How to Use Rubbing Alcohol

Medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Last Updated: February 18, 2023 References

You likely have rubbing alcohol sitting in your medicine cabinet or under your sink. Rubbing alcohol contains either isopropyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol diluted with water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), both of these alcohols can be used as an antiseptic or cleaning agent if the alcohol concentration is at least 60% or higher.^{[1]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
Go to source} However, rubbing alcohol is poisonous if consumed, so seek medical attention immediately if you or someone else drinks it.^{[2]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Rubbing Alcohol as an Antiseptic

1
Clean your hands with rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is a common ingredient in most commercial hand sanitizers. Hand sanitizer is used to disinfect the hands, and does not require soap or water. Simply rubbing hand sanitizer on the hands for approximately 30 seconds, or until the liquid has evaporated, kills the majority of bacteria present. Hand sanitizer often includes additional components, such as a moisturizing element to prevent the hands from drying out, but these components are not necessary. If you are unable to wash your hands with soap and water, or if you want to ensure that your hands are completely clean, rubbing alcohol may be used to disinfect the hands.^{[3]
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- Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol into the palm of one hand.
- Rub the hands together vigorously for approximately 30 seconds, or until the hands are completely covered and the alcohol begins to evaporate.^{[4]
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- Note that rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizer do not remove dirt from the hands. If your hands are visibly soiled, you may need to wash your hands with soap and water to remove the dirt from your skin.^{[5]
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2
Treat wounds with rubbing alcohol. One of the most common uses of rubbing alcohol is treating wounds. This is because rubbing alcohol makes an excellent antiseptic. It kills germs by coagulating each germ's protein. Once a germ's protein is solidified, the germ dies rather quickly.^{[6]
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- Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol on the skin surrounding a wound. This may be particularly helpful for puncture wounds, which can introduce foreign germs into the wound.^{[7]
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  Research source} Once the wound is clean, you can bandage the wound, and seek medical attention as needed.
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3
Disinfect skin before an injection. Certain medications, like insulin, need to be injected into the body. Prior to administering an injection, it's important to disinfect the skin to prevent bacteria from being introduced into the body.^{[8]
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PubMed Central
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- Pour 60% to 70% rubbing alcohol onto a clean cotton swab.^{[9]
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  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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- Thoroughly wipe the skin where the injection will be administered. Do not go over the same area twice.^{[10]
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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- Wait for the alcohol to completely dry before administering the injection.^{[11]
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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4
Disinfect medical tools. Some household medical tools, like tweezers, can harbor bacteria that could be introduced to a wound. For this reason, it's important to disinfect medical tools before use. You can do this with rubbing alcohol.^{[12]
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American Academy of Family Physicians
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- Thoroughly douse the tips of tweezers in rubbing alcohol. Allow the alcohol to dry before use, to ensure that any bacteria on the tweezers have been killed.^{[13]
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  American Academy of Family Physicians
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5
Mix equal parts rubbing alcohol and vinegar to prevent swimmer's ear. Combine isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar and put a couple of drops in each of your ears after you shower or swim. Pull on your outer ear to shift your ear canal, which helps the mixture trickle into your ear. Make sure the alcohol-vinegar mixture stays in your ear canal for 3 to 5 minutes.^{[14]
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- It's best to use a rubbing alcohol that's 90-95% isopropyl alcohol for this.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Rubbing Alcohol as a Cleaning Agent

