How To Extend The Life of Your Disposable Razor

by BR Tabatha

Over the years I've been doing my best, as so may of us have, to reduce the amount of rubbish I create. I've ditched plastic wrap for beeswax wraps, gone packageless or made more sustainable package choices wherever possible, and the idea of throwing something in the rubbish that is recyclable now gives me the a case of the swirly, guilt-ridden tummy.

These days I feel pretty good about my environmental choices, apart from my love of disposable razors. And I'm not talking about the ones where you can replace the head, but good ol' five for $3 plastic razors that after a couple of weeks you have to toss because they've gone blunt/rusty. I know I ought to move on, but I can't. Out of all the options I've tried - and I really have tried - they just seem to work best on my legs, pits and lady garden, giving me a quick, easy and close shave. Tiring of feeling bad about my choice I decided to see if there was a way to make them last longer - and there is. It's called stropping - usually done with a leather belt, but it can also be done with an item of clothing that I imagine most people have sitting around home. So if you want to learn how to extend the life of your disposable razor, read on...

First things first, wash your razor with warm water and dish soap to get rid of any hair or debris that's lodged in the blades, then let the razor dry.

Next, grab a pair of old denim jeans. No, not to hide your hair legs in, in order to extend the life of your razor, but to help sharpen the blade. Place your jeans down on a flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles. 

Finally, take your razor and, with it pointed away from you so you're not pushing against the blades, rather the blades are going in the same direction as the grain of the material, run the razor quickly with a touch of pressure (not too much or you'll make the razor blunter) down the leg of your jeans anywhere between ten to twenty times. 

And that's it. That's all you have to do to give your shaver a sweet new lease of life - and help keep a little more plastic out of landfill for a little longer.

So will you be stropping your razor? Are you already a fan of stropping? Or is there another way to extend a razor's life that we need to know about? Sharing is caring, so get chatting below!