If you are a regular groomer, chances are you are no stranger to rusty razors. If stored and used incorrectly, oxidation may tamper with your shaving tools, causing them to be dull and unhygienic.
Thus, you need to take preventative measures to ensure a razor’s quality. Should you want to learn more about how to keep razor from rusting, keep reading to find out!
How To Keep Razor From Rusting In Three Easy Ways
Clean your blade razors after each use
Every time you are done shaving, proceed to wash the razor under running water and scrub it with soap. This is because residue from shaving cream or lotion will dissolve the coating, thus weakening the blade and creating more opportunities for rust to form.
Cleaning your razor – be it a straight, safety, or cartridge one – makes sure your hair, shaving cream or lotion, as well as dead skin cells are completely removed. You should be extremely careful in this step, as residue can get stuck within crevices.
If you think your blade is not thoroughly cleaned, consider using an old toothbrush and cleaning away any leftover skin and hair scattered across the blade. Next up, bring the blade under hot running water.
Why? Because high temperatures help kill any critters, successfully preventing them from establishing residence on your blade.
After the washing is over, use a piece of clean rag to dry your razor gradually. Any moisture left is a potential risk to your razor developing rust. If you need a bit more guidance on how to dry your razor, below are a few suggestions.
- Straight razor: All you have to do is to gently soak any excess moisture using a dry rag.
- Safety razor: The procedure here is the same as drying a straight razor, only that you have to remove the blade beforehand.
- Cartridge razor: With this type of razor, you can leave it on a dry rag and let nature take its course. Another option is to air dry the blade using an open window or a fan.
- All types of razors: In case you are not picky with drying your razors, simply hang them upside down. This position allows the remaining water to drip onto the floor.
If these solutions have yet to guarantee a dry razor for you, there is always rubbing alcohol. Simply dip it into a bowl of alcohol and let it expose to the air. Not only does it dry out your blade naturally, but it also helps with the sterilization.
Note: Never attempt to wipe the blade with a towel. The fabric threads are more than likely to catch on the blade, compromising its sharpness.
Swipe the blades with a small amount of baby oil or Vaseline
If you still spot some rusting on your blade even after meticulous cleaning and drying, chances are the humidity level in your storage is through the roof. As moisture can form rust on your razors, it is recommended that you use Vaseline or baby oil to repel water in the first place.
This layer of oil prevents oxygen from messing with metal, thus minimizing the percentage of oxidation.
Keep in mind that your razor’s blades are completely dry so that oil can stay adhesive.
Store in a dry place
Storage is the key element in keeping rust at bay and minimizing the emergence of fungal and bacterial infection due to bacterial buildup. After each grooming session, you should move it to another cupboard or a drawer, where the temperature is cool enough and the humidity level is low.
Many people have the habit of leaving their razors inside the bathroom, which creates optimal conditions for rusting. Under no circumstances should you adopt this habit, as the excessive humidity in the bathroom will be detrimental for your blade.
If you can afford it, try using a razor stand. This tool is designed to keep the blade upright in any place away from the bathroom. Therefore, you can dry and store it much more effectively.
How To Remove Rust From Razors
Even when you are extra careful with storage and maintenance, rust could still attack your razors. But worry not, as there are solutions that help you get rid of this nuisance easily.
Step 1: Mix water and baking soda with a ratio of 1:1. Stir the mixture until it turns into a thick, creamy paste. Remember to pay attention to the texture here, since anything too thin and watery may run off the razor.
Step 2: Carefully apply the mixture to the razor’s blades. Keep them soaked anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how rusty your razor is.
The highly concentrated alkaline solution inside baking soda and water will dissolve rust and turn your razor back into its pristine state.
Step 3: Wash the razor under running water. At this point, most of the big spots of rust have been eaten away. You can use a brush of any kind or even a steel wool to scrub away tinier, more stubborn rust.
Since it is already soaked in alkaline, you should have no problem getting it to fall out.
Step 4: Rinse the razor so that all the rust is completely washed away. Use a piece of dry cleaning rag to keep the razor moistureless.
Remember, you have to be extra careful when it comes to drying here. If you leave excess moisture on your blade, chances are rust will come back. Thus, ensuring the dryness of your blade is the key factor to rust prevention in the long run.
Extra Tips
- Be careful with your washing solutions: Some people go for alcohol or other harsh soaps or disinfectants to clean the razor’s blades. As these solutions are highly potent, they can affect the coating layer on the blades. Subsequently, your blades are more vulnerable to rusting.
You should consider milder products such as natural, handmade soaps or dipping alcohol instead.
- Keep the razors safe from impact: If your razor falls onto the floor and gets chipped, it stands a higher chance of developing rust. Make sure to keep your razor somewhere safe, so the external layer remains intact.
