# Dried out bottle of Compound W- what to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515 "2013-08-17T22:23:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/1 "2013-08-17T22:23:39Z")
Compound W is a commercial brand of wart remover. I like it better than the alternatives but I have an ongoing problem: the main solvent is ethyl ether, which is so volatile that once you open the bottle it starts drying out just from the few seconds at a time you have the cap off. It’s expensive enough that I don’t want to toss a nearly-full bottle after just a few uses. Can I buy a small bottle of ether to keep it diluted? The only source I’ve found is starter fluid, which is NOT pure ether but has stuff like hexane in it that I presume one doesn’t want on one’s skin. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/2 "2013-08-17T22:34:59Z")
Get yourself some mediplast wart removing plasters instead. Same active ingredient, convenient patch/plaster form less susceptible to drying. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/3 "2013-08-17T22:58:00Z")
Moved from Cafe Society to IMHO, with no comment on the OP’s use of wart remover. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/4 "2013-08-17T23:17:05Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Compound W is a commercial brand of wart remover. I like it better than the alternatives but I have an ongoing problem: the main solvent is ethyl ether, which is so volatile that once you open the bottle it starts drying out just from the few seconds at a time you have the cap off. It’s expensive enough that I don’t want to toss a nearly-full bottle after just a few uses. Can I buy a small bottle of ether to keep it diluted? The only source I’ve found is starter fluid, which is NOT pure ether but has stuff like hexane in it that I presume one doesn’t want on one’s skin. The active ingredient is salicylic acid, which does dissolve in grain alcohol. Use that if you don’t want to pitch the whole bottle. Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol doesn’t work as well. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/5 "2013-08-18T20:53:08Z")
Put some water in it and shake it up. Mo [del]tussin[/del] W! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/6 "2013-08-18T22:47:09Z")
I have used Isopropyl alcohol in the past. It works to a degree, but it is hard to get the consistency correct. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/7 "2013-08-19T21:28:47Z")
I dunno what you’re doing with your Compound W that it dries out so fast, but I had a bottle that lasted for years. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/8 "2013-10-16T19:25:33Z")
Just go to the doctor and have those som’ bitches frozen off. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/9 "2013-10-17T07:31:08Z")
I have a bottle of Compound W in my medicine cabinet. It’s at least 5-6 years old, and looks just slightly more viscous than it used to. I’d still use it, as-is. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/10 "2013-10-17T23:38:39Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Just go to the doctor and have those som’ bitches frozen off. Do you even have to go to the doctor for that anymore? Don’t they sell do it yourself wart freeze kits now? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/11 "2013-10-17T23:40:45Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Do you even have to go to the doctor for that anymore? Don’t they sell do it yourself wart freeze kits now? They do, but it’s very difficult for people to hold the freezer wand on their skin long enough to do any good. It’s actually quite painful, albeit just for a few seconds. ---
**Author:** ![gusgus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@gusgus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gusgus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/12 "2016-04-17T09:15:31Z")
carb cleaner which is high in acetone worked really good for me. Water and isopropyl alcohol turns it to jelly. Don’t know what works on trolls though. ---
**Author:** ![gusgus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@gusgus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gusgus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/13 "2016-04-17T09:25:15Z")
Ether (engine starter spray) also turns it into jelly. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/14 "2016-04-24T23:29:57Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > They do, but it’s very difficult for people to hold the freezer wand on their skin long enough to do any good. It’s actually quite painful, albeit just for a few seconds. Oh, I’m well aware of how painful it is thanks to a childhood visit to the doctor. ---
**Author:** ![monty187](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@monty187](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monty187)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dried-out-bottle-of-compound-w-what-to-do/666515/15 "2017-06-03T13:36:15Z")
Two drops of water plus two drops of fingernail polish remover (acetone) works for me.