Today we have a great article discussing the truth about ethanol vs rubbing alcohol for cleaning purposes!
Over the last few years, I have received some emails from readers about swapping out vodka for the rubbing alcohol we use. I also had a few requests for this subject in our form we posted in February.
So, I thought this would be a great article to share with you!
This is the truth about ethanol vs rubbing alcohol for cleaning. I will share with you the chemistry of each one, then how you can use them.
The Truth About Ethanol vs Rubbing Alcohol For Cleaning Purposes
Here on Chemistry Cachet, we like to use rubbing alcohol for cleaning. We make things like lemon infused rubbing alcohol for cleaning because it makes a BETTER all-purpose cleaner compared to vinegar. In modern day homes, most people have some type of natural stone surface like marble, granite, or travertine. Since vinegar is damaging to surfaces like this, rubbing alcohol makes a great addition to DIY cleaning products.
Plus it works to disinfect, clean, and eliminate odors.
We have a few homemade room sprays on the website which call for alcohol, but instead of rubbing alcohol, we use ethanol in the form of vodka.
So, you might have wondered what the difference is between the two? Or can you swap them out in cleaning?
Let’s breakdown the simple and quick chemistry overview of each one (note we won’t go into the in-depth chemistry of how each one is made for this post).
Quick Chemistry of Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol aka isopropyl alcohol aka isopropanol has the chemical equation C3H80. It contains 3 carbons, 8 hydrogens, and one oxygen. All alcohols contain an OH group (oxygen and hydrogen).
The boiling point is 180.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Historically, rubbing alcohol was first produced in 1920 by an oil company by hydrating propene. It was then oxidized to acetone. They discovered years later the disinfecting properties of the isopropanol.
Quick Chemistry of Ethanol
Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol has the chemical equation C2H60. It contains 2 carbons, 6 hydrogens, and an oxygen. Just like I mentioned above, all alcohols contain an OH group.
The boiling point 172.7 degrees Fahrenheit (just slightly lower than rubbing alcohol).
Drinking alcohols are produced through fermentation. For instance Vodka is produced from starchy or sugary products like potatoes, fruits, or sugars. Here is an article from Live Science that goes into detail on the fermentation of vodka.
Sciencing.com has a little more detail breaking down the alcohol groups and synthesis of ethanol.
Understanding the alcohol chemistry and similarity between these two substances shows how similar they are. How does this relate to cleaning?
What do experts say about ethanol vs rubbing alcohol for cleaning?
According to this study comparing ethanol based wipes to isopropanol based wipes, neither was found to be more superior than the other. In fact, they both did a good job of disinfecting.
Berkshire, the leader of global contamination control, states isopropyl alcohol is used for cleaning simply because it would be hard to get permits for using ethanol as a cleaning agent due to the fact it is heavily regulated by the federal government.
This article from The Stranger answers the question about vodka being able to kill bacteria. The person was wondering if the contamination of fruit would be okay. It brings up a good point that typical ethanol, like vodka, is 40% alcohol. Not enough to really kill viruses or bacteria.
There is a big difference between cleaning an disinfecting, and research shows that 70% rubbing alcohol is the most optimum concentration for sporicidal activity.
My experience using ethanol or rubbing alcohol for cleaning
While the experts have things to say regarding the disinfecting properties, I have used both in cleaning to see which performed better.
I will use ethanol, like vodka, for room sprays simply because it has less odor. You don’t really need something potent for things like this.
In our DIY cleaners, rubbing alcohol works better. I’ve tested it out using both ethanol and rubbing alcohol, the results were better with rubbing alcohol. For both cleaning and disinfecting.
Rubbing alcohol is cheap and can be purchased anywhere unlike ethanol, so that’s another reason I use it.
Ethanol vs Rubbing Alcohol for Cleaning on Chemistry Cachet
Science proves they are similar in properties, but I prefer rubbing alcohol for cleaning.
If for some reason you hate the smell of rubbing alcohol, you can sub a white ethanol (vodka). Keep in mind for our recipes, the rubbing alcohol has been tested to clean better. This means it removed more dirt, grim, or food stains. It also left less streaks. Vodka isn’t going to be as high in alcohol concentration either.
On Chemistry Cachet, we recommend rubbing alcohol for our DIY cleaners.
Rubbing Alcohol VS Ethanol for Disinfecting
Here is the most important information regarding rubbing alcohol vs drinking alcohol for DISINFECTING. There is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. For proper disinfecting according to the CDC, it must be 60% or more alcohol. This means most drinking alcohols will not disinfect like rubbing alcohol. You will need to get 120 proof alcohol to meet the 60% recommendations.
