Read the phrase on your own listing
All eight rotary and foil shavers on this site say something about water, and they say it four different ways.
“100% waterproof” — Braun on the 3040s, Philips on the S5465 and the S7887. “Waterproof, wet and dry” — Panasonic on the ES-ALT4B. “Wet and dry” — Philips on the S3145 and the X3053. “Washable under running water” — Panasonic on the ES-RT37, and “waterproof design, cleaned under water” on the ES-LV67.
Those are not synonyms. One is about the body of the tool, one is about shaving in the shower, and one is about the sink. We quote whichever the maker used, precisely because they are not interchangeable.
The routine, when rinsing is allowed
Open or remove the head, tap out the loose hair, rinse under warm water, shake out, and leave it open to dry before reassembling. Wet parts reassembled trap water where the bearings are.
When rinsing is not stated
Brush only, and expect to supply the brush yourself: one shaver of the eight publishes one in the box. A listing that never mentions water is a listing that has not promised it, and a rinse on that basis is your risk rather than the maker’s.
The cleaner, and what it is for
A blade cleaner dissolves the sebum and hair paste that a brush cannot shift and a rinse does not touch. It is not the same thing as oil. On shavers with a cleaning station it is what the station uses; without one, a blade wash at $16 does the same job in a cup — the whole blade care shelf runs from $6 to $22.
The part that is scheduled anyway
Cleaning postpones nothing on the replacement interval. Five of the eight shavers here publish a blade life — the four Philips rotaries and the Panasonic ES-LV67 — and Philips lights a reminder icon on the shaver itself when its two years are up. The SH30 heads that answer that reminder are $29.
Clean to reach the date, not to avoid it.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-12. The live price is at the top of the page.
What people ask about this
Is "wet and dry" the same as "100% waterproof"?
Not quite. "100% waterproof" is a statement about the body of the tool; "wet and dry" is a statement about using it in the shower with foam; "washable under running water" is a statement about cleaning only. Braun and Philips use the first, Panasonic the third. This site quotes the phrase each maker used rather than flattening them into one, and the manual for your unit is the authority.
How often should I clean it?
The manual says, and it varies by mechanism. What is universal: a head cleaned regularly reaches its scheduled replacement date, and one that is not, does not.
Mine did not come with a brush. Does that matter?
No, and you are in the majority — only one of the eight shavers here publishes a brush in the box, the Panasonic [ES-RT37](/reviews/panasonic-es-rt37/). Any soft brush does the job; it is not a purchase.
Last reviewed October 12, 2026
