Do you know the many uses of household alcohol at home or in the garden? It turns out that there are plenty of ways to take advantage of it to make our everyday lives easier, whether it's daily chores or our favorite hobbies! But before revealing its practical applications, let's see what exactly this substance is and what the precautions are related to its use.
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Commercial linksFirst of all, you should know that household alcohol is toxic! It's denatured methylated spirit, which means that a substance has been introduced into it to make it inedible. Isopropanol, gasoline, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone and denatonium benzoate are widely used for this purpose, but more often ethanol is denatured to methanol. It is a mixture of 90-95% ethyl alcohol and 5-10% methanol serving as a denaturant which is, to repeat one more time, just in case, unfit for human consumption.
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Commercial linksHousehold alcohol differs from rubbing alcohol which is usually 70% isopropyl alcohol and 30% water. Denatured methylated spirit is usually colorless, however, in some countries it is colored blue or purple using an aniline dye, to differentiate it from consumable alcohols. Although not intended for human consumption, it is widely used for industrial and domestic purposes. Here are some that will be quite useful to you at home!
Household alcohol is used as fuel for certain types of camping stoves commonly used by campers, RVers and backpackers. Its flame is easy to extinguish and you don't have to use special containers to transport it like other flammable substances. However, be careful: its flame is practically colorless, which presents a risk of burns or fire. This is why using household alcohol as fuel is done with great care!
At home, denatured rubbing alcohol does just fine with lots of stubborn dirty residue that traditional cleaning products fail to remove. It is an ideal degreasing agent to use on tiles, stainless steel, white marble and glass, among others. Soak a cloth in it and treat dirty surfaces by rubbing on greasy stains, if present. This is one of the top products if you are wondering how to clean window panes without streaks!
Apart from cleaning impeccably, household alcohol deodorizes and disinfects the kitchen, the bathroom and the WC too! The tiles, the sink and even the toilet bowl will become shiny, odorless and bacteria-free thanks to the 90-95% alcohol used as a homemade disinfectant! Avoid on leather, suede, natural wood, acrylic, vinyl or porous surfaces that are not coated or painted.
The mixture of ethyl alcohol and methanol can also be used as a solvent for shellac, which is a natural resin. Woodworkers apply a mixture of shellac and rubbing alcohol to the wood to protect it from scratches and UV rays, which gives it a beautiful mirror finish as a bonus.
Rubbing alcohol is often used after sanding wood to remove any excess microscopic sawdust that may be caught in its grain. It gives a soft and smooth finish to the surface and primer for varnish application. At home, you can use it as a polish remover if you like to dress up furniture in your spare time.
It also dissolves the wax used to protect wood, which means you can wipe that old wooden dresser down before giving it a fresh coat of paint. Denatured ethanol can thin acrylic paints and some glues, as well as remove stain varnish from wood.
Except for household surfaces, denatured rubbing alcohol works flawlessly to remove stains from upholstery, colored clothing and so on. Wondering how to remove a red wine or ink stain from the carpet? Household alcohol is the solution for you! It works for chocolate, candy, caramel or chewing gum stains too, especially when the textile is colored and other chemicals are not recommended! If the mark is deeply embedded, gently rub a cotton ball soaked in denatured ethanol over the affected area. This will slowly bring the dirt to the surface, where you can later mop it up more easily.
Source used: homequicks.com
