Hydraclean Cartridges, Black, Pack of 3

I've been using a Panasonic wet/dry shaver and the Vortex cartridges for 25 years or more. With long-time storage the cleaning cartridges become yellow-brown discolored (present when you open the foil), so don't buy more than a year's supply. I get 2 months or more out of each cartridge - and here's how. I run the cleaning cycle only when I charge the shaver. Since I no longer shave daily, that's probably once every 10 days or so. Yet, my shaving heads are spotlessly clean and bright with NO SHAVING CREAM RESIDUE on them at all. After every shave, I remove the shaving head cover, squirt a little LIQUID HAND SOAP on the blades, replace the cover and run the razor 15-20 seconds before rinsing with the cover off. This works because liquid hand soaps contain a chemical that keeps the soap in the liquid phase and also dissolves the white haze that otherwise collects on the blades, the inside of the cover and anywhere else your shaving cream settles! If you have a dense layer of shaving cream residue on your shaver, blades, etc, make a solution of liquid hand soap in a glass and place the removeable head of your razor in it overnight. The following day, lightly brush the inside and the blades with an old, soft toothbrush under warm water. You will have a new-appearing razor that also works like new. Mind your shaving cream, as well. The dense gel creams (like Edge) are a poor choice: they slow down the shavers blades, tax the motor (think "earlier replacement") and leave the most residue on the blades and inside casing. Semi-liquid shaving creams (like Neutrogena Shave Cream) work best, don't overwork your shaver's motor and leave the least residue on your shaver's blades. Whatever shave cream you use, apply only a THIN layer - remember, its primary job is to lubricate the process, not to melt your beard!

This fit my Panasonic ES-LA93-K shaver's cleaning system perfectly. This package is a 3-pack which translates to three months of cleaning solution (granted you shave every day). The cleaning solution is in this little cartridge and the cleaning system mixes solution and water and turns the shaver on and off, I noticed half of the stubble ends up in the water (which is why you replace the water once a week). The other half goes into the cleaning cartridge; once the cleaning cartridge has been filled up with stubble it becomes useless and the cleaning system will alert you that you need to swap cartridges. If you think the $10.xx price is a little steep for 3 months, there is a good way to make these last a little longer: The first time you shave go ahead and use the cleaning solution like normal, the next day take off the head of the shaver and run it under warm\hot water to remove all the stubble on the shaver and on the head you took off--place the head back on and use the "dry" function on the cleaning system. This will dry the shaver so you can use for the next go-around. The reason this works nicely is, you're removing the stubble from entering the cartridge which indicates whether or not it needs to be switched.

Would it not be great if your car can wash itself, change its oil, and refill its own gas tank? How about your clothes? Do they wash, dry, and fold themselves? Man, life would be so much easier if they did! This is one area where electric razors are ahead of cars. Ever since Braun came out with their "clean and charge" system, it seems that razor manufacturers have found ways to make razors maintain themselves with very little effort on the user's part. Panasonic's system is called Hydraclean. This review is about the cleaning cartridge for the Panasonic Hydraclean system. It is hard to write about the cleaning cartridge without mentioning the Hydraclean system. After all, together they make up the cleaning system. One is only as good as the other. Let me say that the cleaning system does exactly what it claims to be able to do. It cleans, lubricates, dries, and recharges the electric razor automatically. The Panasonic system uses a very sophisticated process to do this. Instead of simply pumping liquid cleaning fluid from the cartridge to the razor stand, this Panasonic uses a solid detergent. The Panasonic WES035P is a solid detergent block with a small filter. The cleaning stand has a small, removable water tank. The cleaning system dissolves the detergent with the water, and then the water is pumped upwards to the razor. The razor is inserted upside down in the cleaning stand, by the way. At that point, the razor is cycled on and off. The liquid mixture washes away debris and captures them in the filter. After a set time, warm air circulated around the razor heads to speed up drying time. The detergent leaves behind a film of lubricant. The Braun system uses an alcohol-based liquid. It also does a fine job of maintaining your razor. However, the alcohol has a tendency to evaporate, whether you use it or not. As soon as you open the seal on the cartridge, its useful life starts evaporating away. The Panasonic system does not evaporate, and you only use up its life when you actually clean the razor. So the Panasonic system does have its advantages over the Braun. The Braun cleaning stand is also sensitive to being moved, as the liquid can spill out of the cartridge. The Panasonic system is less-susceptible to that, since the cleaner is in solid form and the water tank is capped. However, you do have to change out the water in the tank. You can empty out the tank every time you replace the cartridge. And if you live in an area where the water is hard, I recommend that you not use water straight from the tap. You might want to buy a gallon of distilled water to refill your tank, which should last for over a year if you change out your cartridge each month. I highly recommend the Panasonic Hydraclean system. It makes maintaining your razor a breeze. It does not get easier than this. The solid detergent that comes in the cartridges do have advantages over alcohol-based cleaners. And the price is very reasonable. I "subscribe" here at Amazon. The plan is for me to have a three-pack shipped to me every three months.

Four stars because the cost is so high for such a simple thing but it works well. These are easy to use with the Panasonic shaver and just pop in and then the cleaning cycle does it magic. I find that cleaning the razor helps to keep the blades sharp and reduce skin irritation. They do seem to get dirty quickly despite rinsing out the razor frequently.

