# Is vodka a surfactant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734 "2018-01-29T16:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Deflagration](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@Deflagration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deflagration)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/1 "2018-01-29T16:00:07Z")
I’ve just put a 50/50 mix in my water bottle. Shook it to mix. Had a definate foam. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/2 "2018-01-29T18:13:53Z")
The surface tension of water is 73 dynes per centimeter, and that of alcohol is 22 ([Surface-tension values - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface-tension_values) ) so It makes sense that alcohol would break up the surface tension of water which is essentially a surfactant. [Surfactant - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfactant) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/3 "2018-01-29T18:16:43Z")
It sure is. Every time I drink it, I wind up on a surface. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/4 "2018-01-29T18:30:27Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > The surface tension of water is 73 dynes per centimeter, and that of alcohol is 22 ([Surface-tension values - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface-tension_values) ) so It makes sense that alcohol would break up the surface tension of water which is essentially a surfactant. [Surfactant - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfactant) Surfactants act on phase boundaries. Alcohol is miscible in water – no liquid phase boundaries there. And the liquid-air interface surface tension would be that of the alcohol-water mix, so it hasn’t changed. Small amounts of contaminants can create foam, though. Flavoring in the alchol and/or water, or simply residue in a re-used water bottle. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/5 "2018-01-29T18:38:26Z")
The problem with using liquor as a disinfectant or cleaning agent is that it will leave behind all manner of sugars, which will attract future bacterial growth. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/6 "2018-01-29T18:56:08Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The problem with using liquor as a disinfectant or cleaning agent is that it will leave behind all manner of sugars, which will attract future bacterial growth. Vodka has sugars? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/7 "2018-01-29T19:29:57Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Vodka has sugars? :dubious: **Chimera** was talking about using alcohol as a disinfectant or cleaning agent – using it to _remove_ something (presumably, to remove sticky sugars). Probably the alcohol wouldn’t solubilize the sugars, so they get left behind. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/8 "2018-01-29T19:35:25Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > **Chimera** was talking about using alcohol as a disinfectant or cleaning agent – using it to _remove_ something (presumably, to remove sticky sugars). \*\* Probably the alcohol wouldn’t solubilize the sugars\*\*, so they get left behind. But the water in vodka would. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/9 "2018-01-29T19:42:31Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > But the water in vodka would. Well, if you and **Chimera** want to use your vodka for household cleaning tasks, I’m not going to stop you. Personally, if I drop a cinnamon bun, my first instinct isn’t to reach for the peppermint schanapps, you know? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/10 "2018-01-29T19:58:29Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Surfactants act on phase boundaries. Alcohol is miscible in water – no liquid phase boundaries there. And the liquid-air interface surface tension would be that of the alcohol-water mix, so it hasn’t changed. > > Small amounts of contaminants can create foam, though. Flavoring in the alchol and/or water, or simply residue in a re-used water bottle. The surface tension is between the alcohol-water mix and the air. A water-alcohol mix will have lower surface tension than pure water as noted by Sigene, so it is easier for bubbles to form even without other contaminants. You are correct that any contaminants can assist bubble formation even more. > [@Lightray](#): > > Well, if you and **Chimera** want to use your vodka for household cleaning tasks, I’m not going to stop you. Personally, if I drop a cinnamon bun, my first instinct isn’t to reach for the peppermint schanapps, you know? I took **Chimera’s** to mean that any liquor had sugars, which might be true for some liqueurs but not vodka. If he’s talking about cleaning up some sugary mess with liquor, then vodka won’t work as well as plain water, but the water in it will still do a descent job dissolving sugar. If you’re talking about cleaning with schnapps (which includes a lot of added sugars), then obviously that’s a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-vodka-a-surfactant/807734/11 "2018-01-29T22:33:34Z")
Unflavored vodkas shouldn’t have any sugars. Some people do use it, or Everclear, as a household cleaning agent, and in addition to being miscible with water, it’s an excellent co-solvent. In other words, things that don’t dissolve in water may dissolve in alcohol, which then dissolves in water. That’s the REAL reason why cough syrups contain a nominal amount of alcohol.