Where to find isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) in Dublin?

wiggle16

Hi, hoping someone here can help me

Does anyone know where I could find isopropyl alcohol in Dublin? I've tried hardware shops, Woodies, etc with no luck. It's to kill a mealybug infestation on cacti - I don't want to use a pesticide as they are indoor plants.

Anyone know where i might be likely to find some in Dublin?

Alun

I just got some at my local pharmacy.

wiggle16

I've tried two but neither had it... in one of them the girl didn't even know what it was and said the pub up the road might have it :pac:

Do you mind my asking where is your local pharmacy? As in, if it's a chain I might get it in another branch.

Thanks

You can 100% buy it in radionics

Alun

wiggle16 wrote: »

I've tried two but neither had it... in one of them the girl didn't even know what it was and said the pub up the road might have it :pac:

Do you mind my asking where is your local pharmacy? As in, if it's a chain I might get it in another branch.

Thanks

It's a local one here in Bray, Cunningham's https://www.cunninghamspharmacybray.com/

Not part of a chain as far as I can tell. I got a 500ml bottle no problems at all, the name of the supplier on the bottle is Foran Healthcare in Dublin 10.

iamwhoiam

Its called surgical spirits in Ireland and available in most pharmacys

wiggle16

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Its called surgical spirits in Ireland and available in most pharmacys

Amazing! Thanks a million!

Alun

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Its called surgical spirits in Ireland and available in most pharmacys

Are you sure? I seem to remember that in the UK at least, Surgical Spirit BP was actually methylated spirits.

iamwhoiam

Alun wrote: »

Are you sure? I seem to remember that in the UK at least, Surgical Spirit BP was actually methylated spirits.

Rubbing alcohol refers to either isopropyl alcohol (propan-2-ol) or ethanol based liquids, or the comparable British Pharmacopoeia defined surgical spirit, with isopropyl alcohol products being the most widely available. Rubbing alcohol is undrinkable even if it is ethanol based, due to the bitterants added.


https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-rubbing-alcohol-Isopropanol-in-the-UK

Polar wizard adventure

It's not surgical spirits. I got some Isopropyl alcohol in a hardware shop on Capel Street.

iamwhoiam

Polar wizard adventure wrote: »

It's not surgical spirits. I got some Isopropyl alcohol in a hardware shop on Capel Street.

It is the same thing

RobTheLad

I've got it in Boots before at the pharmacy counter

banie01

I've bought 5ltrs recently at my local pharmacy.

Fighting Tao

I bought some in Hickeys Grafton St a few weeks ago. I just asked for isopropyl. Boots Grafton st don’t stock it.

Steve

RS 567890

https://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/precision-cleaners-degreasers/0567890/

ayatollah

Lennox lab supplies are very good and reasonable too

wiggle16

Thanks everyone!

cormie

Hey folks, is it best to buy the 99.9% lab grade stuff?

I just need it for cleaning some metal surfaces for now, I see 70% lotion stuff and then there's 99 and 99.9% "lab grade" stuff, which I'm guessing would have more applications and could be used where the 70% stuff can't in some cases, so given I only need a small bit for now, best to buy something that I'm most likely to be able to use again for something else.

Alun, any idea what type you got in that place in Bray?

There's plenty on Amazon, but none ship to Ireland. I could use parcel motel/wizard/address pal, but if I can get it for a similar price here, I'll do that. Have seen 1L for about €13 on Amazon, but about €20 in shops here

JustAThought

Are you sure it wont damage your cactai?

Steve

cormie wrote: »

Hey folks, is it best to buy the 99.9% lab grade stuff?

I just need it for cleaning some metal surfaces for now

It depends why you are cleaning them.

If it's for grime removal / degreasing, white spirit would work better, if it's prep for spraying or adhesive, the purest you can get is better as the diluted ones will leave a residue. Again white spirit is better, it just takes longer to evaporate.

cormie

Thanks Steve, yeah, it's for removing dirt/grease in preparation for adhesion, so my plan was to get a degreaser, spray that on and leave for a few minutes and clean away, then get a cloth and give a quick wipe over of the alcohol to prep it better for adhesion, so I think I'll stick with looking for the pure stuff

Steve

cormie wrote: »

Thanks Steve, yeah, it's for removing dirt/grease in preparation for adhesion, so my plan was to get a degreaser, spray that on and leave for a few minutes and clean away, then get a cloth and give a quick wipe over of the alcohol to prep it better for adhesion, so I think I'll stick with looking for the pure stuff

Try this or similar, make sure it's low residue.

Do the heavy lifting with the degreaser first and use IPA just before the adhesive.

https://ie.farnell.com/mg-chemicals/824-500ml/ipa-electronic-cleaner-bottle/dp/2811963?st=isopropanol

(free delivery, use them all the time)

cormie

Cool, thanks a lot. Is that the same stuff from pharmacies, used for disinfecting a scrape on the skin or something like that too? Just to know if I can use it for that too

Steve

Some disinfectants "rubbing alcohol" are as low as 70% IPA, stay away from these.

You need >99% for surface prep.

Some examples:
70%
https://bomar.ie/product/rubbing-alcohol-70-isopropyl-alcohol-ipa/

Claims 99.9% but no datasheet.
https://www.lenehans.ie/wilsons-isopropanol-rubbing-alcohol-250ml.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwmNzoBRBOEiwAr2V27UC3IUh2gxaCyVPbmWHLiHO1pLRtr9zp9xtorOWglH6tUnu8YfYnOhoCBkEQAvD_BwE

99.7% with backup datasheet
https://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/precision-cleaners-degreasers/0567890/?sra=pmpn

cormie

Yeah, I've heard the disinfectants referred to as rubbing alcohol and read they aren't suitable for cleaning, but is the 99.7% stuff suitable for what rubbing alcohol is for, as in, cleaning scrapes and that on the skin I wonder?

Roen

cormie wrote: »

Yeah, I've heard the disinfectants referred to as rubbing alcohol and read they aren't suitable for cleaning, but is the 99.7% stuff suitable for what rubbing alcohol is for, as in, cleaning scrapes and that on the skin I wonder?

In terms of disinfectant properties you're better off with a lower % IPA.
70% is far more desirable. Need water to get into the cell walls of the bad guys.
Thirty years on and that first stint in college has paid off.

cormie

Haha, interesting, thanks!

alaimacerc

I'm looking for some -- or an acceptable alternative -- for cleaning my phone's charging port. My usual pharmacy were completely out of it, but said it was usually €15-20 for 0.5l. I imagine most others will be in a similar price ranage. That's also way more than I need, but the scalpers on donedeal looking for a fiver for a tenth of that quantity pain me even more.

Maybe I'd be as well off with some meths, or the WD40-branded 'contact cleanier'?

Steve

I bought 3L of this recently, use it for work and also de-coviding the groceries. more than you need but half the price you are looking at.

https://ie.farnell.com/electrolube/ipa01l/isopropanol-tin-1l/dp/106970

alaimacerc

Steve wrote: »

I bought 3L of this recently, use it for work and also de-coviding the groceries. more than you need but half the price you are looking at.

https://ie.farnell.com/electrolube/ipa01l/isopropanol-tin-1l/dp/106970

Hrm, €25 when they add VAT and shipping, mind. Though an option if I decide to bulk-buy and become one of those cheesy donedeal resellers myself!