Rubbing Alcohol 1L

Rubbing or isopropyl alcohol is a common and surprisingly versatile household item. From cleaning your blinds to getting out pesky permanent marker stains, read on for rubbing alcohol’s many uses and some safety tips.

There’s a good reason rubbing alcohol is a part of most people’s first-aid kits. You can use it for the following medical purposes:

• Antiseptic. Rubbing alcohol is a natural bactericidal treatment. This means it kills bacteria but doesn’t necessarily prevent their growth. Rubbing alcohol can also kill fungus and viruses. However, it’s important a person uses a rubbing alcohol concentration of no less than a 50 percent solution. Otherwise, the solution may not effectively kill bacteria.
• Postoperative nausea. An evidence review found the time to relieve postoperative nausea symptoms was 50 percent faster when smelling rubbing alcohol compared to traditional medications used to treat nausea, such as ondansetron (Zofran). Smelling rubbing alcohol can quickly help relieve nausea, usually when you smell a soaked cotton pad or ball.
• Surface disinfectant. You can use alcohol as a disinfectant for items like scissors, thermometers, and other surfaces. However, alcohol isn’t always reliable enough as a hospital-grade disinfectant. It can also damage the protective coating on some items, such as plastic tiles or glasses lenses.