# Carburetor cleaner health dangers
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-cleaner-health-dangers/260865
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 21, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-cleaner-health-dangers/260865 "2004-08-21T17:51:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bummerboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bummerboy)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-cleaner-health-dangers/260865/1 "2004-08-21T17:51:04Z")
My friend uses carburetor cleaner to clean off his hands because it will take basically anything off, from grease, tar, or even tree sap. Even though he has read the warnings that absortion through skin can cause central nervous system problems, he still does it. What could happen to him over the long term if he keeps doing this?
---
### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-cleaner-health-dangers/260865/2 "2004-08-21T17:58:47Z")
You’ll have to be more specific, since there are a number of formulations of carburetor cleaners. [Here](http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=5013) is the MSDS for one popular brand, STP Fuel Injector/Carburetor Cleaner:
> [@](#):
>
> Reports have associated repeated and prolonged over exposure to petroleum distillates with adverse liver, kidney and bone marrow effects and with permanent brain and nervous system damage. Intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the product may be harmful or fatal. Xylene and light aromatic solvent naphtha have been found to cause adverse reproductive effects in laboratory animals.