Anyone Else Prepping?

[flyingpylon]

I saw a graphic that said soap can actually penetrate and destroy this particular coronavirus.

I don’t have any way to verify if that’s correct... hopefully it wasn’t just a meme!

[dualstow]

I saw a graphic that said soap can actually penetrate and destroy this particular coronavirus.

I don’t have any way to verify if that’s correct... hopefully it wasn’t just a meme!

It can if you scrub well, but i imagine some of it goes down the drain intact.

Btw, thank you for that (Yahoo) product list, Vinny. My wife found some bottles of HYDROGEN PEROXIDE that I had tucked away to make bleach, and it’s on the list.

[yankees60]

I have a weird question: what happens to viruses when you wash your hands? Not with sanitizer. I mean if you mechanically remove them by scrubbing with soap and water.

It goes down the drain and then...deactivates because it can’t find a host? Disintegrates in the treatment plant?

You did read the article so must have seen this...

"Soap and Water
Just the friction from scrubbing with soap and water can break the coronavirus’s protective envelope. “Scrub like you’ve got sticky stuff on the surface and you really need to get it off,” says Richard Sachleben, an organic chemist and member of the American Chemical Society. Discard the towel or leave it in a bowl of soapy water for a while to destroy any virus particles that may have survived."

Does that answer your question?

I'll repeat what I heard on (of all places sports talk radio) from someone who was quite experienced with viruses...he said mix a bottle of isopropyl alcohol with a capful of laundry detergent. He said that laundry detergent is quite destructive (so don't get it undiluted on your skin) but it will destroy the virus. Use the mixture in a spray bottle for door knobs and other surface. And, the virus is NOT live like bacteria so don't use antibacterial as that only helps develop resistant bacteria.

Vinny

[yankees60]

I saw a graphic that said soap can actually penetrate and destroy this particular coronavirus.

I don’t have any way to verify if that’s correct... hopefully it wasn’t just a meme!

It can if you scrub well, but i imagine some of it goes down the drain intact.

Btw, thank you for that (Yahoo) product list, Vinny. My wife found some bottles of HYDROGEN PEROXIDE that I had tucked away to make bleach, and it’s on the list.

From one of buying sprees from the 80s I still have bottles of isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide in my basement. For those in the forum who are far more chemically inclined than me don't those deteriorate with age, particularly that many decades? Though last year I did retrieve some Keri lotion from there that was of the same vintage and it seemed to perform as well as if I'd just bought it.

VInny

[dualstow]

Does that answer your question?

Nope. I know how to kill the virus, but I am curious about that which gets washed down the drain intact. Nevermind the scrubbing. Let’s say you sneeze while washing your hands and some droplets go down the drain.

As for your isopropyl alcohol question, I am looking at a bottle stamped 2017 that says it is good until Oct 2020.

I’ve been wondering about Libertarian666’s rice that he said he bought for Y2K. That’s 20+year-old rice!

[yankees60]

Does that answer your question?

Nope. I know how to kill the virus, but I am curious about that which gets washed down the drain intact. Nevermind the scrubbing. Let’s say you sneeze while washing your hands and some droplets go down the drain.

As for your isopropyl alcohol question, I am looking at a bottle stamped 2017 that says it is good until Oct 2020.

I’ve been wondering about Libertarian666’s rice that he said he bought for Y2K. That’s 20+year-old rice!

Regarding those "good until" dates? They mean nothing. They are not regulated in any way. Therefore the manufacturer can choose any date.

I asked my then doctor about using past date medicines. He said he does. Being a chemical product, they do, however lose some of their potency as time goes by.

For food, I just trust my nose. Since I hate vinegar and any vinegry smell my nose is quite good at picking out food that has gone by. You cannot sneak the slightest bit of vinegar by me in food (people have tried!) and I sometimes have to leave the room when other people are using vinegar.

Vinny

[dualstow]

I sometimes take expired vitamins because I’m aware of that which you wrote, but I don’t think I would trust a disinfectant that has passed its best-by date, let alone something from the 80s. I might use it up, but I wouldn’t count on it for killing a virus.

[yankees60]

I sometimes take expired vitamins because I’m aware of that which you wrote, but I don’t think I would trust a disinfectant that has passed its best-by date, let alone something from the 80s. I might use it up, but I wouldn’t count on it for killing a virus.

I think I'd agree that while it would not turn into something dangerous it may have lost its potency to do the job for which it was created. But that time is probably long past its "best-by-date".

Vinny

[WiseOne]

No, it's actually very nice. I'm sure the "pressure hose" terminology was for dramatic effect.

I dunno, I'm picturing water all over the bathroom, then having to don a hazmat suit and rubber gloves to clean up the mess. I think I'd rather go outside and use a garden hose. If it came to that. With soap. Lots of soap.

Maddy, I'm so sorry I've inadvertently given you Bidet PTSD! It's actually an extremely civilized and nice amenity to have. It doesn't make a mess, it's not only not uncomfortable, it feels nice. Read the reviews on Amazon if you don't believe me. Some people are wickedly good at delicately put, graphic descriptions.

I hit the local grocery today, and ... people are nuts. The paper goods aisle was empty shelves, except for a fancy bamboo toilet paper that cost $2.29 PER ROLL. No thanks. Talk about an artificial shortage driven by mass insanity. I've got plenty and I'll wait until the store restocks next week.

