Re: Ear-cleaner

["Deb & Boyd McFail" <bdmcfail@alaska.net>]

errrr... gina, we're using the 99% isoprophyl here. Do you have Safeway stores
down there? I can't remember how far west that chain goes but it's on the
shelves here. Wait.. let me go check to make sure of the percentage....

yes... 99% is what the bottle says.

debs

----------
>From: Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>
>To: brierpups@fast.cs.utah.edu
>Subject: Ear-cleaner
>Date: Thu, May 3, 2001, 11:31 AM
>

> Every Spring on ALL the Golden lists this recipe comes up.  Today it came
> up so I snatched it for you all:
>
>
>
> 1 pint 90% isopropyl alcohol (aka isopropanol)
> preferred over 80% or 70%; and
> 1 scant tablespoon of powdered boric acid.
>
> Both of these can be obtained at Payless, Riteaide,
> Savon, etc.
>
> Shake together in the pint bottle to dissolve as much
> as possible. There will always be a little insoluble
> particles in the solution. Decant a portion for use
> into a small squeeze bottle & use that to fill ear
> canal and rub around. Once or twice a day for two
> days has cleared up the worst yeast infection we ever
> had. A quick squirt after hunting in the sloughs of
> farm country totally prevents any infection for us.
> Be sure to keep most of the solution in the pint
> bottle and tightly capped. This stuff will absorb
> water right out of the air (reducing it's
> effectiveness) until it is 70%.
>
> Just a little on the mode of action of the alcohol
> will help you make the best substitution when you
> can't find 90% isopropanol. The alcohol does two
> things. It sterilizes the ear canal by desiccating
> and rupturing the single cell organisms in there;
> i.e., fungi (such as yeast) and bacteria. Second, it
> dries the ear by rinsing out most of the water
> molecules and taking the rest out by co-evaporation.
> Both of these functions depend on the alcohol being
> hydrophilic and the lower the water content the more
> hydrophilic the alcohol will be. Ten-percent water
> (90% alcohol)is apparently low enough for optimum
> results. Thirty-percent water (70% alcohol) will see
> a substantial drop in hydrophilicity as I think this
> is close to the equilibrium one reaches if alcohol is
> left uncapped and absorbs water from the air (which
> explains why 70% is cheaper to make as the handling is
> not as critical). It's better than nothing, however.
> BTW, the lack of hydrophilicity is one of the reasons
> that vinegar solutions tend not to work as well since
> vinegar is about 70% water. So the bottom line is 1)
> you want to be above 70% if you can, and 2) there is
> no advantage (or harm) to going over 90%.
>
> Now, what if you can't find 90% isopropanol. You
> could use denatured ethanol (ethyl alcohol) just as
> readily. I have had just as good a result with this
> substitution. It costs more, and to find 90% you may
> need to look/ask for it. I've noticed where I shop
> that 90% (or higher) ethanol is not shelved with the
> rubbing alcohol, but with diabetic supplies. As has
> been mentioned, avoid methanol (aka methyl alcohol) as
> it is toxic (but the tiny amount used to denature
> ethanol is ok for external use).
>