Isopropyl Alcohol for Valeting

Ernie Ball

I need to buy some Isopropyl Alcohol but not in an aerosol can.

I also need some distilled water.

Where can one buy this sort of thing? I've tried supermarkets, B&Q, hardware stores and nobody has it.

Before you say 'What does this have to do with motors?': both these ingredients are useful when doing a full polish on a car.

colm_mcm

would de-ionised water do the trick? Halfords etc, do it

dingding

You can get it in a chemist, they may get fussy and not sell it to you without ID and a good reason. I used to use it on a previous job for cleaning electronic equipment. Some chemists were reluctant to sell it to me even though I would have generally being wearing a suit / shirt and tie etc...

tribulus

Maybe try some wholesalers of chemicals such as agb?? as a matter of interest why do you specifically need isopropyl alcohol as opposed to tert butyl or some other isomer or alcohol??

maidhc

What do these slightly explosive sounding things do???

Darando

Try Sigma-Aldrich, they are on the Airton Road. They are main chemical suppliers to colleges/universities. Not sure if they will sell to public, but check with them.

Also isopropyl alcohol is also known as propan-2-ol or isopropanol.

I just hope that you havent got any mad idea of mixing it with the distilled water and drinking it - its not safe to drink it.

Not much difference in distilled water and deionised water if you using in car polishing. Cant see what difference it would have. (I work in the chemical industry)

Ernie Ball

Darando wrote:

I just hope that you havent got any mad idea of mixing it with the distilled water - it will do you damage!!!

It will?

I was planning to mix them, as described here. Is that not a good idea?

Or do you just mean don't mix them and drink them?:eek:

I know nothing about chemistry, so I don't know why isopropyl as opposed to something else.

unkel

Most local chemists would sell both

Darando

Darando wrote:

Try Sigma-Aldrich, they are on the Airton Road. They are main chemical suppliers to colleges/universities. Not sure if they will sell to public, but check with them.

Also isopropyl alcohol is also known as propan-2-ol or isopropanol.

I just hope that you havent got any mad idea of mixing it with the distilled water - it will do you damage!!!

Not much difference in distilled water and deionised water if you using in car polishing. Cant see what differnce it would have. (I work in the chemical industry)

Sorry Ernie Ball but I meant to say "its dangerous to drink it if mixed!!!", safe as houses to mix them together for general purpose use.
(will edit the post for clarity)

The stuff you buy in the garge as windscreen de-icer is an isopropanol and water mix. Look on the label in the shops, might be a handy way out for you.

Bamboozled

Isopropyl alcohol is used by a lot of people - not to drink but for cleaning. I use it on cartridges for cleaning contacts.

You probably would want to do as mentioned above, and go in in a suit and tie, clean shaven etc as they are not willing to sell to just anyone. If you present yourself well, they may not ask any questions in a pharmacy.

Ernie Ball

Why is it so hard to get? Do they really think that people are going to drink it?

I know in the US, you can buy it off the shelf everywhere.

unkel

Bamboozled wrote:

You probably would want to do as mentioned above, and go in in a suit and tie, clean shaven etc as they are not willing to sell to just anyone. If you present yourself well, they may not ask any questions in a pharmacy.

What's the story about that? Why would they ask questions? I use distilled water in the reservoir of my Zalman Reserator (2.5 liters) and I use isopropyl alcohol for general cleaning purposes (heatsinks, cpus, gpus etc.)

Nobody ever asked me any questions

Bamboozled

Well i was asked after recently moving to a new town that's small so because they didnt know me, they probably asked.

JoeB-

I don't think Isopropyl is restricted in any way, don't think they can refuse to sell it to you, any more than they can refuse to sell you a knife, or anything else...

MikeHunt

I got a big bottle of Isopropyl in Boots a while ago, for cleaning records... the staff all went and huddled in the back room, taking it in turns to occasionally glance over at me judgingly... probably the most fun they'd had in ages! I wouldn't bother going in well-dressed or anything. Just state your use for it and they can't refuse.

unkel

MikeHunt wrote:

I got a big bottle of Isopropyl in Boots a while ago, for cleaning records... the staff all went and huddled in the back room, taking it in turns to occasionally glance over at me judgingly

Why? Do some people drink the stuff or something?

Interceptor

unkel wrote:

Why? Do some people drink the stuff or something?

All pharmacies have been instructed to tighten up on over-the-counter sales of 'chemicals'. Acetone is one of the ingredients used to make crack cocaine and anything with 'methylated', 'ethyl' or 'alcohol' in it is likely to end up in a students punch-bowl so they are very picky about who they sell to. I usually ask for the manager and give my business card when buying IPA and don't have any problems. Hic!

'cptr

unkel

Interceptor wrote:

Acetone is one of the ingredients used to make crack cocaine

Ah! Didn't know that

Interceptor wrote:

Hic!

LOL

Lex Luthor

You can get IPA in all foms of packaging at Radionics in Dublin (Aerosol/Pump/Pre sat wipes)

http://www.radionics.ie/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/home.do?cacheID=ieie&returningUser=N

Ernie Ball

Just popped over to Radionics, which is not far from me, and got what I needed.

Cheers for the tip.

By the way, I imagine the reason sale of this stuff is restricted is that the fumes can be inhaled.

Lex Luthor

Ernie Ball wrote:

Just popped over to Radionics, which is not far from me, and got what I needed.

Cheers for the tip.

By the way, I imagine the reason sale of this stuff is restricted is that the fumes can be inhaled.

I don't think the sale of it is restricted...its just not your everyday item so tends to be specialised.
Did you get asked in RS what you wanted it for?

I've bought numerous tins from them before as I need it for work and have never been questioned.

Ernie Ball

Lex Luthor wrote:

I don't think the sale of it is restricted...its just not your everyday item so tends to be specialised.
Did you get asked in RS what you wanted it for?

No. They didn't care. But, then again, I wasn't wearing my tracksuit.;)