How to Preserve Razor Blades to Save Money

Hard water can cause a lot of inconveniences and nuisances around your home. It can build up on shower heads, settle at the bottom of your water heater tank, and turn your hair and skin dry and brittle. But did you know that it can also affect your razor blades?

The minerals in hard water build up on your razors as well. Razor blades are surprisingly delicate, and begin to blunt after only a few uses. The minerals in hard water only serve to quicken the dulling process.

If you’re worried that you have hard water that is affecting your razor blades, there are ways to counter these negative effects and keep your razor blades sharper, longer. Here is how to preserve razor bladesand save money on replacements.

Properly Clean Your Blade

A bit of maintenance can go a long way in keeping your razor blades good and sharp. When you are done shaving, take an old, soft toothbrush and scrub the blades to remove any remaining hair and skin particles that might be stuck in them. Then after giving them a rinse in your water, dip the blade in a small cup of rubbing alcohol. This will help the blade dry and prevent it from rusting.

Be sure to store your razor blades in a dry location, preferably keeping the blade in a case of some sort to prevent it from exposure to the air. Even small dust particles in the air can begin to corrode the blade and if you have hard water you are going to want to prevent as much corrosion as possible to make your blades last.

Blot Your Blade Dry on a Towel After Each Use

If the first tip has too many steps for you, a simple routine of blotting your blade dry on a soft towel will also help extend the life of your blade. The towel will absorb excess water (which can corrode the blade with rust even if it isn’t hard water) which can go a long way to keeping your razor sharp.

Keep Your Razor Oiled

Dip a cotton ball in any common household oil and rub it gently across your razor blade before using it. Any common household oil will do, including olive oil, vegetable oil, mineral oil, and baby oil. The oil provides a coat of protection for the blades from water and the air. You might want to consider giving the blade a second coat of oil after using it to further protect it while it’s stored away.

Sharpen It

It’s actually possible to sharpen a modern razor blade. All you need is a pair of jeans! Simply take some denim and run your blade over it gently about two dozen times in both directions. Denim is perfectly designed to smooth out the kinks and notches that form at a microscopic level in a razor; we can’t see them, but that wear and tear quickly turns razors dull. Luckily, the jeans you’re wearing right now can reverse that effect!

Soften Your Water

Hard water can cause mineral build ups on your razor, limiting the life and effectiveness of your razor. To prevent this at the source, consider installing a complete home water refiner. Using four separate media filters, these systems remove the hardness, chemicals and odors from your home’s water – including bath and shower water. Paired with the steps above, you’ll stop spending excess money on razor blades by extending the life of your current one! Schedule a free, in-home water test to see what a difference a Guardian water filter could make in your home.