Rubbing Alcohol

[CBQ Fan]

I have found rubbing alcohol completely unavailable in my area lately. Hand sanitizer is readily available.  Any concerns with using hand sanitizer to clean track and or wheels?  I can find rubbing alcohol on Amazon in huge amounts and ridiculous prices.

[Chris333]

Denatured alcohol at the hardware store.

[peteski]

Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol might also be available in the hardware stores in 99% strength, in gallon size containers. That is how I buy mine.  But like Chris said, Denatured alcohol (ethanol-methanol mix) is a good alternative.

[Maletrain]

I would not use hand sanitizer to clean track or wheels.  It contains a lot of stuff to keep your hands from drying out and your skin from cracking.  That would surely leave some residues on your track and wheels.

Mineral spirits will work if you can't find any sort of alcohol.  Some people insist that it leaves residue, but I have not found that to be true. 

[ednadolski]

I havent' been able to find 91% alcohol lately except online, and I ended up just ordering four quarts of the 99% for a crazy price.   So I'm going to have to make it last for a while, until sane pricing (hopefully some day) comes back 

Ed

[Tom L]

I’ve had the same issue (I use it to strip paint) and got this via Amazon.  It works a little faster and not as strong a smell as the 91% drug store stuff.  A little pricey but not too bad.

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Tom L
Wellington CO

[EJN]

Everclear or Spirytus Rektyfikowany. 95% grain alcohol. Available at many liquor stores.
I've been buying it, at Binny's Beverage Depot, since the great isopropyl alcohol shortage.

[nkalanaga]

I wouldn't recommend denatured alcohol, or anything with methanol, for two reasons:

It's very toxic, and

It is known to damage some paints.

[peteski]

I’ve had the same issue (I use it to strip paint) and got this via Amazon.  It works a little faster and not as strong a smell as the 91% drug store stuff.  A little pricey but not too bad.


Tom L
Wellington CO

Tom, the item you show is a bottle of 99% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol), which is pretty much as strong as it comes.  How can it be "not as strong as the 91% drug store stuff"?  That makes no sense.  I use the 99% IPA (I buy in a gallon tins in hardware store) and it works great.

[peteski]

I wouldn't recommend denatured alcohol, or anything with methanol, for two reasons:

It's very toxic, and

It is known to damage some paints.

Well, IPA also damages paints (we use to strip the paint from Kato shells).  It is toxic if you drink it (that is why it is called denatured), so it is not consumable, but it is fine for its intended purposes.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol  Friend has been using it for years it for track cleaning.

[Steveruger45]

Tom, the item you show is a bottle of 99% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol), which is pretty much as strong as it comes.  How can it be "not as strong as the 91% drug store stuff"?  That makes no sense.  I use the 99% IPA (I buy in a gallon tins in hardware store) and it works great.

“Not as strong a smell” Pete.  Tom was referring to the strength of its odor.

[CBQ Fan]

Perfect, thanks for the confirmation, suggestions and potential sources. Looks like the local Home Depot is out, but Lowe’s may have some.  The stuff at Lowe’s was about half the price of what was shown at Amazon, which I had also seen in my searches their. I have a couple of more regional hardware store chains that always seem to have a good stock of the more unusual items.

[peteski]

“Not as strong a smell” Pete.  Tom was referring to the strength of its odor.

OOPS!  Human mind works (or doesn't work) in mysterious ways. 

[Maletrain]

I havent' been able to find 91% alcohol lately except online, and I ended up just ordering four quarts of the 99% for a crazy price.   So I'm going to have to make it last for a while, until sane pricing (hopefully some day) comes back 

I’ve had the same issue (I use it to strip paint) and got this via Amazon.  It works a little faster and not as strong a smell as the 91% drug store stuff.  A little pricey but not too bad.

Tom, the item you show is a bottle of 99% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol), which is pretty much as strong as it comes.  How can it be "not as strong as the 91% drug store stuff"?  That makes no sense.  I use the 99% IPA (I buy in a gallon tins in hardware store) and it works great.

“Not as strong a smell” Pete.  Tom was referring to the strength of its odor.

Well, I still don't understand how 99% IPA can smell "not as strong" as 91% IPA, when the missing % ingredient is supposed to be water.  Does the "drug store stuff" 91% IPA have something else in it?  Both my 70% and 91%B bottles say "Inactive ingredient: purifired water."  Is there some sort of contaminant in the IPA, itself?

[Chris333]

If you leave 99% alcohol out it will absorb water from the air till it becomes 91% so I'm guessing that is why it's a popular solution. Maybe they put something in the 99% stuff so it isn't as strong smelling?