Among its many uses, isopropyl is used to clean the skin before a shot.
Isopropyl alcohol (or isopropanol) is a widely-available alcohol that can be used in multiple applications. The types of isopropyl mixtures that are commercially available under the label "isopropyl alcohol" all contain isopropyl alcohol as their main ingredient and are used in many aspects of cleaning, especially in cleaning electronics and magnetic storage media, and are used in medicine as antiseptics and preservatives as well as in automobile fuel systems as an additive to prevent contamination of fuel or frozen fuel in cold climates.
Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a solution of 60%-70% isopropyl in water that is commonly applied to skin before a shot or other insertion of a needle. Isopropyl in this form can also be applied to areas of skin that have been damaged by scrapes and small cuts, acting as an antiseptic agent against any germs or other bacteria that may have entered or gathered around the wound. In non-medical settings, rubbing alcohol is also used to remove sticky residues from surfaces and for other light cleaning applications. Rubbing alcohol can be made with either isopropanol or ethanol as its primary ingredient, but isopropanol-based rubbing alcohol is far more common. In the case of minor burns, rubbing alcohol can also be applied to alleviate the immediate discomfort and, in some cases, diminish the long term effects of the burn.
Isopropyl Automotive Additives
Fuel additives marketed as "gas dryers" or "anti-freezes" are made with isoprpanol as their primary ingredient. In most cases, these products contain as much as 99% isoprpyl alcohol. When mixed with gasoline, the isopropanol reacts with any water present in the fuel and solulizes it, preventing it from accumulating and freezing inside of the fuel lines. Isopropyl-heavy mixes of aerosol solutions are also sold for use on windshields in cold climates, because isopropanol has an almost instant melting affect on thin amounts of ice and frost.
Isopropyl Specimen Preservatives
Another common occurrence of isopropyl is as a preservative. In biology and education, isopropanol is often used to preserve specimens because of its comparable effectiveness to ether at a significantly lower price. Preserving solutions are considered optimal for this application if they contain 90%-99% isopropanol, but may be used in concentrations as low as 70% in emergencies.
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