally sealed in plastic bags, probably have not been sterilized before leaving the factory, so bacteria and viruses could, just possibly, survive indefinitely sealed in those bags, just waiting to attack your tired mug one gray morning.
However, the sealed plastic bags are a step in the right direction. Why don't they sell razor blades in sealed plastic bags, too, either the carton, or, better, the tucks, or better yet, each individual blade?
Of course, they would still need to be sterilized, first. Personna Med Prep claim to be, but are they each hermetically sealed?
Actually, I used to be concerned about new blades, and ran them under the hottest water for awhile, more out of concern for removing a possible paraffin protective coating. But then I abandoned that, figuring it might not be good for the important coatings.
So now I just dip my razor and blade in warm water for a moment. I think it's OK. You know, municipal water systems do put chlorine in the water for a reason.
However, if you are not shaving with chlorine-treated water, perhaps your well water, or you are shaving on the side of a river, or a muddy creek, then you could have problems! That's why India's Vi-John shave cream in a tube adds tea tree oil, as a germicide.
BTW, in India, the better restaurants soak raw vegetables in potassium permangenate. It kills germs and even the parasite giardia through oxidization, and even breaks down some pesticides, leaving the food safe to eat after rinsed off. The possible problems with using this on shaving gear: it does this through oxidization (rust) and can stain things purple. But what is your life worth?
Hypochondriacs of the world unite!
Let's all grow beards!
OK, that's a bit too radical, even for me.
Let's just all buy autoclaves:
-=-
Joking aside, when I was in India, I found that most restaurants did not wash their dishes and utensils in hot, soapy water. I actually saw some young assistant holding stuff under a water pipe on the side of a road, rubbing the utensils and stuff together to "clean" them. This included wooden chop sticks.
Well, the biggest concern was giardia, "beaver feaver," a waterborne parasite. It is killed either by bringing water to a boil briefly, or simply fully drying the dishes, utensils, toothbrushes, etc. If the dish is dry, you are safe; if it has drops of water on it, you can get sick.
I got sick from giardia many times. But, to my surprise, I did not get sick from other germs on dishes, as far as I could tell (getting lots of vaccinations helped). That's why I say rinsing off shaving gear and letting it dry thoroughly will usually do the trick.
Oh, and if you are traveling abroad to countries like that, my suggestion is bring your own flatware to restaurants, and maybe even your own drinking mug. And do not put local ice in your drink, unless it is straight whiskey -- the alcohol does seem to help.
-=0-
This would include cartridges and disposables, which, though they are generally sealed in plastic bags, probably have not been sterilized before leaving the factory, so bacteria and viruses could, just possibly, survive indefinitely sealed in those bags, just waiting to attack your tired mug one gray morning.
However, the sealed plastic bags are a step in the right direction. Why don't they sell razor blades in sealed plastic bags, too, either the carton, or, better, the tucks, or better yet, each individual blade?
Of course, they would still need to be sterilized, first. Personna Med Prep claim to be, but are they each hermetically sealed?
Actually, I used to be concerned about new blades, and ran them under the hottest water for awhile, more out of concern for removing a possible paraffin protective coating. But then I abandoned that, figuring it might not be good for the important coatings.
So now I just dip my razor and blade in warm water for a moment. I think it's OK. You know, municipal water systems do put chlorine in the water for a reason.
However, if you are not shaving with chlorine-treated water, perhaps your well water, or you are shaving on the side of a river, or a muddy creek, then you could have problems! That's why India's Vi-John shave cream in a tube adds tea tree oil, as a germicide.
BTW, in India, the better restaurants soak raw vegetables in potassium permangenate. It kills germs and even the parasite giardia through oxidization, and even breaks down some pesticides, leaving the food safe to eat after rinsed off. The possible problems with using this on shaving gear: it does this through oxidization (rust) and can stain things purple. But what is your life worth?
Hypochondriacs of the world unite!
Let's all grow beards!
OK, that's a bit too radical, even for me.
Let's just all buy autoclaves:
-=-
Joking aside, when I was in India, I found that most restaurants did not wash their dishes and utensils in hot, soapy water. I actually saw some young assistant holding stuff under a water pipe on the side of a road, rubbing the utensils and stuff together to "clean" them. This included wooden chop sticks.
Well, the biggest concern was giardia, "beaver feaver," a waterborne parasite. It is killed either by bringing water to a boil briefly, or simply fully drying the dishes, utensils, toothbrushes, etc. If the dish is dry, you are safe; if it has drops of water on it, you can get sick.
I got sick from giardia many times. But, to my surprise, I did not get sick from other germs on dishes, as far as I could tell (getting lots of vaccinations helped). That's why I say rinsing off shaving gear and letting it dry thoroughly will usually do the trick.
Oh, and if you are traveling abroad to countries like that, my suggestion is bring your own flatware to restaurants, and maybe even your own drinking mug. And do not put local ice in your drink, unless it is straight whiskey -- the alcohol does seem to help.
-=0-
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- Thread starter
- #80
Sheesh. Now I have to worry about my razor and my toothbrush!
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