Flax from SWMBO? You should have been at my house when the SWMBO caught me cleaning two large bags of collards in the washer.....lol
I don't always like "chemical methods" for cleaning You can not know exactly what kind of damage may done to a vintage razor The today's plate-nickel work are good but not to all DE's. Yes if you let it all night long may damage the bolts for example I have seen it in shaving forum in a Muhle.
Scubbing Bubbles works VERY well and is a disinfectant! Anything that is acidic is not the best choice - ie. lemon juice, vinegar, cream of tartar, etc. All can be used to clean but must be diluted with water. For really stubborn stains on Aluminum (works wit any metal, but best w/alum) I fill a pan with water and a TBSPN of one of the a fore mentioned and bring to a boil, add what ever to be cleaned, and simmer for 10 minutes, take out object and scrub lightly with steel wool (lightly) or if worried about steel wool; scotch brite pad - rinse... I also have an ultrasonic cleaner that works famously... It gets EVERYTHING including stuff in the razor that you cant see/reach! I usually run 2 - minute cycles... Harbor Freight tools has one for around $30 and 1- around $100. I have the more expensive one and it is AWESOME, I clean all my guns with it as well! If you use the ultrasonic I recommend filling it with water, a squirt of dish soap, and a splash of ammonia
I was in the store today looking to buy some Scrubbing Bubbles to clean up a vintage razor and didn't realize there was more than one product. Orange Action, Oxy Power, Heavy Duty with Fantastik, Lemon Power, Bleach 5 in 1, Foaming Bleach, Kitchen Multi Surface, Bathroom Multi Surface, Toilet, Tub Tile & Shower, etc. I checked the ingredients of each thinking maybe it was all the same stuff with different names but not so. Which Scrubbing Bubbles product is recommended for razor cleaning?
There are many reports of Scrubbing Bubbles being used to clean razors with good results. My take is that qualifies the product as generally safe for use on vintage safety razors. It makes the most sense to try Scrubbing Bubbles on a razor, and then look for alternative methods only if that does not work. As for the alternative methods, look for specific procedures with documented results, preferably with pictures. The more reports of a given method working, the more likely it is to be safe. Or put another way: If a method works, don't fix it. All IMHO.
I also have an Ultrasonic cleaner. It works wonders!!! The razors work so much more smoothly, and the water turns nasty even on a "clean" razor. If anybody needs a good deep cleaning on any of their razors, ill do it for you, all free of charge, just drop me a PM. I can post pics of how well it works.
The issue is the bleach being left on the surface for too long. Vinegar is also acidic as well, which is why it will eat up any plating. Just be careful whatever you use.