What Happens If You Drink Rubbing Alcohol? (2024)

FAQs

What Happens If You Drink Rubbing Alcohol?? ›

If consumed to intoxication, the substance can lead to organ damage. Because it's a central nervous system depressant, side effects can include dizziness, headaches and inebriation. Because it's a gastrointestinal irritant, it can cause nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting blood.

No, you should not use rubbing alcohol as a mouthwash. Rubbing alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol, is not intended for oral use and can be harmful if ingested. It is designed for external use only, such as for disinfecting surfaces or sterilizing skin before injections.

Properties. All rubbing alcohols are volatile and flammable. Ethyl rubbing alcohol has an extremely bitter taste from additives.

Most importantly, if you suspect an infant or child has ingested alcohol, immediately call the Poison Help Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.

The only downside of 99% isopropyl alcohol is that, understandably, it needs to be used and stored properly. In this concentration, it is highly flammable, may cause dizziness if used in high quantities in an ill-ventilated area, and can be an irritant to skin and eyes. Of course, it should also never be ingested.

The Bottom Line

Rubbing alcohol is a widely available household product often used to disinfect wounds. It is most commonly 70% isopropyl alcohol. It can be toxic if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.

Alcohol in any form, when put in your mouth, can be detrimental to your oral health, especially if entering your mouth more than twice a day. For example, rinsing with mouthwash containing ethanol – a colorless alcohol – may put you at a higher risk of oral cancer.

And it's best to not try to disinfect large areas of your body with rubbing alcohol. It can damage your skin cells.

The Difference Between Beverage Alcohol and Rubbing Alcohol

Ethyl alcohol is an addictive central nervous system depressant that causes physical dependency and profound withdrawal symptoms. Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol, and drinking as little as 8 ounces — less than one beer — can be fatal.

What happens when you mix water and isopropyl alcohol? ›

When the molecules of isopropyl alcohol or methanol slip between the water molecules, the volume decreases as the molecules in the mixed liquid become more compacted. The density of water is 1g/mL while the density of isopropyl alcohol is 0.785 g/mL and the density of methanol is 0.792 g/mL.

Rubbing alcohol, or isopropyl, has several potential uses in personal care, as well as in general household cleaning. These include skin cleansing and disinfecting. However, the incorrect use of rubbing alcohol can cause serious side effects, including skin irritation and poisoning.

Easiest method is to smell it. Second best is flame test. Soak cotton ball in liquid and light it, while remaining safe. Pure 70% or higher isopropyl alcohol burns with a blue flame.

Isopropyl alcohol is quickly absorbed through the skin, and large amounts applied topically can be inhaled, which can lead to alcohol poisoning and other problems.

But, these products can cause eye redness and stinging. Eye contact with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl or hand sanitizer) is most often harmless, But it can cause a burn on the cornea. If symptoms occur, they will often go away with brief washing out of the eye now.