If I Have No Hand Gel, Would Trickling Some Whiskey Or Gin Over My Fingers Do Just As Well?

[lynbrown]

Its a serious request.

[douglas9401]

Only if my glass is there to catch the runoff.

[tamaris]

Lol at douglas

[AuntPollyGrey]

You have no soap? even washing up liquid would work. Do you really think hand gel is the only way to clean your hands when you are at home?

[Mamyalynne]

As Aunt Polly says, at home use whatever you have , if no wash up liquid then shampoo or shower gel and hot water.

[sanmac]

I think that for a hand wash to be really efficient the alcohol content has to be at least 60%. Normally, whiskey of gin is only around 40%. Get yourself some 151 proof Wray and Nephew's Jamaican rum, which is around 75% alcohol.

[Theland]

John Wayne and his mates used whiskey for everything, removing bullets, sedation, and brawls.

[gingejbee]

Hand gel is really only useful if you have no access to water, soap, handwash, sink.
And, no, alcoholic drink would not work....it's typically 40% alcohol and, to be effective, it needs to be at least 60%...preferably 70%.

[douglas9401]

I'd just use it twice then.

I'll fetch a half pint glass.

[Arksided]

Well at least some are keeping their spirits high.

[Patsy33]

Don't waste your spirits! Got any bubble bath?

[AuntPollyGrey]

yeh get in a lovely bubble bath with a gin and tonic!

[Arksided]

Well I have a couple of bars of soap, washing up liquid and shower gel... so I'll be clean for a bit, I didn't know those other products will work just as well though.

[Canary42]

A good reason for setting up a still in the back garden, soon get that alcohol strength up.

[woofgang]

no, not enough alcohol

[New Judge]

You can buy half a litre of this stuff (99.5% alcohol) for £61:

https://www.chemicals.co.uk/absolute-ethanol

Mix it with a touch of baby oil or hand cream to make it smooth and off you go.

Or there's this stuff (70%) from Amazon, a little cheaper:

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[theprof]

Definitely not. The alcohol in spirits is called ethyl alcohol or ethanol. Exposure to 60% ethyl alcohol is the minimum percentage of ethyl alcohol that will decrease the activity of the pathogen with a slightly higher concentration being the optimum concentration. Some other alcohols destroy the pathogen at lower concentrations but you're unlikely to have them knocking around - one works at 1.2%!

Whisky, Gin, Vodka etc are nowadays 37.5% ethyl alcohol for the standard types, 35% for some budget types and can sometimes be lower in "Spirit Drinks". Yes, premium spirits can contain an ethyl alcohol content of over 90%, but they are not readily available.

Standard spirits have no effect at all on the pathogen.

[theprof]

New Judge, the sale of 99.5% Ethanol is subject to extreme government regulations in the UK and the OP would not be able to purchase it. Companies such as the one offering the product will legally need to establish the use the product will be put to.

Currently, only bona fide research establishments in the scientific field or medical manufacturing establishments are permitted to purchase high concentration ethanol. There are complex forms that need to be completed to satisfy the necessary regulations and the forms are checked with extraordinary diligence before the sale is authorised.

These regulations have been in place since I was in Junior school, which is more years ago than I care to remember. My university laboratories last year used 6000 litres of absolute ethanol and annually, I and my colleagues have to complete government documents on its use, storage and security.

The government research facilities I mooch around in are also subject to the same stringency and they use even more annually

For those interested, the principal reason for these regulations is that in the eyes of government, duty should be paid on alcohol sales. The 500ml bottle of 99.5% ethanol at around £60 when diluted to vodka strength would be a nice little earner for someone and would deprive the exchequer of considerable duty. That is why the purchase would not succeed apart from the toxicity of the product.

Denaturing the product would permit the sale but there is no indication that it has been denatured on the website.

[Peter Pedant]

go for soap and water

altho someone has cited 100% alcohol I didnt think you were allowed to buy it
( unless you were a germ warfare lab or something)

having a dog - dirty boy ! I wash my hands whenever I touched his muzzle ( often ) and I think that should do ( like you know around 20 times a day)

[theprof]

New Judge, the isopropyl lcohol on sale on Amazon is totally different to ethyl alcohol. IPA is toxic to humans even at low concentration and therefore, the UK government is not interested in applying duty to the product. This accounts for it's cheapness compared to ethyl alcohol.

Ironically per litre, ethyl alcohol is cheaper to produce industrially than isopropyl alcohol.

As a chemistry undergraduate, imbibing small quantities of watered-down absolute ethanol in the organic chemistry laboratories was the highlight of the week. Far cheaper than going out to the pub on a Friday night during those pecuniary disadvantaged days.

[Old_Geezer]

Too little alcohol. Drink the whiskey instead and chill out.