# Liquor as an antiseptic **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 21, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513 "2011-01-21T23:34:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/1 "2011-01-21T23:34:57Z")
[Column.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2978/can-liquor-be-used-as-an-emergency-antiseptic) The column inspired me to take a look at the little bottle of antibacterial gel I carry with me in case of a need to clean my hands without other means. The active ingredient is 62% ethyl alcohol. However, the stuff evaporates in seconds. Am I doing any good at all? Though the column doesn’t address this directly, it seems that more time would be needed for effective de-germification–I’m guessing my hands are less hospitable to bacteria than beef broth but more than a glass thermometer. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/2 "2011-01-22T02:59:28Z")
I don’t have a good hard answer for you off the cuff, other than my initial recollection from looking this up once is that even for the short time they act, the hand sanitizers are pretty effective against some common bacteria, not so against others which mercifully are less common. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/3 "2011-01-22T03:10:50Z")
So, is that topless lady in the background meant to be **Una** or **Fierra**? Or did Slug just decide that he didn’t need any excuse to put in a topless woman? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/4 "2011-01-22T04:08:34Z")
I confess I’m not entirely sure what’s happening in that illustration; I may need to look at the high-res version. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/5 "2011-01-22T07:22:18Z")
Yeah, but where are your knees? I was expecting a picture of someone eating off them. ---
**Author:** ![Caveat\_lector\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/6 "2011-01-22T18:02:56Z")
I just assumed with a women getting dressed and the comments about how dirty the groin were that the cowboy felt the need to purify his mouth for some reason… ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/7 "2011-01-22T18:18:10Z")
> [@Caveat\_lector\_1](#): > > I just assumed with a women getting dressed and the comments about how dirty the groin were that the cowboy felt the need to purify his mouth for some reason… Yes, I thought it was yet another example of where Slug’s mind often dwells. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/8 "2011-01-22T20:36:35Z")
The wiki article on Everclear claims that [this article](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88911/?tool=pmcentrez) says that Everclear can be used as an antiseptic. ---
**Author:** ![Apalach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Apalach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apalach)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/9 "2011-01-22T21:35:26Z")
Cecil, Great column, but I certainly hope that you have afforded Una some robust and comprehensive health coverage as a condition for working with/for you! ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/10 "2011-01-23T00:48:36Z")
> [@Apalach](#): > > Cecil, > Great column, but I certainly hope that you have afforded Una some robust and comprehensive health coverage as a condition for working with/for you! What, you mean besides the free alcohol? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/11 "2011-01-23T02:33:29Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > What, you mean besides the free alcohol? Wait until you see the experiment I did for next week’s column…it involved 6 gallons of beer. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/12 "2011-01-23T09:30:20Z")
Ya know, Una, I totally heart you. You are the wind beneath my wings! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/13 "2011-01-24T03:02:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I just assumed with a women getting dressed and the comments about how dirty the groin were that the cowboy felt the need to purify his mouth for some reason… More specifically, women swabbing each others’ sweaty groins. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/14 "2011-01-24T03:30:32Z")
I want to stress that “groin” in the context of the experiment means “the front side of where the diagonal line where the upper leg joins the torso”, and absolutely nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/15 "2011-01-24T13:17:30Z")
Dear **Slug** : Don’t drink and draw. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/16 "2011-01-24T13:32:29Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > I want to stress that “groin” in the context of the experiment means “the front side of where the diagonal line where the upper leg joins the torso”, and absolutely nothing else. Close enough for government work. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/17 "2011-01-24T21:38:44Z")
It’s not “close enough”, it’s what the word “groin” actually means. “Groin” for the genitalia is yet another sad case of an innocent word becoming almost useless after being used as a euphemism. ---
**Author:** ![NCDane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecccb3/32.png) [@NCDane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NCDane)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/18 "2011-01-24T22:36:23Z")
My sister, who is an RN at Georgetown (DC) University Hospital, relates that Chlorox is the preferred germ-killer for appications not involving contact with human skin. When I suggested alcohol she brushed me off. Now, thanks to Cecil, Una and Fierra, I know why. I would be curious to know whether anyone here can provide comparative stats in re Chlorox as a disinfectant. For that matter, how about Iodine? But what is the study involving beer, one of my favorite things (after certain anatomical features as, well, you can guess)? Please inform this thread ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/19 "2011-01-24T22:41:55Z")
> [@NCDane](#): > > But what is the study involving beer, one of my favorite things > (after certain anatomical features as, well, you can guess)? > Please inform this thread ASAP. You’ll have to wait 3 more days before it’s published. ---
**Author:** ![NCDane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecccb3/32.png) [@NCDane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NCDane)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513/20 "2011-01-24T22:49:08Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > You’ll have to wait 3 more days before it’s published. Thank you for the prompt reply. Thursday, January 27, 2011 it is, although I won’t be upset if you are not exactly on time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquor-as-an-antiseptic/568513.md?page=2)