What is best % isopropyl alcohol for use in detailing

Bill D

Bill D

Hooked For Life
Many times in detailing we need to mix isopropyl alcohol with water in certain ratios for a number of purposes. I was just curious what the best % isopropyl alcohol to use is. I think some one mentioned 80% but I have never seen anything higher than 70%. I have 70%, is it just fine to use? If 80% is best, where can I buy it? Have never seen in a drug store, Walmart, etc.



Thanks
 
You would want 50/50 alcohol to water.



To do this, you would figure 70% alcohol comes in 16 ounce bottles. You would add 3.2 ounces of water per 16 ounces of alcohol to get the 50/50 ratio.



I hope I did my calculations right,

Jason
 
You can get 99% as well at drug stores. I use 99% for a lens cleaning solution for expensive optics.
 
Well I only use the real thing, 100%+ and you can get it



at your local supermarket under Tequila!.





Ain't nothing like the real thing baby.
 
I think a 70% solution of 16 ounces of alcohol would contain



16 x 0.7 = 11.2 ounces of alcohol



If you want 50% alcohol/water, you would need 22.4 ounces of liquid, so I think you need to add 6.4 ounces of water per 16 ounces of 70% alcohol.....maybe I am wrong???
 
Gosh. I don't think "they" .. whoever the "they" originally was.. meant that it was a 50/50 ratio based on 100% pure alcohol - since pure alcohol cannot be found... I made it simple and filled half the bottle with the isopropyl and half with water. Works just fine.
 
I suggested a 50:50 Alcohol/Water mix to someone and was told that the two don't mix. I think he was thinking water and oil, not alcohol...
 
Eurosport said:
Well I only use the real thing, 100%+ and you can get it



at your local supermarket under Tequila!.





Ain't nothing like the real thing baby.
Click to expand...







drinking alcohol is ethanol, not isopropyl alcohol.
 
zilla said:
drinking alcohol is ethanol, not isopropyl alcohol.
Click to expand...



lol! Plus it's also not 100%pure alcohol. It may taste great but it isn't what you want to use. Pure Ethanol is virtually impossible to get (except for me ha ha, I work for a chemical distributor that sells pure ethanol and IPA) as it is heavily regulated by the government, and even if you could get it (with a permit) you would have to pay $27.00 a gallon federal excise tax. Best thing to do is stick to Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA).
 
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