Running water or fill up sink?

Thoughts and input on anything related to wet shaving or men's grooming.
BeatlesFan
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Post by BeatlesFan »

Interesting responses. What it shows is that on this issue I'm really "out of the mainstream" because I don't use either the sink or running water.

Here's what I do and don't do.

I do not use the sink, because I'm not confident that it's all that clean. (OK, I'm probably a little germ-phobic, but there it is).

As I said, I also don't use running water.

Here's my solution:

I use a mid-size ramekin (about 7 or 8 inches in Diameter and fairly deep) (for you non-kitchen guys, this is a ramekin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramekin) . I keep it clean every day, and it doesn't get used for anything but shaving.

I find the ramekin to be ideal both for my brush and for razor rinsing. I'm also always confident that it is clean and hygenic (unlike my sink).

My regimen is: Before showering, I leave my brush to soak in hot water in the ramekin. After I shower, I shake out the brush and lather. After lathering but before shaving, I refill the ramekin with fresh (hotter) water. During my shave, I dip and rinse my razor in the hot water in the ramekin.

When I'm finished shaving, I dump the shave water and clean the ramekin out, add fresh hot water, and de-lather my brush in it (which I find really does a deep, lather-cutting rinse . . . better than running water IMO). Then I shake out the brush and hang it to dry upside down. Then I dump the water and wipe out the ramekin, and -- voila -- the ramekin is clean and ready for tomorrow's shave.

I find this regimen kills a few birds with one stone: 1) I'm always confident that my shaving bowl is clean (unlike my sink), 2) I don't waste water (unlike leaving the tap running), 3) My brush gets a good pre-shave soaking, 4) I've got a nice vessel for rinsing my razor, and 5) I get a leg-up in thoroughly rinsing out the brush after shaving.

Finally -- every couple of weeks -- I wash out the ramekin with dishwashing liquid and a scrubber, just to strip away any possible residue build up.

Works for me!
brothers
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Re: Running water or fill up sink?

Post by brothers »

lightupmyroom wrote:Hi guys,

Right now I use running water to shave, and am wondering if filling up the sink works as well. I recently got a new vanity and sink, and am now considering giving the new sink a try at this. Does filling up the sink and dipping the razor clean the cream and stubble off the razor as well as running water? I know there are also cost/environmental benefits to filling the sink vs. using running water. So what are your thoughts? Who does this regularly?
My drain's a little slow, and it takes a long time for the water to get hot, because it's a long way from the water heater, so my answer is easy --- "both".
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
Jonnieboy61
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Post by Jonnieboy61 »

Sink for me, despite the fact we are on a water meter now here in the UK, which means there's always the economics to consider. However, even before the constaints, I still used the sink and that fits in well with me as I dont use a scuttle or bowl, but face lather.

But I do use running water to clean my teeth.....................strange.

All the best
John
vtmax
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Post by vtmax »

Running water here. Too much rain in Vermont, the well is always full!

Max
DigitalN.
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Post by DigitalN. »

I am a filling the sink kind of guy, I always enjoy seeing how much hair I shave off everytime ;)
Keith
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Mer
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Post by Mer »

Sink for me.
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swarden43
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Post by swarden43 »

Sink. Although I've never measured how much water is used, I feel I use less when I fill the sink. Using less water means a smaller water bill!
Take care and God bless,
Steve
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Reverend Jim
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Post by Reverend Jim »

I fill the sink a little more than half full with hot water and keep the mug in the hot water. I rinse the razor out in the hot sink water because it seems to get the razor cleaner than running it under the tap----especially if the water pressure is not that great.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity, but don't rule out malice.
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Ouchmychin
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Post by Ouchmychin »

I do both. Put a little hot water in the sink to wet the bristles but not to the knot. Lather up. Drain and rinse the sink before scum sets in. Rinse the razor under the tap. Then rinse my brush after the last pass. Final brush rinse is with the stopper in and multiple dunks followed by under the tap while rotating brush all the while collecting water in the basin. Then I shake out and hang the brush and dump in my washcloth and wash the residue off my face; drain and rinse the washcloth under the tap and refill the sink with cold water and rinse the cloth in it. Final face rinse and close the pores; wring out the cloth and wipe up the counter; drain sink; final wring and hang up the cloth to dry.
Ouchmychin (Pete)
Dave_D
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Post by Dave_D »

Prefer not to use too much water. It gets turned on long enough to get hot, brush gets soaked under running water for half a minute, swirled over soap puck a few times to lather on face.
Only time the water gets turned on after that is for rinsing the blade and final rinse.
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Squire
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Post by Squire »

49 responses and counting.
Regards,
Squire
infotech
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Post by infotech »

50...