What If You Can’t Find Rubbing Alcohol?
We are adding this update in our post because as of right now in 2020, readers are having trouble finding rubbing alcohol in stores!
If you are having trouble finding rubbing alcohol, then you can substitute a white ethanol like vodka or everclear. Remember, proof and percentage of alcohol are different. To get a drinking alcohol with at least 60% alcohol, you need to get alcohol that is 120 proof. Most Vodka you find at the store is 80 proof which is only 40% alcohol…so keep this in mind.
Only substitute drinking alcohol if you are unable to find rubbing alcohol for disinfecting.
What about denatured alcohol?
Denatured alcohol is ethanol that has been poisoned so it cannot be ingested, but works like ethanol.
Do NOT use denatured alcohol for cleaning! It’s dangerous and unnecessary. Learn more about deantured alcohol from Science Direct.
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Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.
Could you switch out Everclear for the vodka to disinfect? I use this to paint on my cakes, it dries quickly and leaves no taste behind. Just don’t drink it as it’s 190 proof! The proof drops a bit once it’s opened. I’ve used it to degunk metal, too. Love all this explaintion you give! My kind of site.
You can definitely use it like vodka. Any clear alcohol 🙂 Thanks so much!! Glad you enjoy!
This was fascinating to read! I use rubbing/isopropyl alcohol for cleaning. I have both 70% and 90% – do you prefer the 90%? I know you talked about vodka for room fresheners, etc. Each has its purpose… 🙂
I use both in cleaning. The 90% mixes well with all of my homemade cleaners, so I use it often. The 70% can be better for disinfecting. Both work great for cleaning! Thanks Laurie!!
I have just starting using a mixture for granite that might be from you but my daughter gave it to me. Water, alcohol, Dawn & a couple drops of lemon essential oil. I re-made it and left out the lemon because I wanted to be able to use it on marble bathroom vanities too. I love this mixture and have been using it to clean other things too. It’s just great!
That is definitely like our all-purpose cleaner, minus the lemon essential oil 🙂 The one from our eBook can be used on every surface, even mirrors. Alcohol is such a great cleaner!
It is common practice in the theatre/film world to use a water/vodka spray to control odor on costumes between cleanings. We believe that it kills the odor-causing bacteria. Is this true? If true, what should the water/vodka ratio be?
It does help with odor control! I use a solution in this homemade air freshener. The ratio is a good one. You can use this without the oils too.
I’m fascinated by the chemistry behind your articles, and especially this one! It gives me the chemical breakdown for rubbing alcohol.
I have an acute sensitivity to rubbing alcohol. The smell causes my blood pressure to drop so rapidly that I pass out. I can’t risk having it in the house, and I’m always looking for alternatives for it.
My sensitivity extends to ether and formaldehyde. Can you provide me with the chemical breakdown for these, too? Thanks!
BTW, High school biology teachers couldn’t get me out of their classrooms fast enough!! They didn’t like having to pick me up off the floor!!
That is really interesting! Formaldehyde is usually produced by the catalytic oxidation of methanol. You can get a formation of ether by the dehydration of alcohol!
I have using rubbing alcohol for tough cleaning around the house, everyday cleaning i use vinegar. But I recently read that rubbing alcohol leaves a film after cleaning and that can be dangerous and poisonous for children, specially is used to disinfect toys or around the area where children play. What are your thoughts?
It’s more safe than traditional storebought cleaners, which contain alcohols and numerous other substances. I prefer it for all-purpose cleaning because it is safe for all surfaces even natural stone. It doesn’t leave a film when mixed with other ingredients. As far as baby items, I always use baby specific items for my daughter, or just soak her items in hot water, dish soap, and baking soda
What a moronic and poorly written blog post
LOL I always wonder why people take the time to comment hateful things ?
Me, too! I’m with ya’! What a moronic and poorly written comment! LOL
Lol 🙂
Great Post. Question; why does 70% rubbing alcohol disinfect better than 90%?
It penetrates cell walls better and more quickly. You can read more in this post about rubbing alcohol.
I found and bought 70% ethanol from the drugstore. Unlike vodka it stinks to high heaven. I’m assuming the manufacturer put something in it to make it unpalatable because 1.99 a bottle sure beats the cost of vodka (which I don’t drink.) I was hoping to use it for my air fresheners but can’t. I can still use it for cleaning, right? (I understand it’s more flammable but I can’t stand wasting it lol.)
