Achy Bones? High Fever? Flu Got You? Terminate Those Germs With Rite Aids Isopropyl Alcohol!
Written: Dec 29 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive, easy to use, tons of uses, works just as well as other brands.
Cons: Can dry out skin, must be kept away from children and pets.
The Bottom Line: A clean freak and germaphobe's best friend!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Rite Aid Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol 70% |
Coming from the "old school" of pain relief, I was spared the sponge baths of rubbing alcohol as a child. No, we didn’t get pampered or waited on, there was no little bell to ring when we wanted something - we were told - in no uncertain terms - to stay away from anyone that wasn't sick, don't cough on anyone and whatever you do, “throw those snot rags in the garbage”. My mother, stern but caring, knew that one cold could easily spread through the entire household in less than a day and while that might mean a kitchen free of children, it also meant making pots of soup, running to and fro like a chicken without a head and having to deal with a house full of whiney people. Somehow we managed to escape this event – getting rubbed down with “the smelly stuff” – but my boys [evil grin] aren’t as lucky. I don’t run around wiping them down from head to toe and they rarely get “that” sick, but when they do, it’s a real event. Fever, vomiting, diarrhea, crankiness and coughing … the nasty side of any flu or cold. While this isn’t something that’s used often for reducing a fever, it gets used often in the kitchen bathroom and on every phone in the house.
Rite Aid Isopropyl Alcohol 70%
As I mentioned in my review of the Rite Aid Hydrogen Peroxide, there are some things that I consider “common items” – things that you aren’t that brand specific about. When I look in my bathroom, there are only a handful of items that fall into this category – peroxide, rubbing alcohol / isopropyl alcohol, Q-Tips, cotton balls and cleanser. Unless someone invents a Q-Tip that automatically cleans my ears or a cleanser that magically cleans the tub – I’m not forking out the big bucks on some fancy label and advertising. Call me cheap, call me frugal .. call me whatever you want but I simply can’t justify paying almost twice as much for a sixteen ounce bottle of isopropyl alcohol when the Rite Aid brand is the same thing, works the same way and gets the job done for less.
First off, lets tackle the many names that this product is known as – IPA [the acronym of the full product], isopropanol, rubbing alcohol and plain old alcohol. Regardless of what you call it, it is a great way to kill off germs around the house, prevent the spread of contact viruses [touching items that those infected with a virus have touched] and general sanitization. This will not work as well as bleach to kill of things like Staphylococcus [aureus or pyogenes], Escherichia coli [E-Coli] or Salmonella and on most cases it’s actually recommended that you use a specific product to stave off these infections or organism. So why is this a necessity for every household? Because it can be used for a variety of things, is inexpensive and allows you to keep germs, infections, diseases and other assorted nasties that make their way into your home.
So what exactly does it do? It kills germs that can live on surfaces, prevents cross contamination on surfaces and can be used as both a muscle rub and for muscle relief from exertion, flu or illness. Some people say that they are overwhelmed by the smell of it, to me it isn’t anything that’s offensive or too strong but that’s just me, you might feel differently about it. You can apply this a number of ways – paper towel, cotton ball, gauze pad or even with a wash cloth. If you have sensitive hands you may want to wear protective gloves to prevent drying of your skin but I rarely do this unless I am cleaning up after an accident or rubbing down one of the boys with it. This tends to evaporate quickly so working with isn’t something that you will want to take a lot of time with. Remember that this is flammable so don’t smoke, use a blowtorch or light the fireplace when using it.
Uses!!!
If you thought I was in love with hydrogen peroxide, it’s no where near and dear to my heard as isopropyl alcohol! First off, this is the perfect cleaner for old video game cartridges [Nintendo] to remove dust, dirt and grime from the deck [make sure you unplug it first] and the actual cartridges. If you’ve never cleaned your deck make sure you read up on how to do it without ruining it and don’t come crying to me if you destroy it because you poured a bottle into it, shook it around then plugged it in and fried it. I’ve also used this to clean out my older VCR’s when the head cleaners were no effective. Again, this isn’t something that I recommend for everyone – but I’ve owned enough VCR’s and paid enough money having them cleaned to know the tricks that “the pros” use.
This is a must for the telephone. Wipe down the receiver and ear piece to prevent germs from being spread from person to person. I was extremely disgusted when I unscrewed the receiver from my “old school” phone to see layers of dirt, dried up pieces of food and mystery items stuck to the inside of the case. If you work in an office and have those annoying people that feel the need to take calls at your desk, you better have a bottle of this on hand because you never know where their mouth has been.
Tings To Know
• This product is considered flammable. While it is not listed on the bottle, common 70% isopropyl alcohol has a flashpoint between 53 and 60 degrees F. Don’t know what a flashpoint is? It is the lowest temperature at which something can become ignited – in this case it wouldn’t be the alcohol unless exposed to a direct fire or source of flame but rather the vapors that come off of it while it is evaporating.
• Given that this product is flammable, it’s wise to store it in a cool dry place away from anything that emits heat or has the potential to spark. The lid is a standard screw off lid so you will need to treat this the same way you treat cleaning products if you have small children in your household. In case of ingestion, contact emergency services or your local poison control center for further assistance and information. In most cases ingestion will be treated with large amounts of water or an agent that will induce vomiting. For eye or skin exposure, rinse with water and seek medical attention if irritation continues.
• Never reuse the container for any product – even refilling it with isopropyl alcohol. Rinse the container, replace the cap and dispose of properly. If I need to tell you to not let children play with the empty container then chances are you shouldn’t have kids.
The Bottom Line
This is a product that should be in every household – but there’s no need to pay big bucks for isopropyl alcohol when the Rite Aid brand works just as well as the more expensive brands. From removing ink from rubber stamps to wiping down the toilet seat and phone receiver, this product sees a lot of use in my house. Be sure to read the warnings on the bottle [most of which I’ve covered in this review] and know what you are dealing with to get the most out of it and to use it safely. If you have a cool use for isopropyl alcohol and want to share it with others … leave a message in the comment section … or better yet, pen your own review of Rite Aid Isopropyl Alcohol 70%!
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2003 Freak369
Other medicine cabinet essentials …
• N'Ice Cherry Lozenges • Aleve Pain Reliever •
• Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream With Oatmeal • Sta-Tite Gauze •
• Rite Aid Hydrogen Peroxide Solution •
• Aleve Pain Reliever • Tylenol Sore Throat •
Recommended:
Yes
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