Frontline Sanitizer Spray

1. Don’t mix rubbing alcohol with bleach

There are some chemical combinations you should avoid at all costs, and bleach and alcohol is one of them. Rubbing alcohol contains ethanol and isopropyl, which when mixed with bleach creates chloroform, a toxic compound that emits toxic and corrosive fumes. According to the CDC, inhaling chloroform can cause serious issues with the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys, in addition to irritating the skin, lungs, and eyes and causing nausea and dizziness.

2. Don’t use rubbing alcohol near flames or smoking

Mixing alcohol and fire? Not a gamble you want to take. Due to the obvious alcohol content, rubbing alcohol is highly flammable, which means it’s important to avoid using it around smoking or any open flames in your home. So before you disinfect with any alcohol products, make sure to snuff out all your candles.

3. Don’t use rubbing alcohol in an unventilated area

Similarly, since isopropyl alcohol is a volatile chemical (that’s a fancy way of saying it evaporates quickly), it also creates potentially harmful fumes. When you’re cleaning your home with alcohol, make sure to open your windows, keeping the area as well-ventilated as possible.

4. Don’t clean certain surfaces with rubbing alcohol

While it’s a super-power disinfectant on counters, toilets, or even your laptop or cell phone — strong enough to destroy E.coli bacteria and the flu virus — there are some surfaces you will definitely want to avoid sterilizing with rubbing alcohol.

• Finished surfaces: Since the ethanol in it is a solvent, rubbing alcohol can literally liquify varnishes or finishes, doing major damage to your furniture or other surfaces in your home. Avoid using any rubbing alcohol on painted, shellacked, lacquered, or varnished surfaces, including treated wood.
• Certain fabrics: The isopropyl in alcohol can be a great stain treatment on certain fabrics, removing all evidence of difficult stains like ink, grass, grease, or sap. While your carpet will thank you for an isopropyl alcohol treatment, keep in mind some fabrics don’t do well with alcohol. Delicate or synthetic materials like acetate, rayon, wool, and silk are best to be avoided.

When you’re using alcohol to disinfect, it’s important not to dilute it beyond what’s recommended by the CDC for killing germs. Alcohol’s effectiveness at killing germs “drops sharply when diluted below 50% concentration,” and the optimal concentration for killing bacteria is between 60 to 90 percent, according to the CDC. Keep in mind that when you buy rubbing alcohol at the store, it’s already diluted with water in a concentration indicated on the label (commonly 70 percent or 90-91 percent).

5. Don’t use rubbing alcohol on certain wounds or skin conditions

It’s common for doctors to sterilize medical equipment with isopropyl alcohol given its antiseptic properties, and you may even use it to sanitize your tweezers before removing a splinter or to clean a small cut on your skin. But using large amounts of isopropyl alcohol, or covering a large area of your skin, can cause serious damage. Avoid using rubbing alcohol to clean wounds or other more serious injuries, since it can delay healing and lead to even more skin irritation. Also skip using it on sensitive areas, like sunburned, dry, or otherwise irritated skin.

And if you’re thinking about using rubbing alcohol to DIY hand sanitizer, you should think again.

6. Don’t ingest it

Some first-aid kit staples, like hydrogen peroxide, are safe to use in small amounts internally. Not the case with rubbing alcohol. According to the National Capital Poison Center, rubbing alcohol, even in small amounts, is toxic when ingested. Like any other cleaning supply, keep your alcohol out of reach of children, and never put rubbing alcohol in a glass or another container, since it can easily be mistaken for water.

Read all of Apartment Therapy’s disinfecting coverage.

Just, FYI: What To Do If You Can’t Find Hand Sanitizer

Your best bet if hand sanitizer runs out—and honestly, in general—is good, old-fashioned soap and water. Sanitizer should never replace hand-washing as a hygiene measure. “Hand washing is always the first choice, and I think we need to remind people about that,” Scott says. “Hand sanitizers should be considered as a back-up between hand washing.”

As a reminder, how you wash or sanitize your hands is just as important as how often you do those things. The CDC recommends scrubbing your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds when you wash them, and the same time-frame recommendation applies when you use sanitizer: Keep rubbing your hands together until they feel completely dry, which usually takes about 20 seconds. 

To learn more about when you should wash your hands and when (store-bought, evidence-based) sanitizer is a safe option check out this CDC fact sheet. 

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As always, check with a doctor before using products and be sure to do a skin test before indulging in this cosmetic.

The proper steps to a skin test before using cosmetic products are:

1. Choose a small, discrete area of skin, such as behind the ear or on the inner arm.

2. Cleanse the area with mild soap and water.

3. Apply a small amount of the product to the area, following the instructions on the packaging.

4. Wait 24 to 48 hours to see if any irritation or reaction occurs.

5. If no reaction occurs, you can proceed with using the product as directed.

Remember, it's always better to err on the side of caution and perform a skin test before using a new cosmetic product, especially if you have sensitive skin or allergies.