Frugal Friday: How to Extend the Longevity of Razor Blades

This week's Frugal Friday is all about those pesky razor blades that, when treated incorrectly, fall into the realm of wasted money.

The Wise Bread website offered the following tips on how to extend the life of razors used for shaving.

Dry the razor.

First, be sure to give the razor a good shake to get rid of excess water.

1. Use a blow dryer.
2. Use a towel to blot it dry.

Coat the razor.

Coating the razor can also protect it from the elements. There are two ways the Wise Bread site notes for coating a razor: soaking it in a cup between shaves or dipping the razor quickly into the liquid.

1. Use rubbing alcohol to coat.
2. Dip the razor in oil -- mineral oil, grape seed or almond oil, baby oil.
3. Use barbicide.
4. Coat the blade in vinegar.
5. Use a mix of rubbing alcohol and oil: Dip first in alcohol to get the water off, then dip the blade in oil.

Repurpose old jeans.

Run the razor along the whole length of an old pair of jeans, 20 times in each direction. In the YouTube video attached to this article, a man demonstrates the technique and said he has been using the same razor for six months.

"Apparently the cross-fibers of the jeans do a bang-up job of either drying and/or sharpening the blades to keep them pristine," the Wise Bread website stated.

Use a different product.

Changing the product you use may aid in longevity. Some say the acidic content in shaving cream is harmful. Here's some other options from the Wise Bread article.

1. Use shaving soap.
2. Use hair conditioner

Soften Your Hair.

Leave conditioner or moisturizer on the shaving site for a few minutes prior to shaving.

Properly Store the Razor

If you store your razor in the bathroom, keep it inside a resealable bag in a closed drawer or cabinet. The bathroom is the most humid room in the house and therefore not great for the razor, so the Wise Bread site recommends leaving the razor in a different room in between shaves.

Happy Frugal Friday!