question, I own a home and just started renting a room out to a friend. I= have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). h= e purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing= ). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufa= cturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cott= on swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab= to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doin= g it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even = more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the= plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is t= his safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean saf= e on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying news= papers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other = that I read it is flammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail pol= ish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no = big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I aske= d him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's st= arting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't = want to take it outside).=20
On Friday, October 12, 2012 10:40:36 PM UTC-6, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote= :
I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). = he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubi= ng). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manu= facturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a co= tton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the sw= ab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's do= ing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me eve= n more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of t= he plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is= this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean s= afe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying ne= wspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone othe= r that I read it is flammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail p= olish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be n= o big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I as= ked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's = starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn'= t want to take it outside).=20
From Yahoo answers:
"Acetone is only mildly toxic, but is highly volatile and very flammable. A= cetone vapors are heavier than air and will travel along the counter top or= floor. If they encounter a source of ignition - flame or spark, for exampl= e - the flame will flash back to the source, possibly causing a larger fire= or explosion. Acetone should be used indoors only with adequate ventilatio= n."
. I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself)= . he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tu= bing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some ma= nufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a = cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the = swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's = doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me e= ven more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of= the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). = is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean= safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying = newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone ot= her that I read it is flammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail= polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be= no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I = asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it'= s starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he does= n't want to take it outside).=20
Acetone vapors are heavier than air and will travel along the counter top = or floor. If they encounter a source of ignition - flame or spark, for exam= ple - the flame will flash back to the source, possibly causing a larger fi= re or explosion. Acetone should be used indoors only with adequate ventilat= ion."
what do you mean adequate ventilation? does that mean the doors and windo= ws should be open when he's working? it's a fairly large room he's working= in (probably 10 feet by 25 feet...it's a kitchen/dining room/family room..= ..but it's all kinda one big room). it's starting to get pretty cold where= I live so that may not be an option. I'd like to tell him to take it outs= ide or search for some other chemical that will do that job that isn't flam= able. I just don't want to come off as unreasonable as a landlord (and roo= mate).
have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is
women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
I have some but not much experience, and no academic knowledge.
I think it depends on the details. How many instances of the stamped number are on each piece of tubing? If the tubing is one foot long it might be one or two, but if it's 10 feet long, 10 or 20. How many pieces of tubing.
I'd guess, guess, that it takes about as much acetone to remove one finger's worth of nail polish as one instance of the number and girls do 10 fingers at a time. OTOH do they use Q-tips, which hold a lot less than a cotton swab? I forget. It's been 30 years since I had a girlfriend who used to remove her nailpolish, it seemed like every day, in front of me.
When I use acetone, I close the bottle as soon as I wet the cotton, because it will evaporate right out of the bottle, and so I won't spill it. Does he do that? I think I would have him keep his bottle, esp. when it's open, in something like a dishpan, the kind of rubber pan as big as two loaves of whiite bread side by side. Then if he spills it, he can take the whole pan outside, pour as much as he can back in t he bottle and spill the rest on the ground., I have used dishpans this way.
Maybe he can put the tubing in there when he's done with it and have it rest outside too, although there may be no point to that . The acetone probably has evaporated within a minute, so there is nothing to dry. .
Maybe for the whole project he could go his bedroom and close the door and open the window for the 15? minutes it takes to do all this? If you don't smell it in the rest of the house, you'll know it's not getting there. He could do it on the bed with a dishpan to hold the bottle of acetone. Check a part of the pan to see if acetone dissolves.
Although of course if you do smell it and stop smelling it, it may well only mean your nose sensor for that smell is tired. How long does it take until a nose stops sensing a smell, 15 minutes? Isn't that why a person doesn't know when he has bad breath or body odor?
. =A0I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himsel= f). =A0he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty smal= l tubing). =A0he buys the tubing in bulk. =A0he uses pure acetone to remove= some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. =A0= he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then= uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. =A0I think that's great. =A0= however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. =A0and wh= at concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and = lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the st= amped number). =A0is this safe? =A0sorta safe? or not safe at all? =A0and w= hen I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. =A0= I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. =A0I know not= hing about pure acetone other that I read it is flammable. =A0my roomate ju= st told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time i= n the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. =A0 all respo= nses are much appreciated. =A0I asked him to take it outside, but he told m= e he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that m= ay be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
question, I own a home and just started renting a room out to a friend. I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is flammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
*Just read the labeling on the manufacturers container to see how nasty acetone can be. It is a solvent and it can damage your floor finish. Newspapers are not adequate protection. Nail polish remover is a diluted version of acetone. You really do need ventilation when working with this stuff. It evaporates very quickly into the air, but where does it go after that. You could be exposing yourself to acetone vapors and not even know it. A garage would be a healthier choice to work with it.
have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is fl ammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
Material safety data sheet may help:
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Main concern with acetone is flammability as with most other organic solvents.
I would not worry about small amount of vapors as it is not very toxic and OSHA allowable exposure levels are high.
The concern voiced about its solvent power is true and it could attack paints and finishes.
women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house.
All correct. A little on a swab is probably not going to do anything at all. At a minimum though, I'd have a window open. To avoid spills, go outside and pour off some into a small container of a few ounces instead of the quart or gallon he is now using. Be careful where you store it too.
If you have a pilot light on a heater, be sure to stay far away from it, don't smoke, etc. Open two windows and have a fan blowing in one to force the air out the other. Remember, it is the fumes that are dangerous.