- Use a razor cover: Leaving your bare razor exposed to the air is not gonna keep them safe from rust. You may want to buy a razor cover, where your grooming tool is shielded from potential risks.
How Often Should You Change Your Razors?
How often you should change your razors depends heavily on your shaving frequency, whether each shaving session is rigorous or not, and how well-built the blades are.
For example, if you shave on a daily basis, you surely have to replace your razors more often than someone shaving twice a week.
If it is about the force used in each shaving session, then obviously, anyone with soft, thin facial hair can enjoy their razors for quite a long time.
Finally, using high-quality blades or cheaply made blades also makes a difference in your razor’s lifespan. The former means they are more resistant to force and dullness, while the latter easily succumbs to breakage.
But generally speaking, most people are advised to replace their disposable razors after 5 to 10 shaves. It is worth noticing that the exact number will be different from brands and types of razors.
Some manufacturers put on warning about the ideal time for blade replacement. However, this does not mean that you should rely on this information entirely.
Look for signs of dullness and change your razor before things get bad, since using dull razors for too long can increase the risk of bacterial infection and irritations. It can also reduce the close-cut support of your blade, which leads to hair pulling and tauting. Needless to say, an irritated face and a painful shave are not something you wish to experience.
If we are talking about safety razors, then you can be fairly confident that these items will last for a long time. In most cases, high-quality razors can be used for years.
Of course, you still have to replace the blades for a clean and hygienic cut. But when it comes to the razor itself, rest assured that it does not need replacing as long as the function is still solid.
How To Extend The Life Of A Razor?
Trim your hair beforehand
Trimming your hair beforehand reduces the workload for your razor. If the hair is too thick, it can easily get stuck inside the blades. As a result, the blades will get dull much faster, not to mention how they can nick and cut your skin.
Prepare the skin
Now, some people may wonder why it is necessary to prepare the skin before shaving. It is because the main factor determining the lifespan of your blade is the quality of hair.
As the blade comes in contact with hair regularly, the texture, length, and thickness of the hair will have a say in how comfortable your shave is.
Shaving on a smooth surface is less of a problem than dealing with rough skin. If you want to save your blades from over-exerting themselves, consider exfoliating and washing your skin with warm water.
This helps to soften the hair follicles, removes all dead skin cells as well as accumulated dirt, which means your blades do not have to work as hard. Furthermore, high temperatures open up the pores, resulting in a more effortless cut.
Clean and maintain razors after each use
The buildup of hair, shaving cream or lotion, moisture, water, etc., are all factors that lead to rust on your razors, shortening their lifespan. Furthermore, it also adds more friction to each pass your razor makes, dulling the blades and irritating the skin.
The only way to minimize their impact is to clean the blade with warm water after everyone or two strokes during your shave. Then, once you are done with shaving, rinse your razors thoroughly.
Keep in mind that every byproduct of each shaving session has to be washed away. Then, oil the blades so that oxygen cannot mess with the metal.
Offer proper protection while traveling
Traveling with your razors unprotected guarantees to reduce their longevity. Not only can friction and impact scratch the outside of your grooming tools, but they also destroy the finer details.
Your best course of action is to find some high-quality, protective case to wrap around your razor when moving around. You can also buy products with an attached storage case, since several brands offer the included accessory.
In case you are short on money, you might use bubble wraps to cover the entire length of your razor. Then, use a plastic band to secure your item and keep it in your toiletries bag.
Understand razors’ lifespan
For people that frequently shave, trying to prolong the lifespan of their razors is understandable. However, you should be aware that these products do not last forever.
At some points, the blades will get dull, the handle becomes too slippery, and the overall build-quality will go down.
FAQs
Why does my razor keep rusting?
If your razor keeps getting rusty over and over again, it probably has something to do with the moisture. Should your razor get exposed to water and soap for a long time, their acidic nature will corrode the metal. Hence, it is better for you to keep your razors dry and clean after shaving.
Another reason for recurrent rust is the quality of the blades. While blades are made from stainless steel, not all of them are truly stainless. If you are using a razor made from low chromium stainless steel, rust stands a higher chance of forming there.
How long does it take for a razor to start rusting?
How long a razor starts rusting depends on the usage and storage conditions. If you leave it facing a pool of water, with dripping soap nearby, rust tends to form within the course of 2 days.
If you keep the razor in a slightly humid cupboard, it could be anywhere from 7 days to 2 weeks. There is no specific timeframe, so you might want to observe your razors carefully to find out the answer.
Conclusion
Having rusty razors is an annoying experience for all shavers. Thus, learning how to keep razor from rusting is necessary if you want to enjoy all the benefits of a clean grooming tool.
Make sure to share this article with other fellows if you think these tips and tricks are helpful!
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