# Using finger nail polish remover as lighter fluid in a pinch..bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168 "2008-06-17T00:20:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/21 "2008-06-17T07:54:02Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] Should’ve just used gasoline. I mean, it’s all going to burn away anyway. [/QUOTE] [… That’s why they call him ‘Skinless Frank’.](http://www.jameshyman.com/blog/archives/hellraiserfrank.jpg) /Approves //What’s your pleasure, sir? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/22 "2008-06-17T08:06:08Z")
[MSDS for acetone](http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/PR/propanone.html) > [@](#): > > May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. Irritant. Liquid may cause permanent eye damage (corneal clouding). Contact with skin may cause defatting, leading to irritation. Long-term exposure may cause liver damage. Typical TLV 750 ppm. Typical OEL 250 ppm. Please don’t mess with chemicals. Please don’t give out bad advice on chemicals based on something you might have heard somewhere from a friend of a friend’s dog when you were 13. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/23 "2008-06-17T08:32:19Z")
Yes, acetone is toxic, but I cannot believe people are saying it’s such a bad idea to light a barbecue with it. There is no way that any acetone is going to be present after even 5 minutes of burn time, let alone by the time you start cooking with it. Acetone is extremely volatile and will very rapidly burn off. (Back in chemistry lab we used acetone for the precise reason that it _is_ extremely volatile - after washing glassware in soapy water, we would then rinse with acetone, which would carry away the remaining water and dry extremely quickly, so the glassware would be totally dry almost immediately.) As others have pointed out, BBQ lighter fluid is also toxic. The point is that it burns - it’s not going to end up on your food. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/24 "2008-06-17T08:56:10Z")
I can always taste it on the food when charcoal lighting fluid has been used to get a BBQ going - I’m not convinced that everything does burn away completely before the charcoal reaches cooking point. Charcoal is pretty absorbent - even fairly volatile liquids could remain in the unburned centre of a chunk or briquette of charcoal, I think. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/25 "2008-06-17T14:10:54Z")
The problem with using acetone to light your charcoal isn’t that it’s toxic. It’s the likelihood of it vaporizing and going boom instead of lighting nicely. Again from the MSDS: [http://www.bu.edu/es/labsafety/ESMSDSs/MSAcetone.html#anchor889118](http://www.bu.edu/es/labsafety/ESMSDSs/MSAcetone.html#anchor889118) Naptha, found in cigarette lighter fluid or Coleman fuel, would be a much more reasonable thing to use. They don’t contain the kerosene fractions that are in the charcoal lighter, and will burn too quickly, but they aren’t grossly dissimilar. Some care would be called for as they are a bit more volatile. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/26 "2008-06-17T14:57:22Z")
The real trouble with mixing and matching burning fluids is vapor pressure differences. You get something with a high vapor pressure like ether and your asking for trouble. I don’t know what the vapor pressure of gasoline is, but there is a lot of energy in it so it wont take much to explode. I’ve seen acetone on fire before. It looks like an alcohol fire. It doesn’t look like a really high energy fire. At least on a still day, I probably wouldn’t let it sit too long before lighting it. This could allow the heavier acetone vapors to collect in the base of the grill. Some nail polish removers are ethyl acetate, but I expect the characteristics will be very similar. Usually, if you use a reasonable amount of lighter fluid, you can’t taste it in the meat. The trouble is, many backyard chefs drench it because they aren’t experienced at getting the coals started. An alternative I have heard of is using denatured ethanol. Just as with the acetone, I wouldn’t let it sit too long before lighting it. Also, if your patient, it isn’t too hard to get coals lit with a coffee can open at both ends and some kindling. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/27 "2008-06-17T15:20:09Z")
[QUOTE=WarmNPrickly] I don’t know what the vapor pressure of gasoline is, but there is a lot of energy in it so it wont take much to explode. [/QUOTE] Good luck getting gasoline to explode when it’s not in a pressurized system. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/28 "2008-06-17T15:29:56Z")
[QUOTE=WarmNPrickly] Also, if your patient, it isn’t too hard to get coals lit with a coffee can open at both ends and some kindling. [/QUOTE] [Or you could get one of these. No patience required.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9911389&postcount=8) ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/29 "2008-06-17T16:34:12Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] Good luck getting gasoline to explode when it’s not in a pressurized system. [/quote] Your talking about a bomb. You don’t need a pressurized system to get an explosion, you just need a good mix of an oxidant, fuel and a large increase in volume. Maybe you would prefer to call it a flash fire. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/30 "2008-06-17T16:53:18Z")
Heck, who needs lighter fluid? I’ve never used it. A chimney (as others are posted) is good, but even that’s not necessary. To light a fire 100% of the time all you need is some newspaper and some sticks (mostly so the charcoal is not touching the newspaper). 1. Take the newspaper and roll it into a tube diagonally (to make the biggest tube). 2. Tie the tube into an overhand knot. 3. Repeat until you have two or three of these newspaper “pretzels.” 4. Put the pretzels in the grill. 5. Put some sticks on top of the pretzels. 6. Put your coals on top of the sticks. 7. Light the ends of the pretzels. That’s it. I’ve never had it fail. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/31 "2008-06-17T18:01:30Z")
“Fingernail polish remover” is only \*mostly \* acetone. There’s usually a host of other stuff mixed in that’s not necessarily barbecue-appropriate - glycerin to counteract acetone’s wicked skin de-fatting abilities, colors and fragrances. The stuff \*\*Colophon \*\* was using in the lab is probably “technical” grade acetone - pure enough for washing, and far purer than anything you’d find at the hardware store. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/32 "2008-06-17T20:06:37Z")
[QUOTE=WarmNPrickly] Your talking about a bomb. You don’t need a pressurized system to get an explosion, you just need a good mix of an oxidant, fuel and a large increase in volume. Maybe you would prefer to call it a flash fire. [/QUOTE] Or a deflagration. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/33 "2008-06-17T20:52:07Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] Good luck getting gasoline to explode when it’s not in a pressurized system. [/QUOTE] Per NIOSH, gasoline LEL: 1.4%, UEL: 7.6%. One doesn’t appear to need much luck with that range. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/34 "2008-06-18T12:57:49Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] Per NIOSH, gasoline LEL: 1.4%, UEL: 7.6%. One doesn’t appear to need much luck with that range. [/QUOTE] You’ve actually quoted the values for the “Lower Explosive or Flammable Limit” (LEL/LFL) and the UEL/UFL. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/35 "2008-06-18T13:03:36Z")
[QUOTE=WarmNPrickly] Your talking about a bomb. You don’t need a pressurized system to get an explosion, you just need a good mix of an oxidant, fuel and a large increase in volume. Maybe you would prefer to call it a flash fire. [/QUOTE] Yes. Doesn’t really matter whether the effect is ‘BOOM’ or ‘FOOM’ - when it happens in your face as you light the charcoal, it’s bad. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168/36 "2008-06-18T13:27:16Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Yes. Doesn’t really matter whether the effect is ‘BOOM’ or ‘FOOM’ - when it happens in your face as you light the charcoal, it’s bad. [/QUOTE] True. That’s one of the reasons none of us are going to use gasoline to start our next BBQ. I’m just being technical, I can’t help it; there’s an itch in my brain that needs to be scratched whenever I start talking about combustables. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-finger-nail-polish-remover-as-lighter-fluid-in-a-pinch-bad/453168.md?page=1)