Isopropyl Alchohol - rubbing alchohol

Curry_Queen

Lorian wrote:

I certainly wouldn't be using Isopropyl Alcohol as a hand rub, and I don't think any one else should! I use it at arms length and usually outside.

Here's a typical bottle warning:

"WARNING! FLAMMABLE LIQUID AND VAPOR. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED OR INHALED. CAUSES IRRITATION TO EYES AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. AFFECTS CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. MAY BE HARMFUL IF ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. MAY CAUSE IRRITATION TO SKIN. "

IF using at work you'll find it is subject to COSHH (Control of Substance Hazardous to Health)

So why do tattooists and body piercers use it then?

Lorian

Curry_Queen wrote:

So why do tattooists and body piercers use it then?

Beats me, I've never been in a tattoo parlour, but (not being a medical person) I'd suspect the Chlorhexidine would be a better thing for them to use!

For cleaning glass/mirrors if standard windolene type products don't get the mirror clean, then your could try some Rain-X glass cleaner (halfords) or something like

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=53320&ts=93739

larmy16

calleyw wrote:

According to my laptop handbook I can use this to clean my screen.

Never managed to get hold of any. Might just buy the wipes instead.


Yours


Calley

Hi Calley

My niece bought me those wipes for Christmas and I have to be honest - I dont think they are worth the money. About £10. I was given the hint to use one of those microfibre cloths sprayed very very lightly with water and that worked a treat on a computer screen - just must not be wet.

Oh for everyone else, I don't really want to use the IA for anything really - I read it was great for mirrors etc, however I was more curious as to why we cannot get it here when it is readily available in US??? You know like they recommend all the cheap stuff for cleaning, eg BICARB, BORAX, VINEGAR and usually they say IA also. I had a devil of a job tracking borax down and was told by my chemists it was on the dangerous substances list also????

I certainly would not buy it over the net, there are plenty of other things you can use eg. vinegar for glass.

No I was just being curious as usual :rolleyes:

Lorian

Curry_Queen wrote:

So why do tattooists and body piercers use it then?

On my lunch-time walk I always pass by a tattoo parlour. Never even looked through the window before. Anyway being curious I wandered in and asked the girl behind the desk what they used to clean skin. After some suspicious looks, and some explanation, she showed me a bottle of surgical spirit (methylated ethanol) which is much safer than Isopropyl, unless you set fire to it or try to drink it!

I resisted the offer of a tattoo.

Swan_2

diluted Isopropyl Alcohol is often sold for cleaning CDs, DVDs & laser lenses ... Poundland sell a kit including a spray & bottle, both of which contain a 60% IP/40% water mix. it's also recommended for putting on a cotton bud & cleaning inside your mouse ... pc mouse that is!

HOLsale

larmy16 wrote:

Sorry for any errors in spelling - has anyone been able to source this in this country?

I know it is easily available in US but when I tried to find it, I was told that it was on the dangerous substances list and was offered surgical spirit which is a completely different chemical as I found to my cost when trying to clean a mirror with it!!!!!!

?

you should have seen my reaction to this malarky when i first tried to buy some, i was used to just picking up a bottle for 33 cents in walmart and then to be told it was dangerous? :eek: same thing with hydrogen peroxide, honestly! (and this is from a country that sells codeine products over the counter!)

anyway, i had to go to the chemist, only the pharmacist was at lunch so i had to come back two hours later! then he poured a tiny brown bottle full and charged me £3 for it... i only wanted it for cleaning the tape heads on my cassette player a very common practice in the states!

usually it's used for pouring on cuts and abrasions though i always preferred hydrogen peroxide for that myself, hurts less and the bubbles make it force out any debris you didn't manage to extract yourself

i can see where the old fashioned practice of rubbing down a very feverish person with rubbing alcohol could be considered dangerous as it shocks the system into lowering the temperature and is very hard on an ill person, can be very dangerous BUT that's almost unheard of anymore, most people know to use ibuprofen or paracetamol (tylenol in the states or acetaminiphin)


you can try your chemist, just tell them you want to use it to clean the tape heads on your cassette player :rolleyes:

HOLsale

Lorian wrote:

The OP does say what they want it for in the original post.

I certainly wouldn't be using Isopropyl Alcohol as a hand rub, and I don't think any one else should! I use it at arms length and usually outside.

)

it has been used that way in the past before we had better options, it is a great disinfectant and is still used on wounds in the states in many peoples homes

it does sting like hell and smell awful though! it will also dry your hands out horribly

HOLsale

Lorian wrote:

"WARNING! FLAMMABLE LIQUID AND VAPOR. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED OR INHALED. CAUSES IRRITATION TO EYES AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. AFFECTS CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. MAY BE HARMFUL IF ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. MAY CAUSE IRRITATION TO SKIN. "

IF using at work you'll find it is subject to COSHH (Control of Substance Hazardous to Health)

bl**dy Hell!

i've never seen a warning like that on bottles at the pharmacy in the states

perhaps the stuff you are using is a higher percentage since it's meant for cleaning items vs being used as a disinfectant

if i remember properly most isopropyl alcohol is somehthing like .05% alcohol so not too bad

it definately has been used for contact with skin for some time

HOLsale

calleyw wrote:

According to my laptop handbook I can use this to clean my screen.

Never managed to get hold of any. Might just buy the wipes instead.


Yours


Calley

is your laptop a hard glass screen?

NEVER use anything alcohol based on TFT screens, it destoys them!

Curry_Queen

HOLsale wrote:

bl**dy Hell!

i've never seen a warning like that on bottles at the pharmacy in the states

Don'y worry hun, it's commonly used as a disinfectant in the UK too in hospitals, GP surgeries, vets etc, and is the active ingredient in many alcohol-based hand rubs, pre-injection swabs, sanitising wipes etc