Waste less Living

Zero Waste Swaps: Reusable Razor Options

Reusable razors are essential to any zero waste bathroom! Check out these tips for the most effective use and maintenance of your razor!

Reusable razors are essential to any zero waste bathroom! Check out these tips for the most effective use and maintenance of your razor!

Zero Waste Razor


If you shave daily, switch your blades out every 1 to 2 weeks. If you shave every other day, switch your blades out every 2 to 3 weeks. Switch your blades out every 4 to 6 weeks, if you shave twice a week.

These numbers mean we could be going through 8 to 25 razors a year! The EPA estimates 2 billion razors are thrown away each year and they are practically impossible to recycle, so there is definitely an environmental cost. But with 8 to 25 razors a year, we’re looking at a pretty big chunk of change.

The average women’s razor is about $11, and a set of four refills is $19. Assuming you switch your blades out every three weeks you’ll spend about $91 on shaving each year. I have the hardest remembering what razor I bought so I can buy the right refills. Until recently, when I really cracked down, I just bought a set of new razors. If you’re like me, you’re paying quite a bit more.

Most girls start shaving their legs around 12 and tend to stop shaving in their 60s. That’s about 50 years of shaving and $4,500.

I’m sure by this point, you’re getting bummed out. I know I was. But you don’t have to be. Enter the Safety Razor. It cost microcents per shave, gives a better shave, zero waste AND it’s recyclable!

Stainless Steel Razor

Safety razors are stainless steel, so they’re extremely durable. If you ever decide to go back to disposable razors or if it breaks, which is super rare it’s fully recyclable. Just as a durability comparison, you can still find antique safety razors for sale that work from 70 years ago.

The Double Edge Safety Razor costs $32 and a pack of 10 Safety Razor Blades cost $9.50. That’s 95 cents per blade compared to $4.75 per blade. If you change your blade every 3 weeks you’ll be spending about $16 on blades a year. Over the course of 50 years, including the purchase of the razor, you’re looking at $807.

Which would you rather pay $5,000 or $807?

Safety Razor for Women

How to Shave with a Safety Razor

You’ll definitely want to get a shave soap or a soap with a lot of lather. Hold the safety razor at a 30-degree angle and use short strokes. Here is a video that gives more indepth details about how to shave with a safety razor.

Don’t press down or apply pressure – the blade should just glide.

How to Maintain Safety Razor

To keep your safety razor blades lasting as long as possible, here are a few tips on how to care for them.

Cleaning your Reusable Razor Options

After every use, you’ll want to rinse and blot dry with towel. This removes most of the more concerning oils, and damaging moisture on the blade.
You can buy specialized cleaning solutions to help with skin and hair build up or just soak your razor blade for 15 to 30 minutes in a cup of warm, soapy water with dish soap, swirling your razor occasionally.  For best results, you may want to allow your razor to soak for 15 to 30 minutes, swirling your razor in the water occasionally.
You can also consider using a skin safe blade lubricant, such as mineral oil or a small amount of cooking oil on your blade after drying it. This will coat the outer surface of the blade, making it less susceptible to moisture in the air, airborne dirt, and other environmental factors that can lead to a dull razor.

Sharpen Your Razor

Once your safety razor is dried completely, you’re ready to sharpen. A traditional strop, or material used to sharpen, is made of leather, but an old pair of jeans will work almost as well. The cloth will rejuvenate the blades on your safety razor, but overtime this will cause the fabric of your jeans to fray or deteriorate over time, so use jeans you don’t wear anymore.

Run your razor along your jeans with the direction of the blades. Do this about approximately 20 times in one direction with short, quick strokes. Don’t press too hard, as this will cause damage to the edge of your blade. This process, called stropping, will remove burrs and irregularities from your blades, honing your razor’s edge. When you’re done with the first side, switch directions and repeat.

Reusable razors are essential to any zero waste bathroom! Save these tips to reference for the most effective use and maintenance of your razor!

However, if you want to have a beautiful frameless glass shower, then visiting a good place like GlassShowerDirect.com is the first step you should take!

Reusable razors are essential to any zero waste bathroom! Save these tips to reference for the most effective use and maintenance of your razor!




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