I use Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol for cleaning rails and contacts, but a friend says that is dangerous for our health. Somebody knows anything about this?
Never heard of this. But I think if it was dangerous to our health, it would not be used by hospitals, doctor offices, county health clinics, and many other healthcare organizations to sterilze injection sites when inserting needles into patients. Besides, it has been used for decades as an antiseptic. I think any possible health problems would have shown up by now.
The only danger I know of is that you should never ingest it (who would want to). The other danger would be that it is flammable. So don’t smoke or have any other open flame around it[swg] I’m no health expert, but that is all I know about it.
Will
I pulled the MSDS for it. This is the hazards section:
In my mind, this is pretty safe stuff.
No. It isn’t.
Looks like the worry and fear mongers strikes again…
There is no inherent dangers from our limited use…
The last time you went to the doctor and got a shot, they most likely rubbed the spot on your arm with this stuff to clean and disinfect it.
Hopefully, that shot was in your arm.
How dangerous could it be, after all they let those know nothing medical doctors play with it all day long who have no regard for health and safety.[:D] Ask your friend where he got his chemistry degree.
It’s very safe to clean tracks with but make sure that the track is de-energized. You don’t want sparks around a track wet with alcohol. It dries very quickly so the track doesn’t have to be off for very long.
Unlike the other posters, I am going to say that Isoprpoyl Alcohol is dangerous - IF you drink it, swim in it or deliberately breathe its concentrated vapors.
It is probably less dangerous than broccoli - you have to eat 10 kilograms of broccoli to get enough selenium from it to poison you.
It is probably about as dangerous as lead.
It is certainly more dangerous than distilled water - which is only a drowning hazard.
If you care to check, EVERYTHING is dangerous to some extent - even bed rest, which can lead to muscular atrophy.
Being born has proven 100% fatal - it just takes some people longer to die. (My parents made it past 90. I’m shooting for 100, minimum.) If you worry about every possible danger, you’ll probably worry yourself to death at an early age. Laid back, relaxed people tend to live longer.
Chuck (aka The Ole Sarge, modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Your friend doesn’t know what he’s talking about. As long as you’re not pouring it into gaping wounds, drinking it or concentrating and inhaling the vapor you’re OK. Just keep it away from open flames in a controlled environment and use in a ventilated area. I been using it for many years. If something was to show up it would have by now.
Well I don’t know about it health wise but it is lousy compared to what I’ve always used to get my tracks as clean as a whistle. Yes sir for cleaning tracks you can’t beat Carbona! Anyone know where to buy that stuff now? It seems some of them liberals in the Food & Drug administration have decided I can no longer clean my rails nor can I spray the DDT to kill off the skeeters (and everything else). Dang them liberals… maybe I’ll try alcohol but it won’t work like my old standby with its carbon tetrachloride. Roy
Just don’t drink it, wrong kind of alcohol there. I use it for various things occasionally. I actually did have a bottle thrown at me once (long story) and swallowed quite a bit. Thankfully I had no serious reaction to it, but lets avoid this anyway shall we? Watch for the vapors also.
As if using isopropyl alcohol isn’t bad enough, I hear there’s another real danger to dread from working on our layouts, especially while adding scenery. Yes, whatever you do, do NOT use any di-hydrogen monoxide as a solvent for latex paint, white glue, etc . . . ! [xx(][xx(][xx(][xx(][xx(][xx(][xx(][;)]
Tom
“No one lives forever, no one. But with advances in modern science and my high level income, it’s not crazy to think I can live to be 245, maybe 300.”
–Ricky Bobby
DHMO is well-established as a lethal substance to be avoided at all costs.
HMMM—The last time I checked the label still said —for external use only–but then again----
Looks like the worry and fear mongers strikes again…
Never ceases to amaze me about the products on the market today that could harm anybody!
Those of us in our 60’s+ can well remember the products they don’t even produce today that we ingested by eating, swallowing, breathing or getting on our skin that are now carcinogens, pollutants, and poison. We were all exposed especially as youngsters growing up, creosote comes to mind, even mixed it in the soil to kill cut worms in vegetable gardens, lead paint and leaded gasoline, carbon tetrachloride and we played with liquid mercury by spilling from one hand to the other in school science class, then go to the cafeteria and eat lunch, how many kids washed hands back then, when you’re on your own.
How did we ever make it this far ?
My parents used to talk about the downtrodden drunks drinking “squeeze” during prohibition and the depression, especially the hobo’s camping under the railroad bridges. Squeeze is anything containing alcohol usually squeezed through a slice of bread such as wax shoe polish, sterno, car waxes, and the like. Back then the worst would be if you drank it you would go blind! But that was known as grain alcohol. I would think isopropyl might be chemically different somehow or just another name for alcohol.
I can still imagine some youngsters these days trying to drink the stuff. The only real hazard to my knowledge would be a big enough vapor cloud, might give you a bang!
A lot of kids didn’t.
Aparently, if you live in California, it will cause cancer…but only if you live in California.
David B