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DIY Sharps Container (razor safe) from junk!

How to DIY a sharps container (razor safe)

Growing up I can remember seeing in bathrooms little slots next the medicine cabinet for “used safety razors.” In my imagination the blades would disappear to some special place hidden in the bowels of the house.

Newer homes no longer have such mysterious and useful additions. Most DE razors sold in the US come in little plastic packs that include a storage area for spent blades, but the selection of blades is very limited. This is not the case when you purchase cheaper and often higher quality foreign blades which typically come in a plain paper wrapper.

So what is a guy supposed to do with dull but dangerous blades? I thought about wrapping them in toilet paper but my wife has a tendency to push down the garbage so that was out. Therefore, I decided to make my own sharps container using nothing more than household junk.

I was so pleased with the results that I thought I would pass on the instructions. This totally free sharps container should hold hundreds of old blades. When it fills up, simply toss it out without worry of slicing up someone’s hand.

Here are the six simple steps. The accompanying pictures are labeled for your convenience.

1. Locate an old supplement bottle. These usually have thin caps which makes it easy to “melt” the razor slot. Remove the label and the cardboard cap liner.
2. Using some sort of pliers with heat resistant handles, heat a nail red hot in a flame. Here I’m using the ol’ kitchen stove.
3. Plunge the hot nail into the cap and drag. A piece of scrap metal is useful as a straight edge. You may have to do this a couple of times to get a slot long enough for your razor blade.
4. If possible have an assistant steady the bottle so you can concentrate on your melting task.
5. Heat a small nail (I used one from a picture hanging kit) and plunge it into the side of the cap. This will “lock” the cap to the container making it safe from prying hands. Be careful to position the small nail so it doesn’t block your razor opening.
6. Label your creation. I made a label in Microsoft Office and laminated it to the bottle with clear package tape. You could also use a regular label or even a Sharpie.

There it is, simple, cheap, safe and effective. I hope you found this “tutorial” useful!

Mike K
 
I use an Aluminum cat food can. Instead of using the pull top I use a smooth edge can opener that leaves a nice lid. You can stick that on with adhesive. Since it's Al it's easy to cut a slit with a knife and you don't have to worry about rust.
Razor Safe.JPG
 
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