IPA or Denatured alcohol

Ronkh

Wax Waster
Whatever the dealer put on my car will not come off the windshield. When it's wet, it looks like cracks in the glass.

So is IPA or denatured alcohol better to try to dissolve it?
 
I don't have a lot of experience with denatured alc. so I cannot really comment. If IPA doesn't work, maybe 3M Adhesive Remover?
 
Denatured alcohol is ethanol (the alcohol you drink) with different additives to make it poisonous to drink. This is done so you don't go down to CVS and buy a bottle of ethanol for $1.99 and drink it. Since its for medical use, the government doesn't tax it. Since its "denatured", the government doesn't regulate who can buy it or how much they can buy. That's why it has to be made not fit to drink. They usually add a little methanol or IPA to ethanol to "denature" it, but they can add anything.

Being that "anything" can be in alcohol/denatured alcohol/methylated spirits/medical ethanol (all the same) - it's probably better to use IPA which is fairly pure. Isopropyl is not fit for human consumption in its own right and doesn't require "denaturing".
 
i wouldn't be afraid to use paint thinner, acetone, etc. on the glass, just keep it off trim, plastics or paint of course. (phosphoric acid is the only acid that will etch glass)
if you think the factory may have applied some type of scratch resistant coating, i would hold off and contact them first. i sent you a pm.
 
Denatured alcohol is ethanol (the alcohol you drink) with different additives to make it poisonous to drink. This is done so you don't go down to CVS and buy a bottle of ethanol for $1.99 and drink it. Since its for medical use, the government doesn't tax it. Since its "denatured", the government doesn't regulate who can buy it or how much they can buy. That's why it has to be made not fit to drink. They usually add a little methanol or IPA to ethanol to "denature" it, but they can add anything.

Being that "anything" can be in alcohol/denatured alcohol/methylated spirits/medical ethanol (all the same) - it's probably better to use IPA which is fairly pure. Isopropyl is not fit for human consumption in its own right and doesn't require "denaturing".


IIRC denatured alcohol is methyl alcohol (wood alcohol) and quite toxic to drink.
 
Denatured Alcohol should work very well on glass. I use it to remove sticker residue on the interior of windshields. Just don't get it on the dash. If it's on the outside you are working on you could just go with CeriGlass.
 
IIRC denatured alcohol is methyl alcohol (wood alcohol) and quite toxic to drink.

The reason they denature alcohol is so people won't drink it. The only alcohol that is denatured is ethanol, which is drinking alcohol - or the stuff that makes you drunk. The reason its denatured is because it's used OTC for medical use and not regulated and taxed.

They can add any toxic substance to it to denature it, and you have "denatured alcohol". Methanol (wood alcohol) isn't easily available OTC - just isopropyl and ethanol. However, they could be adding a small amount of that as the denaturing agent.

But honestly, I think they mostly add a bit of isopropyl in most OTC ethanol.
 
Yes any kind of solvent will work. I've been using straight acetone with no problems to remove sticker and tape residue, even degreaser will work. Purple power, any APC will help take it out
 
The reason they denature alcohol is so people won't drink it. The only alcohol that is denatured is ethanol, which is drinking alcohol - or the stuff that makes you drunk. The reason its denatured is because it's used OTC for medical use and not regulated and taxed.

They can add any toxic substance to it to denature it, and you have "denatured alcohol". Methanol (wood alcohol) isn't easily available OTC - just isopropyl and ethanol. However, they could be adding a small amount of that as the denaturing agent.

But honestly, I think they mostly add a bit of isopropyl in most OTC ethanol.


yes. You are correct.

But, if you want CH3OH you can get it at any Home Depot or hardware store in the paint section.
 
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