Rubbing alcohol is an effective, economical and multi-purpose cleaner around the house. It is indeed an excellent degreaser, an effective cleaner, an outstanding disinfectant and an unstoppable stain remover on many surfaces and materials. Let’s review the characteristics of rubbing alcohol, its possible uses and the precautions to be taken.
What is rubbing alcohol?
Methylated spirits, also called rubbing alcohol, is a strong-smelling liquid. It consists of 90-95% ethanol and a denaturant, usually bitrex, a bitter-tasting product. Some formulas also contain odorants to make the smell more bearable.
Household alcohol found on the market is therefore methylated spirits, with the difference that it has been denatured in order to reduce its strong smell. Be careful therefore to place it out of reach of children and animals, because its more discreet smell is not always enough to avoid attempts to ingest it.
Rubbing alcohol is very useful in the home since it is known for its cleaning, degreasing, disinfecting and stain-removing properties.
What uses for rubbing alcohol?
Rubbing alcohol can be used in many ways. Here are the main ones.
An indoor disinfectant
To disinfect the interior of your home, especially for your floors and cleanable surfaces (worktops, toilets, mattresses, carpets, etc.), mix 350 ml of water and 150 ml of rubbing alcohol in a basin. Add about 5 drops of essential oil to perfume the mixture more pleasantly (lemon, mint, lavender, orange, etc.). Apply to your surfaces to be cleaned with a clean sponge or with a spray bottle for more delicate surfaces. Then leave to air dry.
An effective cleanser
Household alcohol cleans, disinfects and degreases smooth surfaces. It can even be used to make them shine.
Apply it with a clean sponge or a clean cloth on the following smooth surfaces: sinks, mirrors, plastics, worktops, windows, splashbacks, iron soleplates , refrigerators, lacquered furniture, sanitary facilities or household robots.
It is also very effective on metals such as bronze, stainless steel, steel, silver, gold and chrome.
jewelry cleaner
Rubbing alcohol is very useful for cleaning gold, silver and plated jewelry. Its action is also effective for detaching costume jewellery, chains and precious stones.
A stain remover for fabrics and clothes
The methylated spirit can detach fabrics and clothing and remove a large number of stains. You can indeed remove stains of glue, wax, shoe polish, chocolate, grease, flowers, fruits, vegetables, make-up, grease, ink, grass and plants, blood and water-based paint. To do this, soak the stained fabric in a basin containing a mixture of 2/3 water and 1/3 rubbing alcohol. Dab the stain until it disappears and rinse with clear water. Finish with a machine wash.
A cleansing product
The methylated spirit can detach many surfaces such as mattresses, canvas shoes, shoe soles, glasses or even silver cutlery. To do this, simply wet a sponge with a mixture of water and methylated spirit and gently rub the surfaces.
A vehicle cleaner
Wash your bike, car, scooter, motorcycle, truck or trailer with rubbing alcohol. This effective product cleans bodywork and interiors, as well as windscreen wipers and rims for an impeccable result without streaks or stains.
An insecticidal product
To keep aphids and spider mites away from your garden, mix 1 liter of hot water, 30 g of black soap and a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. Pour everything into a spray bottle and apply to affected plants. The mixture suffocates the undesirables within moments.
What are the precautions for use with rubbing alcohol?
While methylated spirit is an effective product that can be used in the home, certain precautions for use should be observed. It is a flammable product that must be kept away from any source of fire. Also, do not smoke while using it and do not use it as a fire accelerant, as there is a high risk of explosion and flashback.
Always use it in an airy and well-ventilated room. Do not hesitate to open the windows during use and a few minutes after.
Remember to properly close the bottle after each use. Store it imperatively out of reach of children and animals, in a dry place, at room temperature and without light.