Extemporaneous hand sanitizer.

A cream *might* work if the alcohol doesn't disrupt the function of the emulsifiers, but alcohol won't mix with a hydrocarbon-based ointment.

I'm not a chemist (unless A level chem 40+ years ago counts) but would be interested to know why alcohol won't mix with a hydrocarbon-based ointment. Alcohol is a hydrocarbon and ethanol is added to petrol. What's different about hydrocarbon-based ointments?

FWIW, according to medicines.org the ingredients (excipients is apparently the correct word) of Diprobase are: Chlorocresol, Macrogol Cetostearyl Ether, Cetostearyl alcohol, Liquid paraffin, White soft paraffin, Phosphoric acid, Sodium dihydrogen phosphate, Sodium hydroxide, and Purified water.

I suggest a thought experiment. What do you suppose will happen, if anything, if you shake up some vodka with vaseline, even with a little washing-up liquid?

Let me stop you there. Alcohol is an aliphatic alcohol (surprise) and quite hydrophilic. *Not* a hydrocarbon.

Don't know how that works. Maybe petrol has polar components. I doubt you can get much alcohol to mix.

They are solid, plus some detergents and possibly emulsifiers but I'm not sure.

Aha! I had to check the definition of "aliphatic" but it brought back distant memories of straight chains as about to closed rings.

Thanks. I'm (slightly) wiser, and my memory pixies have been stirred ;-)

Calcium acetate ISTR, a bit in water added to the meths.

If sodium acetate would also work: that's the stuff in those reusable hand warmers.

Thomas Prufer

Best suggestion so far.

Thomas Prufer

The hydroxyl group on alcohols makes them hydrophilic, but I would expect the hydrocarbon chain to be oleophilic, which might explain the wide range of alcohol-petrol compositions that are possible, assuming they're not emulsions.

So they wash/clean their hands how often ?

Every time they touch something ?

Otherwise what's the point ?

Or is the claim that frequent washing of the hands somehow builds up immunity for future touches ?

michael adams

...

I've made creditable Swarfega out of washing up liquid and parafin.

Also washing up liquid and white spirit. You could try washing up liquid and surgical spirit.

Pot or reflux ?

Petrol around the world varies from zero through, 5, and 10 to 85% ethanol.

E10 (10% ethanol) is shortly going to be introduced in the UK. I believe that Tesco super unleaded (the higher octane version) already has a significant percentage of ethanol though can't remember the percentage.

Pisco was on sale in pretty potent strengths last time I was in Chile (about 30 years ago).

I still have 3 x 20 mtres of 10mm plastic coated copper tubing, made by a company called Mueller.

B&Q accidentally reduced it to £10 during a sale about 10 years ago :-).

One day I will find a use for it .

Oil tank installation?

If you want to impress someone with rum baba, this is the rum to use!

I'm going to just use fairy liquid. IPA dries skin out, not what you really want to do, the skin will crack. Brian

How about petrol/white spirit?

'tain't going to work. All the advice is that >60% alcohol content is needed