[Libertarian666]

I sometimes take expired vitamins because I’m aware of that which you wrote, but I don’t think I would trust a disinfectant that has passed its best-by date, let alone something from the 80s. I might use it up, but I wouldn’t count on it for killing a virus.

I can't imagine how isopropyl alcohol could lose potency. It's a fairly stable chemical compound.
Hydrogen peroxide, however, isn't very stable, so I wouldn't trust old H2O2.

[dualstow]

Good to know.
All I know from googling iso~ alc~ is that it doesn’t last as long once it’s open. Perhaps that’s more evaporation than degradation. If sealed, the main problem from a very old bottle would be the bottle itself. Maybe long term storage should be in glass(?)

CBS says:

Hydrogen peroxide. You need to replace hydrogen peroxide six months after opening it, but it will last for three years unopened. To test whether it is still effective, you can pour it in to the sink and see if it fizzes and bubbles. If it does, it's still good. Expired hydrogen peroxide is ineffective but not harmful.

Supports what you said.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/if-its-old-throw-it-out/

[Libertarian666]

Good to know.
All I know from googling iso~ alc~ is that it doesn’t last as long once it’s open. Perhaps that’s more evaporation than degradation. If sealed, the main problem from a very old bottle would be the bottle itself. Maybe long term storage should be in glass(?)

Well, for certain types of alcohol it's not evaporation but consumption.
But for isopropyl, if the bottle is closed tightly it should be fine as far as I know.
I've never seen glass bottles of isopropyl but they certainly could exist. It usually comes in plastic quart bottles.

[dualstow]

I mean, maybe we could transfer it to glass. I saw one forum talking about that.
Maybe that’s overkill, though. And i drop things on the floor once in a while.

[yankees60]

I sometimes take expired vitamins because I’m aware of that which you wrote, but I don’t think I would trust a disinfectant that has passed its best-by date, let alone something from the 80s. I might use it up, but I wouldn’t count on it for killing a virus.

I can't imagine how isopropyl alcohol could lose potency. It's a fairly stable chemical compound.
Hydrogen peroxide, however, isn't very stable, so I wouldn't trust old H2O2.

Thank you. Obviously written by someone who has retained far more regarding chemistry than myself.

Vinny

[Libertarian666]

I mean, maybe we could transfer it to glass. I saw one forum talking about that.
Maybe that’s overkill, though. And i drop things on the floor once in a while.

I wouldn't do that. I think it will remain useful in plastic for longer than the duration of this pandemic, and glass bottles are a major injury risk if you drop them.

The last thing you want to do now is get injured and have to go to the ER.

[Libertarian666]

I sometimes take expired vitamins because I’m aware of that which you wrote, but I don’t think I would trust a disinfectant that has passed its best-by date, let alone something from the 80s. I might use it up, but I wouldn’t count on it for killing a virus.

I can't imagine how isopropyl alcohol could lose potency. It's a fairly stable chemical compound.
Hydrogen peroxide, however, isn't very stable, so I wouldn't trust old H2O2.

Thank you. Obviously written by someone who has retained far more regarding chemistry than myself.

Vinny

Sure, glad to help.

[dualstow]

Good point. Ok, no transfer to glass.

[WiseOne]

I've been thinking more about how to run my lab than about things like stocking up on toilet paper. No one is going to care about this virus when it comes time for me to show my scientific progress to NIH and the dept chair. Also, the students/postdocs are on strict timelines that won't bend because of this (a fixed one-year rotation, a visa expiring next year etc).

With clinical studies stopped, we are dealing only with analysis of existing data and some ongoing animal studies. My department came out with a ridiculous position yesterday to the effect that they will not permit telecommuting by anyone except under rare circumstances, which then made them look like idiots when an email from the university came through last night announcing that everyone must work from home unless they are "essential". I had already talked to my students about working from home when possible. I had put Mac minis as the main desktops in my lab space for portability and easy access to the server, and that's working out beautifully as people can just unhook them and take them home in a backpack. I found a portable screen from Amazon for ~$80 that will work with the mini. I'm also getting everyone set up with Slack, so we can have online discussions with images, text, websites etc.

Any other ideas appreciated! I'm not really the most tech savvy, and it'll be a bit of a challenge to keep all the various projects & people humming along.

[Hal]

Good to know.
All I know from googling iso~ alc~ is that it doesn’t last as long once it’s open. Perhaps that’s more evaporation than degradation. If sealed, the main problem from a very old bottle would be the bottle itself. Maybe long term storage should be in glass(?)

Well, for certain types of alcohol it's not evaporation but consumption.
But for isopropyl, if the bottle is closed tightly it should be fine as far as I know.
I've never seen glass bottles of isopropyl but they certainly could exist. It usually comes in plastic quart bottles.

Yes, Isopropyl comes in glass bottles. Used in the electronics industry for cleaning circuit boards. Actually have a large old (30 year + ) bottle myself in the back of the garage - nothing has evaporated.

And on a lighter note - prepping Aussie style

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmfP3B45rIg

[dualstow]

heh

[Smith1776]

I have plenty of Isopropyl Alcohol from my PC building days.

...I also have plenty of Arctic Silver 5 left.