Are you referring to 70% rubbing alcohol? Or a cheap 70% ethanol for drinking? You can use both for cleaning. I use rubbing alcohol for everything. If it is a cheap ethanol (drinking alcohol), you can still use it for cleaning. The only reason to worry about the flammable aspect is cleaning near ovens or stoves. I always recommend waiting for it to dry or wipe it off completely if using on a stove top. Other than that, it is good for everything
This is interesting but could you please recommend which ingredient you would use to make a hand sanitiser for fairly sensitive skin? Thanks.
This is our hand sanitizer recipe. It has very little rubbing alcohol in it, so it is usually good for all skin types. You can eliminate the rubbing alcohol completely, but it won’t have as much of the sanitizing impact.
Here is the recipe.
Hi, I want to disinfect my pedicure tools. It is recommended to use 99 percent isopropyl alcohol. It seems that it is very expensive now. Can I substitute vodka? Thanks.
Stephanie
I would use 70 % rubbing alcohol if that’s easier to find. It will work better than vodka
Thanks for this great article!!! I use vodka in my homemade herbal hand sanitizer and love it! I have a super specific question for you. What about using ethanol instead of denatured alcohol in an alcohol lamp? I’m using the lamp as I repair my flute, which is silver. I know that denatured alcohol doesn’t discolor the silver. Would vodka? Thanks in advance!!! : )
Vodka can work the same, but there are sugars in it, so that might not be good. I would try to test a small area first and see how it works. Thanks so much!!
Alexis, if we add water to 70% rubbing alcohol to make cleaners, doesn’t that reduce it’s bacteria-killing ability? Thank you.
Yes it does. For the best disinfecting, pure rubbing alcohol is the best way. I spray pure isopropyl alcohol on surfaces to disinfect after cleaning with the regular cleaner
Thank you for the update, and your time to explain the differences! I hope you have a speedy recovery from your surgery! Stay safe ?
Thanks so much April!
Alexis,
Using 90% isopropyl alcohol will evaporate too quick before entirely killing all viruses..
Isn’t it better to min it with 20% water to make it 70% ?
You can mix it with water to dilute it. 91% alcohol isn’t as effective at killing viral strands because it can’t penetrate the cell wall as well as 70% can according to scientific studies.
Hi Alexis. Great blog!
I live in a part of the country where they don’t sell non-ethanol gasoline (I have to drive 50 miles for it). My lawn mower and trimmer have a real hard time using the gas with ethanol in it. As I’m sure you know, ethanol attracts water, so if I don’t empty my lawn mower of gas each time I use it, the ethanol in the carburetor collects water and therefore causes my engine trouble to starting.
My solution is to pour about a cup of water into a gallon of gasoline, shake it then let the mixture sit. After about 30 minutes the ethanol bonds to the water and will separate itself from the gas and sink to the bottom. I’ll then drain it it and I’ll have pure gas. It works great!
My question is about the left over ethanol/water mixture: I’ve been considering using a chemists flask and fractional distiller to separate the water from the ethanol (different boiling points). Would the resulting ethanol be useable for sanitation? I’m assuming it would be ok to use in the garage for projects but I probably wouldn’t want to use it inside the house. I wouldn’t know it’s percentage or it’s quality. I could even have some residual chemicals left over from the gasoline that may not be safe.
What’s your recommendation? Would I be better off safely disposing is the ethanol/water mixture or is there a way to accomplish separating useable ethanol?
I don’t have much experience with this type of separation. Theoretically, you can separate the ethanol, but I am not sure how to safely do it at home. I would recommend safe disposal for the ethanol and water. Sorry I don’t have more experience in that area to share with you!
Hello Alexis, I couldn’t find rubbing alcohol anywhere. I bought a very expensive Ethyl Alcohol Lab grade at 95% Denatured. (These are the contents per label: Ethyl Alcohol 64-17-5, Water 7732-18-5, Isopropyl Alcohol 67-63-0, Methanol 67-56-1). Please tell me, I can still use it to make my disinfecting wipes. If so, what would be the formula for mixing. Thanks for the advise.
Denatured alcohol should only be used laboratory or educational use. Methanol is highly toxic and dangerous for skin. This cannot be used for cleaning or disinfecting! IF you can’t find rubbing alcohol the next thing to purchase is drinking alcohol like vodka or everclear. Here is a recent post on keeping germs out and tips: https://chemistrycachet.com/ways-to-keep-germs-out-of-your-home/
Hi Alexis,
Thanks so much for all of this information and discussion. I have a bottle of Everclear (95% alcohol), and a bottle of vodka (40% alcohol). To make an effective anti-viral disinfectant, which I put in spray bottles, is it as simple as just combining the two in the proper proportion to yield 70% alcohol- roughly 1 part + a bit of the Everclear to 1 part of the Vodka?
