Post
by Nerien » Sat Jul 20, 2013 7:40 pm
"Denatured Alcohol" can actually be any of many many formulations, all specified and controlled by the ATF. The purpose is to make ethanol, which is drinking alcohol, undrinkable. If you buy pure ethanol, which can be consumed, you must pay the government tax on it, unless you have special use permits. If you buy ethanol which has had something added to it which makes it undrinkable (usually poisonous), then it has been "denatured", and you don't have to pay the government tax on it. (I used to work at an alcohol/chemical company.)
Denatured Alcohol starts with ethanol, which should not hurt most plastics and surfaces, it's the same alcohol you find in Purell and things like that. Next most common ingredient in denatured alcohol is methanol, which is extremely poisonous. Next most common is isopropyl alcohol (which is rubbing alcohol), again, probably would not hurt most plastic surfaces.
Beyond these, you might be getting into trouble. If it has Acetone in it, it may very well harm plastics, painted coatings, lots of things (acetone is the main ingredient in nail polish remover). MIBK (methyl isobutyl ketone) can harm plastics, however, it is usually only present in small amounts. Then there are all other kinds of approved denaturants, tho many are more specialized and probably not in the "denatured alcohols" you commonly find in a hardware or local store. Wear gloves when using any of this stuff, it is NOT good for your skin. And don't breathe in too many fumes, whether sold as a chemical or sold in "disinfectant" form, it's not a healthy thing to inhale.
If you buy Rubbing Alcohol, which is IsoPropyl Alcohol (IPA), it will not be denatured, since it is poisonous and non-drinkable to begin with. It will be just IPA, at whatever concentration it says on the label--70% is most common, but you can also find it up at about 90%. Last time we bought some for some cleaning project, I think it was on sale for about 99 cents per pint, which makes it about $8 per gallon. If you find it at a paint or hardware store, or online, by the gallon, it should be fairly economical. And it does not harm most plastics and surfaces.
I could give you the name of the company I used to work for, they might sell you a five gallon bucket of IPA (they sell pints up to tanker truckloads), I don't know if it can be shipped UPS or FedEx, I forget (I was QA/QC/ISO/Safety/Regulatory/Whateverelsetheycameupwith) , or what that costs if they can.
. She also said that despite the research I did on the web...Bleach will not kill Myco-Bacterium TB 
. So I have to re-clean everything AGAIN in a cleaning product which contains alcohol 
. She said Regular Windex would do the trick (not the other kinds), and that I can combine it with water to mop the floor and walls. UGH!!! Just wanted to pass along the information to everyone...hopefully no one will ever need it.
...I pray...