The situation as you describe, sounds dangerous. I'd not want that going on, in my home. Yes, acetone is the ingredient in nail polish remover. But, it only takes one mistake.
When I was a teen, there was a fire call. The pharmacist at the small town pharmacy had dropped a jug of acetone, next to a space heater. Some how there was a fire. He tried fire extinguisher, and finally bailed out. The FD came, but by this time the the pharmacy was heavily involved. They were carrying out charred stuff to the dumpster, for weeks after that. The place never reopened.
I had my black and white camera there, but the focuss was off. I took some pictures, but they didn't come out very well with the focuss set to two feet. Ah, well.
have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is flammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
Acetone vapors are heavier than air and will travel along the counter top or floor. If they encounter a source of ignition - flame or spark, for example - the flame will flash back to the source, possibly causing a larger fire or explosion. Acetone should be used indoors only with adequate ventilation."
should be open when he's working? it's a fairly large room he's working in (probably 10 feet by 25 feet...it's a kitchen/dining room/family room....but it's all kinda one big room). it's starting to get pretty cold where I live so that may not be an option. I'd like to tell him to take it outside or search for some other chemical that will do that job that isn't flamable. I just don't want to come off as unreasonable as a landlord (and roomate).
Well..........how much is he using and how long does it take? One cotton ball dampened with acetone per day? Open container all day long? If he is constructing something indoors, can he not take the acetone outdoors, remove the ink from all the tubing, let it dry, then bring it in?
you might suggest he try goof off or goo gone, both are designed to remove all sorts of nasties. available at places like home depot and lowes
a friends 3 year old used markers to paint a newly painted room, goo gone took all the marks off.
right after that her hubby was playing with her son and spilled a can of contact cement on the kitchens vinyl floor....... a week later i asked did you try goo gone? she hadnt but did and the you would never know contact cement had spilled there....
a mild abrasive like a scothchbrite pad normally used to clean pans may help remove the printing...
my friend now gives a container of goo gone and goof off to every new baby shower mom. she reports most have thanked her.
that plastic tubing is cheap and may be available without the printing.....
at least he could do large quanties outdoors on nice days.
The OP did mention "pint bottle". Overall, it can be done safely. But, the news papers on the floor don't much impress me.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
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All correct. A little on a swab is probably not going to do anything at all. At a minimum though, I'd have a window open. To avoid spills, go outside and pour off some into a small container of a few ounces instead of the quart or gallon he is now using. Be careful where you store it too.
iend. =A0I have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them hi= mself). =A0he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty = small tubing). =A0he buys the tubing in bulk. =A0he uses pure acetone to re= move some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing.= =A0he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and = then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. =A0I think that's great.= =A0however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. =A0an= d what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on = and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out th= e stamped number). =A0is this safe? =A0sorta safe? or not safe at all? =A0a= nd when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home.= =A0I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. =A0I know= nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is
hich women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to us= e in the house. =A0 all responses are much appreciated. =A0I asked him to t= ake it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to = get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to ta= ke it outside).
le. Acetone vapors are heavier than air and will travel along the counter t= op or floor. If they encounter a source of ignition - flame or spark, for e= xample - the flame will flash back to the source, possibly causing a larger= fire or explosion. Acetone should be used indoors only with adequate venti= lation."
windows should be open when he's working? =A0it's a fairly large room he's= working in (probably 10 feet by 25 feet...it's a kitchen/dining room/famil= y room....but it's all kinda one big room). =A0it's starting to get pretty = cold where I live so that may not be an option. =A0I'd like to tell him to = take it outside or search for some other chemical that will do that job tha= t isn't flamable. =A0I just don't want to come off as unreasonable as a lan= dlord (and roomate).
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That's what I was thinking. If I were doing it in my own house and used one cotton ball on two feet of tubing twice a year, I wouldn't worry much about doing it inside. If it's 20 ft of tubing and once a week, I'd do that outside for sure, because for one thing, I don't want to be breathing those vapors for hours later. And that's for me doing it myself. With a renter wouldn't put up with it because I don't know how smart, careful, respectful of my property the renter is going to be. I would have visions of the can of acetone spilling all over the place.....
Why can't the renter do enough tubing all at once outside to last for many months?
And is he using anything else in this operation, like plastic glues, etc? Any of that kind of stuff, I'm OK with a one time thing, but not with a regular use in support of a business.
have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is flam mable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
It's your house. If you don't want him doing that, tell him to quit...or move out.
have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is
women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
Also - finger nail polish remover is NOT 100% acetone. Some has no acetone at all. Most now use ethyl acetate instead. Cutex regular nail polish remover IS 70% acetone.
On the other hand, a "kinder gentler" remover contains: Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Dibutyl Adipate, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange)Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Benzophenone-3, Cl 26100 (D&C #17).
have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing). he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone other that I read it is fl ammable. my roomate just told me it was fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).
It isn't a good idea, in any setting, to keep the main container open and dip into it....a spill could be a disaster. If the friend is using more than a tsp or two at a time, I would insist that he take it outdoors. Sounds like he needs some discipline and education :o) Better than newspaper on your floor, it might help to put something solid (at least heavy duty foil) between layers in case there is a spill so fumes don't get to the floor. Be sure he bundles up if you send him outdoors :o)
The size of the project would be useful to know....any chance 3M pad and dish detergent will take off the markings? Might be just as effective and safer.
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