What is the proof of the ever clear? I would mix 1 cup of everclear, if it is definitely 95%, and 1/3 cup water to get around 70% alcohol. Most everclear I have seen is 120 proof, if it is that, just use it straight. Let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂
Thanks Alexis. It definitely is the 190 proof Everclear. Not being much of a drinker, I figured I’d put the vodka to better use under the circumstances- but now I remember reading that the presence of water aids in the anti-microbial action in hand sanitizing. Thanks again!
No problem 🙂
Hi! I’m from Mexico and I’m trying to make your version of Clorox wipes. I have store bought alcohol for first aid kits. It says it’s denaturalized ethylic alcohol CH3 CH2 OH. 68.7 – 71.5%. Can I use this? Or should I get something different?
Hi Kate! I do not like using denatured alcohol for cleaning purposes because it is toxic. If you are able to find an isopropyl alcohol that is best! The next best thing would be a 120 proof drinking alcohol like everclear. Isopropyl is best for cleaning though
Hi i Alexis: I recently bought 80% ethanol from Menards and thought it would be great to mix with an essential oil for cleaning. Of course, this was a while back when nothing was available including any disinfecting cleaners. Can I still use it effectively? If so, what is the mix I should use?
Hi! Does the label say it is denatured? Feel free to email me a picture chemistrycachet @ gmail.com so I can double check
We have purchased a fair quantity of 200 proof ethyl alcohol and diluted it with distilled water to a 7:3 ratio. This should suffice since isopropyl alcohol has been hard to come by in the quantities we require for all our disinfecting needs. Do you have an article about this type of comparison?
Sorry for the delayed response, this was in spam! I don’t have an article on this in particular. This type of alcohol is best in a laboratory setting and is typically used in testing/research based uses. Since rubbing alcohol is hard to come by, it can be used temporarily. It is not as safe for home use, so be cautious with it. If it is a denatured alcohol, I do not recommend it for cleaning. If it is not denatured, you can use it with caution until rubbing alcohol is found.
Can i use ethanol 96 % to clean bearings.
Yes you can. 99% is recommended, but anything 96% or more is okay
In Australia, isopropyl alcohol is incredibly expensive: over $50 for a Litre.
However our denatured alcohol (called “methylated spirits” for historic reasons I think) is less than $5 for a Litre.
Our denatured acohol is 95% ethanol, 5% demineralised water, and the Product Safety Sheets indicate it is significantly less toxic than isopro, especially when sprayed. But most information online about DIY cleaning products dismisses non-drinking ethanol out of hand, which is frustrating.
I’d love to see a comparison of those two (eg. 95% ethanol/95% isopropyl alcohol), rather than of drinking alcohol.
I have this information at the bottom of this post, but I do not like or recommend denatured alcohol. It is used mainly for laboratory settings. It is dangerous for DIY cleaners. In fact, there have been so many hand sanitizers recalled the last few months due to large percentage of ethanol. People are using it because it is cheaper and easier to find right now. The only substitute you can safely use is drinking alcohol at 120 proof. Or you can switch gears and use hydrogen peroxide for homemade uses. Here is a post comparing that.
Thanks for this very informative article Alexis! Do you happen to know if one can use Everclear to remove ink from clothes, say, instead of using hairspray to do the same? Thanks again!
Hi! I think rubbing alcohol is best for removing ink. Everclear will work too, but it will require more scrubbing!
The paragraph were it starts “Berkshire,The leader of contamination control, states isopropyl Alcohol is used for cleaning Simply Because it would be hard to get permits For using it to clean Because it is heavily regulated by the federal government” is there a typo? I’m not sure what the statement means. Thanks in advance. I found the page looking for information about Neem oil and the ability to kill roaches but this article was informative!
Hey! Thanks for the question! For some reason that link doesn’t show up correctly. The link paragraph reads” isopropyl alcohol is used for cleaning simply because it would be hard to get permits for using ethanol as a cleaning agent due to the fact it is heavily regulated by the federal government. ” Hope this helps
Your reply cleared up my misunderstanding && Thanks for the quick response. I’m new here and can already tell I’m going to love learning here. Forgive me in advance if I ask too many questions.
No problem! We love questions, feel free to reach out anytime 🙂