I fill this sink with water, sometimes twice due to a slight leak in the stopper that has developed over the past month or so. I really should fix that leak...
James
Magnus6208
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Post by Magnus6208 »

I fill the sink and dip the razor when needed. I am one who likes to see the stubble floating in the sink. :D
Paddywhacked
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Post by Paddywhacked »

I fill up the sink as well, but I turn on the faucet occasionally to rinse my face before relathering.

-Eric
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ichabod
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Post by ichabod »

Are the guys who have responded "running water" running a faucet all the way through the shave?
There was a guy shaving his head in the bathroom at work the other day (Headslik and a Sensor, as I'm sure everyone would be wondering). He had the tap running the whole time he was at the sink, including talking to the guy next to him.
Until I saw him, I assumed that the running water response meant turn the tap on to rinse the razor/face/brush, and then turn it back off.
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Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
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Janus
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Post by Janus »

ichabod wrote:...I assumed that the running water response meant turn the tap on to rinse the razor/face/brush, and then turn it back off.
That's how I do it.
Janus
bernards66
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Post by bernards66 »

Dominic, Well, if you must know, I run the water full bore to soak the brush, then turn it to a very thin stream, almost a trickle, for the riinsing of the blade periodically and etc. Turning it off and on constantly was a nuisance and I kept losing the hot water.
Regards,
Gordon
95%
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Post by 95% »

I soak my brush in hot water while showering, using a self-watering flower pot like this as a scutttle:

http://www.emersoncreekpottery.com/imag ... iolet1.jpg

Out of the shower, I create my lather in the inner bowl, then start shaving. Like Gordon et al., I let the hot water run in a thin stream between passes, rinsing the razor after every stroke.
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Crag
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Post by Crag »

I run the water through the entire shave, BUT I made a little change to the way it drains that helps recycle water from my bathroom sink. I disconnected the drain pipe from the main drain and now rout a 2-inch PVC pipe to the 500 gallon rain container in my backyard. I never clean the sink with any chemicals, only water and an acrylic scrub pad. I use this drum to water my yard & garden and the plants, grass & vegetables love it.

At first, I thought the soapy water would interfere but it is quite the opposite with the quality soaps I use, (I NEVER use synthetic soaps, only Tallow or Vegetable based produced or hand-made Soap) The added nutrients make the plants & grass much greener and the vegetables in the garden love it. I don't need to use Miracle Grow anymore for my veggies. It is remeniscent of the lush dark green grass that my grandma had where her washing machine water used to dump....

Also, there is little to no algae growing in the container anymore. It used to be quite a problem, needing to be cleaned 3-5 times a month (depending on the cloud cover) but since I did this it doesn't grow nearly as dense and only needs cleaned about 1-2 times in 3 months. Also, I do not have a problem with mosquitoes anymore. At one time it was hard to sit in the backyard without getting at least one bite.

The effluent passes through a carbon pad that I change on a bi-monthly basis depending on the bio load, and I clean shave everyday. I have had the water in the container tested by my Culligan Man who certified the water fit to drink, although I would have second thoughts about that except in an emergency, at which i would still boil it... :roll:

Anyhow...I only use Mitchells (Kent), or the soaps made by The Shave Den Store, because JoAnna is gifted and if requested makes a fine soap with no synthetics.
Matt

"The 'Path of least resistance' is what makes rivers and Men crooked."
--Ezra Taft Benson
houlejames
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Post by houlejames »

Use the sink, but don't fill it up. Run hot water slowly for soaking wet towel for prep and when the sink is less than half full, I shave, then rinse brush. Drain sink and run water to rinse face and finish rinsing brush and razor.
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