So what is the Deal with Isopropanol?

Have you ever used printer ink, air fresheners, pledge, nail polish, or hair color ¹? Well if you have, chances are you have been in contact with the chemical isopropanol ! This chemical is a component in many household products and is a starting material to make many more ¹. Lucky for you, this chemical has been determined not to be very toxic and is generally safe for daily use ².

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However, this does not mean that you can use this chemical without any danger being present. Do not let anything with isopropanol near an open flame or high temperatures. If this chemical is exposed to heat, it will explode ³! This means that you should take some caution when cleaning your bathrooms and painting your nails to make sure that your chemicals are not near heat.

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Isopropanol is a part of many products, as it is easy to make and has some useful properties ². The main reason that isopropanol is found in so many products is because of its disinfectant properties ². There has been some controversies over the use of isopropanol in hand disinfectants, especially in hospitals. Some people have said that through using hand sanitizers we have caused some resistance to certain bacteria ⁴. An alternative to using these hand sanitizers is good old fashion soap and water ⁴. Another possible concern is with the use of chemicals in general within the home. If this is a concern, there are other alternatives to keeping a nice clean home. One method would be to use natural cleaners, such as vinegar and water or hydrogen peroxide and water ⁵.

References:

1-Isopropanol, 2014. Household Products Database. http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=chem&id=22&query=Isopropanol&searchas=TblChemicals (accessed October 27, 2014)2- Isopropyl Alcohol. http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Isopropyl_alcohol.html (accessed October 28, 2014)3-R.J. Lewis, SR. Isopropyl Alcohol. In Hazardous Chemicals Desk Reference; C. Hsu; T. Stedeford, Eds.; John Wiley and Sons, Inc: USA, 2002; pp 674-675.4-Hand Sanitizers. http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Hand+Sanitizers. (accessed October 28, 2014)
5-Alternative to Isopropyl Alcohol. http://www.ehow.com/facts_7511838_alternative-isopropyl-alcohol.html (accessed October 28, 2014)
6-Source: Milne, N. Dark Flame Nails. http://www.flickr.com/photos/borispumps/6117970330/in/photolist-ddJnrp-6MbVi1-bxhWNi-6UtcZB-aZ9moi-6Uk4cf-bN4EPT-dF7sen-bNLUJP-bAujFe-6EnMoW-cb8WVS-oaJEBL-otZnoc-ajCcr5-oaJERo-otZbGH-oseDwa-oqcHPf-otZbJB-c8PUsW-7yaesp-bvno6Z-aniQ9V-enbbcr-7kVmni-7NKNTv-732cnv-a3Ekvd-pBAnmk-7NKNai-7dVu2q-bFXRf4-9jBkvp-8zBoFn-9VrKYy-7fddV4-7bNetM-8LothF-8WisUt-7dVDG7-732cAn-9cskmM-akLkLk-6Uk4uy-pBAkQK-oaGNyR-iKSghe-oq9YgC-bAUof4/ (accessed December 7, 2012). Used  with permission.
7- Source: Judy.Clean it up. http://www.flickr.com/photos/47490514@N02/7561101232/in/photolist-cw9BYm-9iwofp-6U1XJM-aBXGxL-6c17hM-oLTA95-foxewo-mXcmt-5g9J5-gTp4Lm-anuSbE-9yA9Eo-kjA3oJ-7wzQ8g-njm94t-fbBApa-fbRRNq-fbBA8B-cYTh8Q-bQvynV-pxZa-kjA1Pm-ftFZgQ-fbBA3c-ga4iw8-fzSp42-rZPW2-5wx2r1-jxVeDd-cnMUEE-cnMVMd-px356M-5Y7Ytx-anuS3C-foxeCS-nNKFRG-dxM8C8-fov9XU-JW3h5-5GT3Bx-6kcA7G-ans3hv-ans3eR-anuSjG-anuS7W-ans36t-kjy4m8-nAxRhz-nAQW85-kjxzu. (accessed December 7, 2014). Used with permission.