Thread: Sterilization with 200 proof ethyl-alcohol?

Originally Posted by Utopian

70% ethanol has been shown empirically (trial and error) to be the most effective concentration for disinfection. Presumably it's because more concentrated ethanol evaporates too rapidly to be as effective. BTW, it is the evaporation of the ethanol that is responsible for most of the disinfection. As already stated above, the soaking in ethanol has little effect.

For those of you considering alcohol for disinfection, 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol is equally effective, readily available, and cheaper.

Thanks, Utopian! I've still gotta send you that razor!

Originally Posted by gronk

Alcohol kills by denaturing the cell walls when it evaporates. So, I don't know if the time left soaking is important, so long as all surfaces are wet, so much as letting it dry off before wiping it down, or otherwise removing the alcohol.
Alternatively, you could strike a match near it when it's drying, and it should be very sterile
Good luck,
G

Cool, gronk, thanks! And welcome to SRP!

According to wikipedia, in the US,

Originally Posted by wikipedia

Alcoholic proof is twice the percentage of alcohol by volume when measured at a temperature of 60°F (15.5°C). Consequently, 100-proof whiskey contains 50% alcohol by volume; 86-proof whiskey contains 43% alcohol.

Meaning that 200 proof is 100% alcohol, fyi.

That is true, but you can not actually make 100% ethanol (even if that is what is says ont he bottle). The best you can do is 95% without a very good lab and you won't buy the 100% in your local drug store. I use bleach on the blades before I start sanding. But, beware it is very bad for blades and will stain a nice razor, so I do not recommend it on nice clean looking razor. I also rinse it thoroughly and then go over it with alcohol (70%). Peroxide and bleach are the natural defense in the human body and each are made by your immune cells so they are generally effective. The bleach is the best viricide, but not as effective for bacteria. The alcohol is better for bacteria but not as good for viral pathogens.
The good news is that HIV, Hepatitis and most blood born pathogens do not live in open air very well unless they are spore forming( ie certain bacteria, fungi). The best news is that if you eat brains or mad cows then the prions in the meat can not be killed or destroyed by anything including heat, bleach, alcohol, or anything else you can imagine. So don't worry. Your alcohol will do just great!

i just wipe the blades with a Q-TIP that I dipped in rubbing alcohol and let it air dry while i take a shower. Sometimes the blade is still wet from the alcohol i rubbed on it so i just wipe it clean with more q-tip and then I shave with it. It makes me feel like it's clean enough to me.
What do ya'll think about that?

Originally Posted by treydampier

That is true, but you can not actually make 100% ethanol (even if that is what is says ont he bottle). The best you can do is 95% without a very good lab and you won't buy the 100% in your local drug store. I use bleach on the blades before I start sanding. But, beware it is very bad for blades and will stain a nice razor, so I do not recommend it on nice clean looking razor. I also rinse it thoroughly and then go over it with alcohol (70%). Peroxide and bleach are the natural defense in the human body and each are made by your immune cells so they are generally effective. The bleach is the best viricide, but not as effective for bacteria. The alcohol is better for bacteria but not as good for viral pathogens.
The good news is that HIV, Hepatitis and most blood born pathogens do not live in open air very well unless they are spore forming( ie certain bacteria, fungi). The best news is that if you eat brains or mad cows then the prions in the meat can not be killed or destroyed by anything including heat, bleach, alcohol, or anything else you can imagine. So don't worry. Your alcohol will do just great!

Not true. 100% ethanol can and is made commercially. The 95% limit only applies to purification by normal distillation. 100% ethanol can be produced by either extractive distillation or by normal distillation followed by molecular sieve dehydration, both are practiced on a commercial (not just laboratory) scale. 100% ethanol, also known as absolute ethanol) is, however, tightly controlled and difficult to get. You certainly will not find it in your local drug store. Ethanol is a low level disinfectent. I will kill all viruses, but only a small number of bacteria. Isoproynol, will only kill some viruses and a small number of bacteria. Both will kill HIV, Hep-A, Hep-B and Hep-C viruses.