1
Remove stains with rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol can make a surprisingly effective stain remover. Simply mix one part rubbing alcohol with two parts water. You can use this mixture in a spray bottle, or poured on a rag or towel to spot clean stained fabrics.^{[15]
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- Rubbing alcohol can be used to treat grass stains before the wash cycle. Apply the rubbing alcohol mixture to a stain, rubbing the fabric thoroughly. Let it sit for ten minutes, then wash the clothing article as you normally would.^{[16]
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2
Clean your bathroom with rubbing alcohol. Because of its antiseptic properties, rubbing alcohol is often used to clean high-germ areas like bathrooms. Apply rubbing alcohol to a paper towel and rub bathroom fixtures like faucets, sinks, and toilets to quickly clean and disinfect these surfaces.^{[17]
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3
Make a window cleaner with rubbing alcohol. In addition to its other cleaning applications, rubbing alcohol can be used to make an effective window cleaner. Just mix one pint of rubbing alcohol with two tablespoons of ammonia and two tablespoons of dish soap. Mix the formula thoroughly, then apply to windows using a spray bottle or sponge.^{[18]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Finding Other Uses for Rubbing Alcohol

1
Remove a tick. Some people find that applying rubbing alcohol to a burrowed tick can shock the tick, making it easier to remove. Even if this does not work, experts recommend using rubbing alcohol to kill and preserve a tick after removal. This makes it easier for doctors to determine if the tick was a carrier of Lyme disease.^{[19]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
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- Use a clean cotton swab to apply rubbing alcohol to the area where a tick is attached. If you don't have cotton swabs, you can pour a little rubbing alcohol directly onto the skin.^{[20]
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- Use clean tweezers (preferably after sterilizing them, which you can do with rubbing alcohol) to grip the tick's body as close to the surface of your skin as possible.^{[21]
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  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
  Go to source}
- Gently pull the tick upward without breaking any part of the tick's body.^{[22]
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  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
  Go to source}
- Drop the tick into a jar or bottle filled with a little rubbing alcohol. Be sure the tick is completely submerged.^{[23]
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  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
  Go to source}
- Use rubbing alcohol to cleanse the skin's surface where the tick was removed.^{[24]
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  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
  Go to source}
2
Get rid of sneaker odors. Use a spray bottle to apply rubbing alcohol to the inside of sneakers. The rubbing alcohol will kill the bacteria causing the smells, leaving your sneakers clean and odor-free.^{[25]
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3
Remove nail polish in a pinch. If you're out of nail polish remover, you can use rubbing alcohol in a pinch. Pour some rubbing alcohol onto a cotton swab, and rub hard on your finger nails to remove old nail polish. Nail polish won't come off as easily as with actual nail polish remover, but it will still strip away the old nail polish.^{[26]
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- Rubbing alcohol isn't as effective as commercial nail polish remover. It'll likely take you a while to get your nails totally clean of polish.
4
Do not use rubbing alcohol to cool feverish skin. A common folk remedy for fevers is to apply rubbing alcohol to the skin. As the alcohol evaporates, it's thought to offer a cooling sensation.^{[27]
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Research source} However, pouring rubbing alcohol on the body, especially on children, can be extremely dangerous. A number of children have actually slipped into comas after their parents applied rubbing alcohol to treat a fever. For this reason, using rubbing alcohol to relieve the symptoms of a fever is highly discouraged.^{[28]
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Expert Q&A

Question

Will rubbing alcohol reduce the swelling of my ankles and feet?

Jonas DeMuro, MD
Board Certified Critical Care Surgeon
Dr. DeMuro is a board certified Pediatric Critical Care Surgeon in New York. He received his MD from Stony Brook University School of Medicine in 1996. He completed his fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System and was a previous American College of Surgeons (ACS) Fellow.

Jonas DeMuro, MD

Board Certified Critical Care Surgeon

Expert Answer

No, rubbing alcohol will not reduce ankle and feet swelling. Discuss this with your physician. They can determine the cause of this swelling, as well as the next steps to address this.

Warnings

Do not apply to deep penetrating wounds.

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Do not use rubbing alcohol to cool feverish skin. This is highly dangerous and is not a medically sound method of treating a fever.

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Do not ingest rubbing alcohol. If you do accidentally ingest rubbing alcohol, call your local poison control center or emergency services immediately. Symptoms of this include inebriation, stupor, coma, or even death.

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