For what domestic purpose is 70% ethanol?

August 27, 2019 12:04 PM

We have a 4 liter sealed bottle of reagent 70% ethanol in water, now what.

This solution is ideal for disinfecting surfaces, but anything else? Is it good for cleaning things like stains in clothes? Not sure if it would damage clothing but would be nice to use this rather than dispose of it.

posted by waving to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

Anything online that uses vodka as a cleaner would work just as well with 70% ethanol. Any kind of disinfecting/deodorizing process is one that is reasonable to try. It is also something you could try on stains; it is less likely to cause bleeding etc than isopropyl alcohol.
posted by tchemgrrl at 12:09 PM on August 27, 2019 [3 favorites]

You can burn it in various decorative lamps and lanterns, you can use it to clean your bathroom, you can use it as a fire starter, you could dilute a bit and add mint to use it as mouthwash if the bittering agents aren't too bad.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:02 PM on August 27, 2019

you can get some vanilla beans and make vanilla extract with it, although it's not really any cheaper than buying it commercially. but in general overproof alcohol is great for making botanical extracts.
posted by GuyZero at 1:54 PM on August 27, 2019

If this is reagent grade, check the Msds for the other 30 percent. It is very likely that this stuff is not potable, and a small chance that it's dangerous even to handle. Common other ingredients include methanol, xylene, benzene, denatonium, and weird longer chain alcohols.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 2:18 PM on August 27, 2019 [14 favorites]

Cleaning tar off the car.
posted by theora55 at 2:50 PM on August 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

Second meaty shoe puppet - 70% stuff (especially reagent grade) is denatured (rendered poisonous so it can't be consumed).

It's still ok as a surface rub for temporary relief of aches (ie., for bruises) but it'll dry your skin.

It is an excellent surface disinfectant/ cleaner*. Fill spray bottles with it. The method of action is multi-faceted; it directly denatures proteins (both intracellular and membrane-associated) and it replaces some intracellular water and when it evaporates, it dehydrates the contents of the microbe and kills them. So, if you spray a hard surface expecting to kill microbes, let it sit damp for a little while before wiping it dry.

It's also fantastic as a lightweight degreaser - it'll remove the oil from your glasses/ sunglasses/ smartphone/ keys. It's also great at removing spots from glassware.

There's debate whether it's ok to use on LCD screens; typically isopropanol is recommended over ethanol.

Typically it will not damage clothing (either the fibers or colour), but spot-check.

*the burn temperature of ethanol isn't too high; I've filled spray bottles with it, set the nozzle to jet, and used a lighter to create a mini flamethrower. 70% doesn't burn well (or burns dirty) because of the water content and whatever denaturant(s) added to it.
posted by porpoise at 3:10 PM on August 27, 2019

In the USA, in my experience, only ultra-expensive luxury ethanol reagent doesn’t have additives to prevent drinking, it’s kind of a big deal, what with taxes, potential for abuse, etc. And I was assuming OP knew this and knew they had some reagent with additives. Otherwise the obvious answer is to throw a boozy party or give it to a friend that will :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 3:11 PM on August 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

alcohol (potable or not) is excellent for removing ink stains from leather, and a number of other cosmetic/recreational inks from other surfaces.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 3:12 PM on August 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

Beer can fuel stove, if you like camping, and you're happy to deal with the real and high risk of setting everything on fire.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 6:18 PM on August 27, 2019

You could mix in a spray bottle with a bit of water and a few drops of eucalyptus or some other scent, and use it to refresh the armpits of clothing you don't want to wash right away.
posted by stray at 8:27 PM on August 27, 2019