Cleaning an electric shaver sounds like a very easy and straightforward job, right? Yet, many consumers argue that their devices are deteriorating faster than anticipated.
One of the major reasons behind this is the lack of a proper cleaning method. Simply cleaning your electric razor won’t suffice if it’s not done in the right way.
Therefore, my explanation of ‘how to clean an electric shaver the right way’ should help you find the most effective means to extend the life of your shaving device.
Such cleaning routines tend to keep the blades sharp and foils intact for longer durations, cutting down on cost and in addition, enhances the shaving experience by a significant margin!
Contents
Electric Shaver Cleaning Methods: Key Aspects and Techniques
Considering you’re someone who regularly maintains your electric razor, there are certain aspects to a proper cleansing.
Different types of shavers demand various cleaning operations and certain tools are necessary to smoothly perform such cleaning duties.
Tools You’ll Need
The available tools to clean an electric shaver the right way are diverse, since some are very basic while the advanced ones are quite expensive.
For instance, an electric razor without a cleaning station should be cleaned out and lubricated manually, whereas the devices that come with a station can automate this task.
Considering both of these general categories of shaving tools, here is a list of tools you’re going to need for an effective cleaning session:
- Cleaning Brush
- Lubricating Agent
- Screwdriver (optional)
- Pry Tool (optional)
- Clean Cloth Rag
- Clean & Charge Station (for automatic cleansing)
- Cleaning Agent for the Station
These are basically the most common and essential tools required for a deep cleaning of your shaving instrument.
Manual Cleaning
The manual cleaning method is mostly dedicated to dry shave razors which don’t have the option for a complete wash.
To perform a manual cleaning, you must ensure that your electric shaver is turned off and detached from the charging cable.
This method is the very basic one which you must perform after every shaving operation or each time you include a cleansing session to any activity related to your razor.
Start by mopping up the shaver handle with a clean cloth rag to get rid of any excess dirt. Then, remove the shaver head to gain access to the inner parts.
Dunk out the hair storage chamber and use a cleaning brush to pull out any other residue. You should also brush out the hair particles residing next to the motor heads.
For Foil Shaver: If your device is a foil electric shaver, check whether the blades are attached to the underparts of the foil head.
If that’s the case, gently remove the blades, mop the blades up and gain a clear access to the foils from underneath to brush out the residue.
For Rotary Shaver: Generally, rotary electric shavers keep the blades attached right beneath the rotary rings.
These can be removed by twisting the blades in the direction instructed with arrows. After that, carefully clean both the blades and the bottom sides of the rings.
After performing the cleaning for your specific type of shaver, put the blades back together and place the shaver head at its place.
Be sure to mop up every inch carefully and you may use a cleaning spray or other alcohol-based solution to remove bacteria.
Wet/Dry Shavers
Check if your electric shaver is wet shaving friendly, has a waterproof certification or guaranteed by the brand that it’s washable.
If any of these cases match with your tool, you may find more effective ways to thoroughly clean out your shaving device.
Rotary Wet Shaver: A wet-shaving rotary device can be directly rinsed under running water which will allow you to wash off any residue, including hair or foam.
Then, locate the release button at the top which undos the foil head, allowing you access to the underparts of foils and upper side of the motor heads.
Turn on your tap and wash until there’s no visible dirt left there. Then, use a dry rag to mop up every possible part and let it air dry for the next 6-8 hours.
Foil Wet Shaver: There are various types of foil razors with wet shaving capabilities, and certain tools like the Braun Series 5 contain water vents for effortless cleaning with water.
But most devices, generally the more affordable ones, don’t offer such luxury. Therefore, you must begin with a complete rinse under the tap before removing the shaver head.
Once there, wash the foil head and the shaver handle individually under the running water. Make sure to let water pass through both sides of the foil head.
Keep the water running through the blades until there’s absolutely no residue left. Then, mop up everything and air dry until it’s ready for storage.
For both cases, if you don’t trust the waterproof certificate, then you can opt for a different approach than using the tap water.
Pick out a bowl and pour fresh water into it. Apply a drop or two of disinfectant liquid and rinse the shaver head – be that foil or rotary – inside this water.
You may gently scrub the foil elements but don’t overdo it. Whether your shaver contains a coating for sensitive skin or not, vigorous scrubbing with a harsh brush is guaranteed to remove the coating very soon.
Treat the rest of the handle in the dry cleaning method. Mop up the shaver head and let it fully dry out until attaching it back to the handle.
Self-Cleaning Shavers
By self-cleaning shavers, I’m implying tools with a Clean & Charge station. Using this, you can easily insert a cleaning agent to the station and set your electric razor upside down.
But this convenience comes at a cost. Your cleaning solution for the station will deplete very fast unless you apply the methods of making that last longer.
These procedures generally take between 3 minutes of cleaning and lubrication to around half an hour for the machine to dry things up.
Common issues like a clogged station are faced by Braun Series 9 users but can be mitigated at home very easily.
Lubricating the Blades
While lubrication is not part of our discussion today, I still feel obligated to remind you that the step is always important after a cleaning session.
Whether you properly clean your shaving device with dry brush, rinse under the tap, spray or mop, lubrication afterward must be followed through to ensure integrity and quality of the cutting elements.
Only time you don’t need lubrication is when you use a cleaning station since this accessory does everything for you automatically.
Final Thoughts
Let’s conclude our discussion on ‘how to clean an electric shaver the right way’ as I believe I have covered all the key aspects of a proper and thorough cleansing.
It’s not the cleaning task that’s difficult to carry out, rather the common issues are maintaining the regularity of it.
You cannot go about cleaning after one shave and leaving it be after the next. If you want your shaving device to survive the perils of time – this is something you must practice on every grooming occasion.
So, let’s vow today to take the regular cleaning responsibilities of our beloved electric shavers and make it last in mint condition for the longest time!