Did you know that you can easily sharpen your razor blades yourself? It saves money and is more sustainable than buying a new razor every month. We’ll show you some tricks to revive dull razor blades.

Sharpening razor blades instead of throwing them away not only saves a lot of money but also brings you closer to zero-waste shaving. Even though the blades are usually made of high-quality stainless steel, they dull more and more with each daily shave.

Dull razors can quickly cut your skin or cause uncomfortable irritations like razor burn. However, you can fortunately sharpen the razor blades using a simple everyday item.

Sharpening Razor Blades with Old Jeans

If you find yourself cutting more often while shaving and leaving many hairs behind, your first thought might be to dispose of the razor blade. Before tossing the razor in the trash, though, you can try sharpening the blade with a simple trick. All you need is an old pair of jeans.

Here’s how to sharpen the razor blade with jeans:

  • First, lay the jeans on a flat surface. You shouldn’t use your favorite jeans for this trick, as the fabric can fray due to the blade.
  • Thoroughly dry the razor blade. Wet blades don’t sharpen as well.
  • Now, run the razor over the jean fabric 15 to 20 times. Make sure to move the blades against the usual shaving direction.

Theoretically, you can also sharpen razor blades by running them along the direction of hair growth on your forearm. However, this method carries a much higher risk of injury, which is why we advise against it.

By the way, sharpening razor blades and reusing them multiple times is already a good first step towards sustainable shaving. If you want to use less plastic in your bathroom, you can use safety razors instead of conventional ones.

3 Tips Against Dull Razor Blades :

To reduce the frequency of sharpening your razor blades, here are a few simple tips to make them last longer:

  • Clean and dry blades properly: With each shave, hairs, tiny skin particles, and shampoo residues accumulate in your razor. These residues can cause the blades to dull more quickly. Therefore, you should regularly clean your razor blade thoroughly under running water. You can use an old toothbrush for this purpose, for example. Also, make sure to dry your razor after each shave or cleaning. Even though razor blades are usually made of stainless steel, rust can form if you leave the razor wet in the shower. So it’s best to quickly dry the razor blades after use.
  • Disinfect blades: Especially if you use your razor regularly, many bacteria can accumulate between the blades, in addition to skin flakes and hairs. These bacteria can then cause razor bumps during the next shave. To prevent this, you should regularly disinfect the razor blades with some rubbing alcohol.
  • Oil the blades: Proper maintenance is important so that you don’t have to sharpen your razor blades as often. A thin layer of baby oil makes the blade more resistant to moisture and other influences that could dull it more quickly. Simply rub a few drops of baby oil on the stainless steel for this purpose.