I put my Merkur in the dishwasher and it sparkled like new, just wondered if there would be any long term problems.
It's made from plated zamak - putting it in a dishwasher with the harsh detergents used therein which could become a long term issue - depends on the detergent in use though really - especially on the hidden unplated parts (ie. inside the handle)
I rinse with hot water and wipe with a soft towel after every shave. That way it never has to be a big job. It only takes a a couple minutes and saves a long sitting later.
A squirt with the scrubbing bubbles now and again does well for me. if there is a lot of crud hit it with a soft tooth brush., other then that they seem to take care of themselves. But the dish washer would prolly not hurt anything.. Fuzzy
I just rinse with water and then a little soak or swirl in Alcohol. This seems to be working pretty well. I guess I will find out soon. There does not seem to be any build up at all, yet!
Same here.... Sometimes I treat them with a soft cloth or brush, but other than that they can take pretty good care of themselves
Post resurrection spell cast Sorry but I have a question. I see a lot of great info here. I just bought a Gillette Ladies TTO Blue Star for my wife. I'm worried that bleach, alcohol, scrub bubble or boiling may damage the blue on the handle. Should I be concerned? This razor is in brand new shape with original box and blades. I'm not sure if it was ever used. But to be on the safe side I'd like to make sure it's clean of hidden bugs.
Cleaning DE Sanitize And Clean From Ebay, Antique Stores, Etc: 1. Fill bathroom sink with hot water. Add hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, antibacterial soap and peroxide if you have it. Swish water around gently, soak razor between 1/2 hour to hour. 2. Coat Razor and pieces (I collect Techs myself) with Haggerty's metal polish. Let set until dry. Wipe off with smooth rag and use Q-Tips and toothpicks to get to problem areas. 3. Use a jeweler's polishing cloth that can be obtained from Wally-World. Make sure its for silver jewelry if your razor is silver or nickel plated; gold cloth for razors that are gold or brass plated (if razor is gold/brass, polish very slowly and gently, watching for any accidental removal of plating). 4. Wash razor with hot soap and water, rinse, and use. After Each Shave: Take blade out, and use handtowel/bathtowel to rub down lightly. Shine will come right back.
I bought a 50's super speed from an antique store. Kinda cruddy when I bought it. I soaked it in bleach over night. It did loosen a lot of funk in the joints and did get it clean. Finished with an old tooth brush scrubbing. However, I think the bleach is a bit to strong on the metal. Razor finish is dull now and there appears to be some rust in the middle part the blade straddles in the top. I haven't tried using any kind of polish on it though to see if I can bring it back to life. This was a $5 razor and my first DE. Yesterday I went back and bought another one from him and one from the neighboring antique store. I wont use bleach this time. I was going to use rubbing alcohol the first time but didn't have any. I tried peroxide but it did nothing. I will use one of the suggestions listed above.
I happen to have an industrial-strength ultrasonic, so I use that one every two months, with hot water and Dawn...
Thank you skyfox, I will give that a try. And thank you David for your post. Would make the wife upset if I ruined her new gift...lol.
Plenty of good advice here. I wonder if CLR is too harsh for a razor? I have used it on my Merkurs once or twice, but am afraid to do that to my fatboy. (Sorry for the thread hijack!)
What If i dont have scrubbing bubbles? I havent found the swedish equivalent to scrubbing bubbles yet
Don't they have bathroom cleaning products where you live? Look for one that sprays out and foams up.
Why so sarcastic? Haha we do, but I thought it shouldn't be to strong. We have something called BANG!
My apologies, no sarcasm intended whatsoever. Please forgive me. Get some BANG and try it. If it doesn't work, you can still use it for the bathroom.