I don't always shave with my Panasonic electric razor. I enjoy wet shaving with a double-edged razor, shaving soap, badger hair brush, etc. but I don't always have the time and I prefer to use my Panasonic when I travel. It's no secret that Panasonic arguably makes the best electric shavers on the market (some Braun users would argue that point though I've owned Brauns and I prefer Panasonice Wet/Dry razors). I don't own the latest greatest most expensive model razor. When I bought my razor three or four years ago it was top of the line. In any event, these razors are not inexpensive and I'm a stickler on taking care of them. I clean my razor after every other use and I change out this product monthly. I change the foil every six months and the blades, once a year. All the products are available through Amazon's Subscribe and Save program. Is this product worthwhile? It's difficult to say with 100% certainty but the evidence is that it is. I notice, every month when I change it, that it's fairly loaded with chaving hair clippings. After I've cleaned (and simultaneously charged) my razor if I take of the top foil so the blades are exposed, it always looks shiny and like new. I'm 60 years old and am on my third Panasonic razor. Each one has lasted at least ten years, as they should because they 'aint cheap. I don't know for sure if my routine of cleaning regularly and swapping out these cartridges each month is the reason I've had such great life out of my razors but "if the shoe fits..." If you buy a Chevy Geo, it doesn't make sense to spend much money maintaining it. If, on the other hand, you buy a Porsche, you'll likely treat it like your special baby. A cheap Norelco or Remington is one thing but the Panasonics I've bought have cost AT LEAST $250. I get a darn good shave with my electric. I am of the opinion that spending a few bucks each month to keep it in tip top shape is the reason.

I can see why some reviewers talk about doing something else, that this is a ripoff. And to a degree I agree, if you used this all the time, then you're wasting money. I wash mine with liquid soap most of the time, then every couple weeks run it through a run with these, so my cartridges last me for months. I do as recommended by the manufacturer for self cleaning, where you run a line of liquid soap across the top of the razor, drop water drop by drop slowly around it (I just get my hands wet and hold my fingers pointing down so water drips), and let it foam up. Does a great job of foaming up the little bits of hair out of it that you don't get out just taking it apart and brushing it out and running water in it when it runs. Then, after it's done foaming, I just run it under fast running water, then take the top off and run it a little more, then let it air dry. And that works well most of the time but it just runs better after I put it through a cycle with these every few months. So for me, it's not a ripoff since in addition to my own cleaning, using these has kept my razor running great and hasn't cost me much at all.

This cleaning cartridge is a no-brainer if you own a Panasonic Vortex shaver. These cartridges contain cleaners, cutting blade lubricants and a filter, to keep your shaver blades clean and in proper condition. They are very simple to install in the cleaning base; they last a month or so, are solidly constructed and they work very well. A plus for these shaver cartridges is that they work with just plain tap water; no alcohol-type chemicals are used here. You can choose to clean the blades with just ordinary soap & water, which Panasonic says is an alternative, but I don't recommend it unless you have to, such as when traveling, as you won't be lubricating them and you allow the finely machined blades to be vunerable to whatever damage may befall them. This is a fine product and truly worth the price.

Major Update 9/11/2012 I just got a NEW shipment and need to clarify my previous, one star rating. The original cartridge order I receive back in February, 2012 had a date code on the bottom of 90724 (7/24/2009). They were 3 years OLD!! No wonder they had a bad odor to them. The ones I got from Drugstore.com a month later were dated 7/7/2011 (10707). And the ones I just got from Amazon this month are dated 5/29/2012 (20529)!! So I got a bad batch. Looks like Amazon is sending new product at great prices. Can't beat the deal!! First Review: The cartridge that came with my shaver had the "fresh smell" that Panasonic advertises. But the package I just received from Amazon almost stinks. I notice that the box does not have the newer shavers listed, the ES-LV93 or the ES-LV81. I suspect that these are either very old or maybe a bad batch. Some reviewers say that are good, but I notice that a review by MAX, as well as several other complainers are fairly recent buyers. After the second day, I can say that, during the drying cycle, the entire bathroom gets this stale, "old soapy" smell. (No, it's not me, it's the cartridge) These are horrible. Max returned his "stinky" cartridges and the replacement ones that he got also stink. I see a pattern here. Did Amazon acquire a bad batch? There are no markings on the box indicating lots, expiration dates, etc. Looks like a "crap shoot" as to whether you will get fresh ones, or these stale ones. I just ordered from drugstore.com and cancelled my recurring order with Amazon. UPDATE 3/9/2012 I just got a new box of these from DRUGSTORE.COM. Wonder of wonders, the box is a bit different. Still no expiration date! But the "Fits Models" has 4 additional models listed. ES7109, ES8109, ES8249, and ES-LA93!! Also, the list if ingredients has grown. Sodium nitrite has been added. I have no idea if that affects the products smell or freshness. Both boxes listed "fragrance" as an ingredient. Oh, and the instruction sheet has added Brazil as a country/language and has grown by 2 pages as a result. So, Amazon apparently is selling some very, very old packages of the shaving solution cartridges. Maybe not all of them, but the ones MAX and I got are "stinky".