We all suffer with the daily impacts of having to shave. The goal…smooth skin. The problem…daily annoyance (who does not wake up and hates having to shave for the day?) and substantial costs over time. Manufacturers used to keep shaving simple with cheap single blade razors. Today, manufacturers jumped at the chance to cash in by adding additional blades and even battery powered contraptions to perfect that smooth shave.

Electric shaving systems are also more technologically advanced than their predecessors. In addition to being able to take electric razors into the shower, or having lotions built into them, many now include their own charging and cleaning stations. Not only did the manufacturers figure out how to get you to pay up to $200+ for their system, but they then get you to purchase cleaning fluid, at a cost of roughly $5-10 per month.

Almost a decade ago I started using a premium, self-cleaning electric shavers to offset traditional blade shaving. My parents had purchased me a Braun shaving system that included a cleaning base. Simply slide the cleaning liquid container into the stand, and with the push of a button, the electric shaver cleans itself. The Braun system provided a great shave on a routine basis, and the convenience and new technology to clean itself was great. However, the shaving heads and screens had to be replaced approximately every 12-18 months, as well as the monthly replacement of the cleaning liquid.

Not only did all the maintenance come with added cost, I honestly have a hard time trying to locate replacement items in stores. Today, I use a Remington self cleaning electric razor, and still to this day have never seen replacement cleaning solutions in any of the stores I have looked. Being the resourceful guy who hates to waste a dollar, I started to look for alternatives to ease my wallet.

I was able to substantially cut the cost of new blades and screens, which typically cost $40 at retail, for about half that by searching on eBay and Amazon. The real key though to saving money on my electric shaving systems was by making my own shaving cleaner.

Looking at the ingredients list on my Remington PowerClean bottle, the solution is made of demineralized water, denatured alcohol, surfactants, natural defoaming agents, conditioning agent, preservatives, fragrance, citric acid, and coloring.

However, there are three key ingredients that can readily be purchased at stores like Target, Walmart, Home Depot, and/or Lowes, that will get the job done. I particularly prefer Walmart because I know I can get all the items in one stop.

The ingredients to purchase are:

• SLX denatured alcohol. Depending on where you shop, you can purchase either a half gallon or 1 gallon container. Cost is roughly $6-11 depending on size.
• Singer sewing machine oil. Available in 4 oz containers, costing roughly $3.
• McCormick pure lemon extract, or generic will work too. Costs roughly $4 for 1 oz. Make sure to get extract, and not lemon juice.

I reuse the cleaning solution containers that come with the shaving system. I then add roughly 1/2 teaspoonful of both the sewing machine oil and lemon extract. Then fill the container up with the denatured alcohol. Shake, and refill your charging station. If you feel you need the “blue” coloring that the manufacturer adds, you can always add food coloring. However, I would personally be concerned about staining, even in small increments.

I like buying the half gallon size of denatured alcohol because of storage. The concoction refills my cleaning container approximately 10 times. Purchasing 10 cleaning solutions at the store would cost upwards of close to $100. Consequently, I reduce my costs to roughly $15.

I have been using this refill concoction since I first started using my old Braun shaver. As mentioned above, eventually, my Braun shaving system stopped holding a charge, and I now use a Remington. The above recipe has saved me hundreds of dollars on shaving costs through the years.

My only complaint is actually with the design of the cleaning system. The Braun liquid cleaning system was “closed” which meant very little evaporation of the cleaning solution. The Remington system is an open cleaning tray, and the liquid tends to evaporate out very quickly, requiring a lot more refills.

For years now I have been making my own shaving cleaner, and I am not sure why I did not think to share this great money saving technique sooner.

Use of this homemade electric shaving cleaner is at your own risk, and I assume no risk for its use on your electric razor and/or their warranties.

Save Money, Travel More!

Source: InACents