Don't Just Set It Down. This Is How to Store Your Razor | Gear Patrol (2024)

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Since we all shave at different intervals, there are two ways to approach razor storage and replacement. If you use a refillable razor, you need to toss out your cartridge after 2 to 3 weeks of use, or after 6 to 8 shaves, whichever comes first. So, if you shave daily, toss it after a week or so. If you shave once a week, toss it after the second or third week. If you pick a good razor replenishment service, like Dollar Shave Club or Harry’s, those blades cost between $1 to $2 each. And considering how imperative it is that you use sharp, fresh blades on your skin — that’s a low investment with high return.

As for safety razor blades, just toss them out after each use. They’re especially inexpensive— even top-shelf brands like Bevel sell them for less than 50 cents each — and they require ultimate sharpness in order to be precise since there’s just a single blade instead of 3 to 5. We’ll forgive you if you shave daily and reuse it once, but don’t push your luck.

How to Store Your Razor, the Right Way

For those with longer term utensils, or a razor body you keep by your sink, how you store it is equally important.

Get (or Use) a Stand

One of the best things you can do when buying a razor is to also get a stand for it. Deluxe brands will often sell them alongside their razors; in particular, I love the ones from The Art of Shaving. You can get dual brush-razor stands or even safety razor stands. But it’s also not hard to do yourself: just get a small glass and leave the blade upright in the cup.

Where you store the razor is the next imperative. Because it needs to dry quickly and not invite moisture (which in turn invite bacteria). That means you’ve got to store the razor in a cool, dry place. Yes, that means you shouldn’t store it in the bathroom itself, which is a warm, moist place. I understand how weird it might be to store your razor somewhere that isn’t your bathroom, but it’s for the sake of hygiene. And it’s only overnight or for a few hours until it’s dry.

The Art of Shaving

Classic Shaving Razor and Brush Stand

• $100.00 at The Art of Shaving

Let It Dry

Store the razor upright in its stand, or upside-down for most safety-razor stands, so long as the blade is in the air. Safety razors should even be dried this way when you’ve tossed the blade because the head needs to be clean just as thoroughly as if the blade were still there. However, standard cartridge razor can usually be packed away after you toss the blade, and only need to be cleaned and dried when the razor is in use.

Get a Guard

Between shaves and when you’re on the go, you need to shield the clean, dry blades from things like dust, moisture, and germs. So get a plastic case to guard the entire razor, or simply the blade itself. Harry’s sells blade covers for all of $1. Merkur has an entire travel set, perfect if you’re also buying your first safety razor. I like plastic cases like both of these, since they can be easily washed and disinfected, and since no material will get stuck under any blades.

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