Deep Cleaning stains in textured handles

obsessis · Post by **obsessis** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 12:54 pm

I recently got a Coles Slant Razor and like lots of old razors it is very dirty in the textured part of the handle. What is the best way to clean it? I tried brasso and a toothbrush but I can't get a cloth in there to buff it well enough to remove the dirt.

What are your tips/suggestions I assume soaking it/coating it in cleaner would be the best way to expose the textured part to cleaner....

yasuo200365 · Post by **yasuo200365** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 1:52 pm

Hard graft Joe,

If you have one try blasting it with a hand-held steam cleaner.

Rubbing away for hours on end with the thicker nappy wipes.

Wet the handle and rub with foil..., this brings back the shine on chrome etc.

Regards
John

SidSeizure · Post by **SidSeizure** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 3:31 pm

I hate to ask a dumb question, but are sure it's actually dirt you're trying to clean off? My Hoffritz slant had a sort of patina on the textured part of the handle (but nowhere else) that's now gone thanks to my cleaning it with toothpaste and an electric toothbrush. Also my two Pomco slants actually have painted handles; one is black and the other one is white.

Scott

rtaylor61 · Post by **rtaylor61** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:50 pm

The Hoffritz I just received had a white handle with white trim on the bottom knob. The handle was "stained", so a light scrub with Brasso cleared most of it up. Then I soaked it in pure Dawn dishwashing soap for a half hour...that cleaned up the rest. Most of the paint has dulled so I may experiment with stripping it down and repainting it.

Randy

obsessis · Post by **obsessis** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 8:58 pm

scott - yes, i can see that the twist knob and scored part was white at one time....it now is stained brownish in parts. i think i may have to try to just take it all off. you said that toothpaste took off the white paint?

SidSeizure · Post by **SidSeizure** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:05 am

Toothpaste and a rotary electric toothbrush took off a lot of the dark color that was on the handle, but whether that was paint or grime, I don't know. If you want to remove the paint there's probably better ways to do it, I'm sure.

After looking at my Hoffritz slant, I think the handle on it may have been painted black, but there's very little paint left on it.

Scott

obsessis · Post by **obsessis** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:37 am

the smooth chrome parts on each side of the scored/textured handle were blackish....don't know if it was paint or not but I took it off.

the razor looks OK now, I don't have an electric toothbrush, though. are there any really cheap ones? I wouldn't mind buying one for $5 or $10 if it was a good razor cleaner...

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:58 am

The electric toothbrush idea is one I've got to try. I don't have a premium electric toothbrush (OralB, Sonicare, etc.). Do the battery-powered Crest rotary toothbrushes work reasonably well?

Dave

Post by **ichabod** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:06 am

Has anyone tried soaking in coca cola? Reaching way back into my childhood, we used to clean up pennies by soaking them in Coke. I think it was initially a science teacher demonstrating how coke could be eating our internal organs, but mostly we all just thought "Cool! Let's make all our pennies shine!".

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:29 am

I have a similar old razor which I cleaned. But while I was cleaning, I saw lacquer flaking off the handle (this was the standard non-chrome non-paint non-anything model). Now it has a metallic smell when I shave. What do I do now? Does anybody re-lacquer things like this and actually do a good job? (I suppose the metallic smell means the handle will slowly deteriorate now that I've removed the remaining protection - any opinions?)

SidSeizure · Post by **SidSeizure** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:32 am

Do the battery-powered Crest rotary toothbrushes work reasonably well?

I have a battery powered Oral-B. I got it for Chrismas, so I have no idea how much it cost, but I don't think they're expensive. Just like Gillette does with cartridge razors, the electric toothbrush companies make their profit on the brushes.

Scott

SidSeizure · Post by **SidSeizure** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:44 am

I have a similar old razor which I cleaned. But while I was cleaning, I saw lacquer flaking off the handle (this was the standard non-chrome non-paint non-anything model). Now it has a metallic smell when I shave. What do I do now? Does anybody re-lacquer things like this and actually do a good job? (I suppose the metallic smell means the handle will slowly deteriorate now that I've removed the remaining protection - any opinions?)

I haven't had that happen and don't know how to remedy it, but this sort of thing is one of the dangers of cleaning razors or any other vintage item. When I was scrubbing my slant's handle and saw that more than dirt seemed to be coming off, I stopped even though most of it was already cleaned off. Heavy cleaning and any kind of finish removal on vintage razors makes me a uncomfortable because I worry I'm going to ruin the razor.

Scott

rtaylor61 · Post by **rtaylor61** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:57 am

notthesharpest wrote:I have a similar old razor which I cleaned. But while I was cleaning, I saw lacquer flaking off the handle (this was the standard non-chrome non-paint non-anything model). Now it has a metallic smell when I shave. What do I do now? Does anybody re-lacquer things like this and actually do a good job? (I suppose the metallic smell means the handle will slowly deteriorate now that I've removed the remaining protection - any opinions?)

Knott,

Run by the hardware store and see what they have to offer. No reason you can't put a coat on yourself.

Randy

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:00 pm

SidSeizure wrote:I haven't had that happen and don't know how to remedy it, but this sort of thing is one of the dangers of cleaning razors or any other vintage item. When I was scrubbing my slant's handle and saw that more than dirt seemed to be coming off, I stopped even though most of it was already cleaned off. Heavy cleaning and any kind of finish removal on vintage razors makes me a uncomfortable because I worry I'm going to ruin the razor.

Quite true. In this case it was an "ebay special" that already apparently had most of the lacquer gone. I just finshed the job, using a nylon bristle brush and plain water.

I think if I lacquer it myself I'll make bubbles and lumps and make it worse. I've never lacquered anything before.

rtaylor61 · Post by **rtaylor61** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:05 pm

Nott,

I'm going to paint the Slant I just got. Most of the paint has faded away, and although I've never painted anything like a razor before, I figure I have nothing to lose!

Randy

obsessis · Post by **obsessis** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:19 pm

Ichabod wrote:Has anyone tried soaking in coca cola? Reaching way back into my childhood, we used to clean up pennies by soaking them in Coke. I think it was initially a science teacher demonstrating how coke could be eating our internal organs, but mostly we all just thought "Cool! Let's make all our pennies shine!".

that is an interesting idea.

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:59 pm

Cola has phosphoric acid in it - I don't know the advantages or disadvantages of that compared to other acids.

Lots of sugar though - after the treatment, your razor would be sweeet.

Post by **ichabod** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:44 am

notthesharpest wrote:Cola has phosphoric acid in it - I don't know the advantages or disadvantages of that compared to other acids.

Lots of sugar though - after the treatment, your razor would be sweeet.

This was in a world with no diet coke, or diet anything. In fact I'm pretty sure things were labelled "now with extra lard!".

I just bought a lot of razors with a couple of dirtier looking ones in it - maybe I'll try a coke bath on one and report back...

slaneyg · Post by **slaneyg** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:21 pm

I've had a lot of success with my portable steam cleaner. Its not magic, but it works pretty well.

Graham

obsessis · Post by **obsessis** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:49 pm

slaneyg wrote:I've had a lot of success with my portable steam cleaner. Its not magic, but it works pretty well.

Graham

you are the second person who i have heard use a steam cleaner. i don't even really know what one is. i need to find someone with one to borrow.