Buying razor blade cartridges too often makes you a sucker

There are few things that suck more than buying razor blade cartridges. I hate using the word "hate," but in this instance it's the best word to describe my feeling when I'm getting rung up at the register for razor blade cartridges.

You know the deal. You bought the razor handle cheap, but now you feel like a sucker every time you buy blade cartridges because you know they're sticking it to you...but that's because you let 'em. They've got the market on lock, and you let them lead you like pigs to slaughter. Look, at Tao of Man, we're experts on keeping your mug looking fresh, and we're also a fair company, so we would be remiss if we didn't come out with some solutions every now and then that allow you to stick it right back to the man.

Today's lesson: Significantly increase the lifetime of your blade cartridges by taking one RIDICULOUSLY simple step after each shave. What does the average guy do with his razor blade right after he shaves? He sets it on the counter, rinses his face, dries his face, then uses a natural aftershave (hopefully, Tao of Man), then puts his razor away in the drawer. So what's the big deal? Well, this is where the man laughs all the way to the bank. You just put your razor with wet blades back in the drawer. Until that water dries up naturally, it will wreak havoc by microscopically corroding your razor's sharp edge, so the next time you go to use your razor, you get a significantly more dull shave. Within a couple more uses, your once sharp blade begins to tug at your facial hair rather than making a clean cut. When this happens, you get nicks, razor burn, and ingrown hairs. And The Man knows you'd rather buy expensive new razor blade cartridges than deal with that.

So what's the solution? It's so freakin' simple that the answer is really quick, so don't blink or you'll miss it: Before you put your razor back in the drawer, dry the blades! This is as simple as getting a small cloth or facial tissue and running it along the blades. Don't forget to run the cloth along the backside of the blades too. Did you get that?

That was the entire answer. Thanks for reading. But, if you still don't understand, you might be a visual learner. Here's a picture for you...

This is NOT where you store your razors. The water drops may be visually stunning, but they are BAD for your razor.

Do you want to know how effective this is? Consumer advocate Clark Howard used the same razor blade for 12 months using this technique. I don't use my razors that long, but I have extended the life of my razor cartridges from a week to 2-3 months. That's more than a 700% increase in the life of my razor blades. With all that extra money you save, you can do amazing things like buy the matching car for your hood:

If you are too busy to dry your razor, then here's another solution: Get a life.

Seriously, it takes 10 seconds.

C. George