Bacterial Infection Due to Shaving...and how often do you sanitize your razors?
- Thread starter cdmorten
- Start date
I soak my razor in a barbicide jar after every use it santizes and cleans the soap scum off.
DE's flush clean much better than multi blades. But the thing is that staph and strep and their ilk, love to grow in some moist hair and skin deposits. Even some razor rash can be the result of mild infections. With DE's and straights, general hygeine is usually enough protection.
The entire world is covered with a fine fecal patina! As noted above your bathroom is a veritable volcano of potential pathogens. The razor should be kept clean-this is pretty well accomplished with daily use with shave soap and lots of hot water before and after use and the regular change of blades. If there is gunk on it which prevents this level of cleaning it needs a scrubbing. You don't share your razor. After shaving you rinse carefully-I always relather and use that to wash with. The real role of alum, witch hazel and alcohol based AS is antiseptic. Lastly, the wounds of shaving are usually superficial and the face/neck are very vascular which make infection less likely. As I recall one of the discoverers of King Tuts tomb died from and infected shaving cut!!
this was probably more than most people cared to know but pretty much fact! this is why I always wondered why in some of the pictures posted you see brushes, razors, etc.. lines up around the sink. there is all kinds of stuff flying around in the bathroom.
Bah, humbug! I'll admit the fecal patina that other members have so oddly, and at length, described with what can only be called a laudable level of obsession is good for all of us in a Nietzsche sort of way, but the name of the site isn't "Bowel and Blade". Cease with the poo palaver, already!
I think sanitizing razors is highly over-rated.
In fact, I shave straight away with with any vintage razor I acquire, as I figure the microbiological beasties that have survived the years starving away on those hunks of steel and brass deserve a good feeding, and what better way to commune with the spirits of our wet-shaving ancestors than by accepting their traces into the bloodstream.
Only a few, unimportant parts have fallen off me after years of this sort of thing, and I find myself becoming more and more like the dearly departed former owners of my razors with each passing day. You can't shave against the grain of the sands of time, after all.
I think sanitizing razors is highly over-rated.
In fact, I shave straight away with with any vintage razor I acquire, as I figure the microbiological beasties that have survived the years starving away on those hunks of steel and brass deserve a good feeding, and what better way to commune with the spirits of our wet-shaving ancestors than by accepting their traces into the bloodstream.
Only a few, unimportant parts have fallen off me after years of this sort of thing, and I find myself becoming more and more like the dearly departed former owners of my razors with each passing day. You can't shave against the grain of the sands of time, after all.
Our body surfaces are colonized by bacteria of various species (normal flora). Most of these bacteria are harmless under ordinary circumstances and may protect the body from being colonized by harmful bacterial species. Sometimes we are carriers of potentially harmful bacteria which may cause an infection at a time of low host defense system resistance. Any small break in the skin can potentially cause an infection, but usually doesn't. The environment is full of bacteria which are usually controlled by our natural resistance to infection. Sterilizing instruments that may break the skin helps prevent person to person disease transmission such as hepatitis.
It is good to keep razors as clean as reasonably possible. If you want to also disinfect razors, I suggest a short dip in an alcohol bath or Barbicide followed by cleaning and drying. Disinfection is a necessity for razors that will be used by more than one person. There are razors such as the Wapi intended for medical use which are made entirely of stainless steel so that they can be autoclaved between uses. Autoclaving is the gold standard for sterilization, but the steam would destroy most razors. It is important to remember that using a sterile razor will reduce risk but not guarantee that an infection will not be acquired from the bacteria on the skin or from the environment.
HTH
It is good to keep razors as clean as reasonably possible. If you want to also disinfect razors, I suggest a short dip in an alcohol bath or Barbicide followed by cleaning and drying. Disinfection is a necessity for razors that will be used by more than one person. There are razors such as the Wapi intended for medical use which are made entirely of stainless steel so that they can be autoclaved between uses. Autoclaving is the gold standard for sterilization, but the steam would destroy most razors. It is important to remember that using a sterile razor will reduce risk but not guarantee that an infection will not be acquired from the bacteria on the skin or from the environment.
HTH
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Yes I agree, could be anything. Does he use a DE or one of those bright orange 7 blade jobbers?
Bingo. We have a winner.
Impossible to shave with a sterile razor, unless you're in a Class A (100) room or within a biosafety cabinet. The second it comes out of the autoclave, it is no longer considered strerile. It could also contain pyrogens (endotoxin) following the autoclave cycle....so depyrogenation would be the gold standard. Could you imagine having to depyro your razor for an hour or so at 250C between each use?
Now this is getting a little crazy..
Barbacide bath for mine just to be safe
um I have yet to sterilize any of my gear I figure my grandfather used the razor. I washed it but that is all I have not had any gear i didn't know the source so far
I swirl my razor in 93% alcohol after each shave but after reading this I might have to invest in some barbacide.
Can we have a sub-forum for faecal matter ?
The finish is somewhat fragile. Do not use bleach solution as it will dissolve the finish (been there done that, got the spots and freckles on my Futur to prove it). Barbicide does not seem to have any detrimental effect on the finish but I would not leave it in for any length of time just to be on the safe side.
Warm water, dish soap, and a soft toothbrush is more than acquitted to clean any soap residue that might accumulate.
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I found my new puppy licking my shaving soap yesterday. If we stopped to worry about every possible source of germs we will eventually be walking around with tissue boxes on our feet, Howard Hughes style.
I give all vintage razors a clean and then a swish with alcohol before the first use. After that I just cross my fingers and hope for the best.
I give all vintage razors a clean and then a swish with alcohol before the first use. After that I just cross my fingers and hope for the best.
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