Cleaning old razors doesn’t have to be hard.
In fact, some of the basics can be done pretty simply and cheaply, and in these posts we will show you how.
Of course, cleaning old razors requires an old razor that needs cleaning – that is where an online auction site will come in handy …
“Vintage Gillette Razor. In good condition. See pics for closer details or message with any questions”
Description from online auction listing
I’ll let you determine from the pictures below, also from the online listing, whether it really was in ‘good condition’.
OK, time for an initial clean. Before we get started on that though – check out these pictures I took before starting, they give a little more detail of this ‘in good condition’ razor as I received it.
A blade, they almost always have a blade!
Be careful with any old razor, as it will almost inevitably have a blade. The first law of antiques is usually to leave items intact, but in this case they can be dangerous.
Take note of the date code, O3, so third quarter 1969 in this case, and dispose of the razor safely. I store mine in old Eclipse mint tins, but there are a variety of options.
This is what I’ll be using to do the initial clean.
- A gentle household spray cleaner
- Toothbrush
- Cotton makeup pads
- Old clothe nappie
First the razor gets soaked with the spray cleaner –
Then the container is filled with boiling water –
You can see the bits of gunk that have already floated off –
Now I spray the case with that same spray cleaner –
After I sprayed the case on the kitchen bench and left it for a while, I then rinsed the it under the tap. Look at the mess that came off from the case onto the benchtop –
I forgot to mention, I also use some cheap toothpaste at this stage, a gentle polishing agent –
