Tip: Cleaning Gear that has been Used

Tip: Cleaning Gear that has been Used

The enthusiast community is very big into buy/sell/trade.  Vintage shaving gear will almost always have been used before.  Here are some things you can do to help protect against disease transmission:

Razors and hardware that is all metal or all hard plastic:  Barbicide is the way to go.  Use an old toothbrush and soap to remove any soap, whiskers, etc… and then treat per the Barbicde directions.  I use a timer and let the item stay submerged for about 20 minutes.  I then remove it as prolonged exposure can damage some finishes. 

Brushes - Label instructions don’t include soft items like the knot of a brush.  Personally, I take my chances and submerge the brush for about an hour.  Note that this may yield a brush that is tinted blue. You can also let the brush sit for 2-3 months.  While not an expert, Hepatitis C can live longest outside the body and can live for a couple of months or so.

Soap - A doctor I know that used to treat HIV uses the following practice.  He lets the soap sit for two weeks, followed by skimming and discarding a thin coat off the top of the soap.  He doesn’t consider this fool proof, though is comfortable enough to follow this practice for himself.

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