Denatured alcohol

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KenB259

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In the news lately, there is a lot of hand sanitizer being recalled, and people are being urged to not use any brand that contains methanol. Well I looked on my denatured alcohol can and it too has methanol. I've never worried to much about getting it in my skin, but I guess I need to change my ways and always wear gloves. I don't know how many of you wear gloves with it, but it would be a good habit to start. I looked it up online and methanol can cause quite a few serious problems.


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MPVic

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In the news lately, there is a lot of hand sanitizer being recalled, and people are being urged to not use any brand that contains methanol. Well I looked on my denatured alcohol can and it too has methanol. I've never worried to much about getting it in my skin, but I guess I need to change my ways and always wear gloves. I don't know how many of you wear gloves with it, but it would be a good habit to start. I looked it up online and methanol can cause quite a few serious problems.


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Thanks Ken, I had no idea!!
 

jttheclockman

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In the news lately, there is a lot of hand sanitizer being recalled, and people are being urged to not use any brand that contains methanol. Well I looked on my denatured alcohol can and it too has methanol. I've never worried to much about getting it in my skin, but I guess I need to change my ways and always wear gloves. I don't know how many of you wear gloves with it, but it would be a good habit to start. I looked it up online and methanol can cause quite a few serious problems.


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There is different types, grades of denatured alcohol. Gloves should be worn with all kinds of chemicals
 
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J_B

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Tom is right use good ventilation. I used to use this when I sharpened hairstylist shears and used gloves but stupidly didnt protect my lungs as I doing the sharpening in the shops. The fumes eventually got to me and had to stop using it.
 

DrD

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This is all good to know. Denatured alcohol comes in many stripes and flavors, some with and some without wood alcohol, I.e., methanol. Denatured alcohols, as well as most other solvents - particularly the ones that you can smell - are all considered VOCs by a host of Federal Regulatory agencies and are considered as likely harmful, unless you are in California where you will find them, I suspect, on the Prop 65 list, indicating they may be carcinogenic and/or mutagenic - yea California. Generally speaking, and you should see this as a warning on the container, VOCs should be used in well ventilated spaces, should not come into direct contact with the skin, fumes should not be inhaled, and you shouldn't drink it or get it in your eyes. All that said there probably is not the need to go full hazmat, just be careful out there folks.
 

Bob in SF

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Agree - methanol-containing products should be avoided.
Methanol is converted by 2 liver enzymes to yield 2 metabolites: formate and formaldehyde.
Formate (formic acid) is a particularly bad actor that has a variable half-life in the bloodstream (2.5-12 hours), and can directly attack brain, kidneys, eyes, etc.
Stay safe, avoid skin/lung/eye/gut contact with bad chemicals, and breathe plenty of fresh air.
Happy Sunday to all - Bob
 

jttheclockman

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Maybe I should just switch to moonshine [emoji12]


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You are not far off from there. Just like most products it is mandatory to have these warnings on labels and rightly so. But as with most things on occasion we skip steps but I think you will survive. It is what we do with this new found info and do you continue down the same path?? So many shop hazards as well as everyday life hazards. No wonder how I got this far. :)
 

DrD

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Maybe I should just switch to moonshine [emoji12]


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Love it, but you know trust your - or as my Grandpappy would say, yourn - distiller or you could still be at risk. In the early 50's the Revenuers shut down a submarine still up here in DeSoto County that had killed several and blinded more as a result of high amounts of methanol in the shine.. And then there's lead from soldered joints in the condenser unit, and then there's those who kick off the fermentation using roadkill. etc. I'll stick with good liquor which has a strip stamp or two over the cap.
 

howsitwork

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Dr D " using roadkill !!!!!". what on earth do you lot drink over there ???

Now seriously worried about your diets
 

DrD

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Dr D " using roadkill !!!!!". what on earth do you lot drink over there ???

Now seriously worried about your diets
Appreciate the concern, perhaps it's needed. Referring back to my statement, the underlying suggestion is one of economic necessity. There were (perhaps "are") some entrepreneurs who prefer profit to sanity and sanitation. If a batch of mash doesn't kick of (start fermenting) soon enough, money is lost. So, in their - not my - mind, throw in something that has some bacteria and hopefully some yeast to speed things along as it were. Hence my admonition to know your distiller. Parenthetically, I'm not too sure nor keen about black pudding, but I will have dram or 2 of Macallan 18 year old Single Malt.

Cheers
 

monophoto

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For more on this subject, see https://medium.com/the-nib/the-secret-moonshiners-of-saudi-arabia-204d1671ebbc

The 'sidiqqi' made in these compounds was naturally colorless, and was termed 'White'. Some people preferred a different tipple, called 'Brown' because of its amber color. 'Brown' was made by soaking oak chips in 'White'. There were companies (mainly in the UK) whose business was to ship junk (trinkets, toys, etc) to expatriates living in Saudi Arabia or one of the other Middle Eastern countries where alcoholic beverages were forbidden in boxes that were stuffed with oak chips - much as packages are stuffed today with plastic peanuts. The recipients threw away the junk and saved the oak chips to make 'Brown'.

My recollection is that both 'White' and 'Brown' had a distinctly medicinal taste - initially. But after a few sips, they tasted much better!
 

egnald

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Any way you slice it, the dash-burn revenuers are to blame. Pre 1920 it was just good old Ethanol (probably cut with 5-10% water) but since the government didn't want us to drink alcohol they passed a law to force Methanol to be added to it which turns perfectly consumable grain alcohol it into a poison. Then in 1933, after prohibition, it was OK to drink alcohol again, but the government decided they needed to leave the Methanol in there because they didn't want us to drink anything that didn't carry their heavy tax burden. Now they are telling us the stuff is too dangerous for us to even get on our hands have because of the nasty Methanol they forced into it, so the government has started passing laws, at least in some states, to keep us from even buying it. It's kind of ironic, take a good thing, make it bad for you, then take it away from you because it is bad for you.

So far anyway, Nebraska is one of the 36 states where you can still buy both, 95% Ethanol poisoned with Methanol, Denatured in the home improvement store for about $5/quart and 95% Ethanol drinkable, Everclear in the grocery store for $20/quart.

Ok - my senseless rant is finally over - Dave.
 

sbwertz

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It is my understanding that "denatured" alcohol is alcohol that has had methanol or other substances added to it so people can't drink it. It generally doesn't have enough methanol to cause a problem if absorbed through the skin, but it will make you sick if you drink it.
 

KenB259

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It is my understanding that "denatured" alcohol is alcohol that has had methanol or other substances added to it so people can't drink it. It generally doesn't have enough methanol to cause a problem if absorbed through the skin, but it will make you sick if you drink it.

I was thinking that too, but when you consider that they are concerned about the amount in hand sanitizer, then I don't know what to think.


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sbwertz

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Well, the hand sanitizer they are worried about is almost pure methanol with just a bit of scent added.
 

jttheclockman

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I have been using DNA for so many years and no gloves and have no ill effects from it as far as I know. Have used much harsher chemicals than that but it is always a good idea to wear gloves if you can find them these days.
 
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