Is 70% Isopropyl Alcohol Safe for Electronics?

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Introduction:

We all are well familiar with the word “Electronics”, but many of us do not know what it is. Well, electronic devices are those which work with the flow of electrons, and through plugging in the switch or with the battery.

The first electronic device, a remote switch was created in 1835. Later thousands of such devices which are controlled by electricity are invented. These are made very sophisticatedly by electrical engineers. These devices are made of so delicate wires and components from which even one gets fused or damaged, the device would stop working as a whole, as the current flow would be blocked.

Some of these devices work with the power supply when are plugged in the switches, others can simply operate if a battery is put into it. There are different batteries in sizes and power according to the devices. Some may need a single battery and some may work with multiple, it depends on how much electric power a device needs. We have compiled the best information about is 70% isopropyl safe for electronics in the article. We suggest you to have a look.

Examples of Electronic Devices:

You don’t have to think too much if you want to list the names of some electronic devices. Just look around and you will find many such devices.

$\"Examples$

A computer or a smart-phone which you are using to read this article, the TV in your lounge, the refrigerator in your kitchen, an Air-conditioned fitted on the wall of your living room, the washing machine kept in your laundry, these all are common electronic devices which you can easily find in any house. Besides, these main devices, a juicer machine, a chopper, a vacuum cleaner are too known as electronic devices.

How do Electronic Devices work?

These devices are made by the components made of conductors or semi-conductor material which control the flow of electrons in the device for its proper function.

$\"How$

These may need a cable attached to the device to be plugged in on a power supply switch to get access to the electric current to make it function, such as the television, refrigerator, oven, fax machine, juicer machine, washing machine and some which do not need a cable but operate with the aid of the battery such as the laptops, the smartphones, the calculators, the video camera, digital camera, etc.

Importance of Electronic Devices for us:

Imagine if there were no products such as electronic devices made, what impact it would have on our lifestyle? In the old days, when there was no such advancement, people used to do everything manually, which was time-consuming and tiresome too. Their lifestyle was very tough.

$\"Importance$

They used to wash their clothes manually, there was no ice, no cold water as we have today, no vacuum cleaner, no television to keep them aware of what’s going around, no mobile phones for communication, water was even pulled out of the tube-wells, hard-work was needed in every chore, every task. Whereas, today we have almost everything computerized, and electronically controlled which has made our lives easier, making us dependent on these advanced electronic devices.

A task that needed much energy and time is accomplished by putting on some switches or pressing some buttons. Without these essentials, our living would be difficult as we are now used to these facilities.

Maintenance and Care of Electronic Devices:

As we admit the importance of these inventions in our life, we should also pay heed to their maintenance and take proper care of these devices. We can do this by preventing them from dust, rain, water, and falling. If the water gets into the electric device, it may get damaged from inside and if water gets into it while it is on, then it is dangerous for you too as by touching it you can get an electric shock through it.

$\"Maintenance$

It is wise to cover the device if not in use so the dust doesn’t get in and cover the component in it which may cause malfunctioning of the device. Adding to it, always keep the electronic devices away from fire and heat which may too badly impact their working.

Always place them properly so they do not fall, because if they do so, some component inside may break or damage due to which it will stop working as there is always inside a very delicate and sensitive system installed. You should avoid overheating the device, don’t use it for hours continuously as the system inside may heat up and the wires and small components inside may be badly affected.

In case, there is a dim electric supply from the main powerhouse, switch off your device, like sudden extreme high and low power may cause the system in it to breakdown. So far, we talked about the preventive measures, now let’s talk about keeping them clean. There are different ways to clean the devices according to their make, we should never clean the electronic devices with too watery cloth, as the water may get in the device.

Some devices used in the kitchen such as juicers, choppers, etc. may be washed but not the electrical part, just the one in which you have blended or chopped your product, if you wash the machine part, you may be deprived of that product. Coming up to other devices such as the television, computer, vacuum cleaners, oven, mobile phones, these need to be cleaned properly.

Most of the people just go in cleaning them simply by damping cloth into the water and some use special solutions made for this purpose, for example; flawless clean spray, miracle spray, whoosh! Screen Cleaner, Eveo screen cleaner spray, etc. These compounds have alcohol with different concentrations. One compound of alcohol commonly used for cleaning electronic devices is isopropyl alcohol.

What is Isopropyl alcohol?

It is a strong, colorless, flammable compound that is made chemically by combining ethyl, methyl, and propanol as the other alcohols, it too has a strong smell.

$\"What$

It is used to clean electronic devices, and also when mixed with water is used as antiseptic, and for making medicines, aftershave lotions, and other cosmetics such as perfumes, body sprays.

Different isopropyl solutions

You may find isopropyl alcohol available in different concentrations in the market ranging from 60% to 90%. The more water you add to the solution, the concentration of alcohol would be less in it. For example, a solution with 90% isopropyl would have alcohol in a higher concentration, more strong as compared to the one with 60%, less strong. Therefore, the more water you add, the less concentrated would be the solution. As we know, isopropyl solution is available in the range of 60% to 90%, but the commonly used ones are 70% and 90% for cleaning purposes. It is used as a disinfectant too as it fights against different microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses. You should choose which one to use according to the nature of the product to be cleaned, if you want to clean the inner side of the electronic devices such as circuit components, 90% isopropyl would do good for you, and if you desire to clean metal or plastic surfaces, isopropyl 70% is the best choice.

Is 70% Isopropyl Alcohol Safe for Electronics?

Be now we have known that we can clean electronic devices which are made of metal and plastic by using 70% isopropyl and we should now see whether it is safe too or not. It is safe if you are using it at the outer part of the device, the screen, or the casing of the device, but it is now a wise idea to use it to clean the circuits or wires, for this 90 % isopropyl is the right choice, this is so because 90% has less quantity of water combined with it, and if you clean the sensitive electric components, it gets dry very quickly, hence not damaging them whereas, as you know 70% isopropyl has more water in it, therefore, it takes more time to dry.

How to clean the electronic device with 70% Isopropyl?

While using Isopropyl 70 for cleaning your device keep the following things in mind;

Make sure your device is switched off and all the cables are detached from it
Never directly spray on the device
Use lint-free cloth
Damp the cloth with the liquid
Carefully clean the screen and the surface with it
Use cotton swabs by soaking into the solution and clean the parts where the cloth cannot reach.
Make sure it never gets into any wholes of the devices.

Precautions While Using Isopropyl

Keep away from children, its intake can be very harmful may cause, dizziness, low blood pressure, nausea, slow breathing, problemed reflexes, even can lead to coma.
Make sure to keep it away from fire, because it is highly flammable, can easily catch fire
Make sure you wear gloves before using them, it may cause rash, itchiness, dryness on your skin, if accidentally spilled large amount may be poisonous.
Keep away from the eyes, in case affected, pour drops of water into your eyes for about half an hour, if you are wearing contact lenses, immediately remove them and follow the same method.

Final Conclusion:

As mentioned above and also through our experience we know that electronic devices are playing a very important role in our lives. Whether, an office employee, a housewife, a doctor, a teacher, a student, or a businessman we all are enjoying the benefits of these in the form of computers, smartphones, calculators, refrigerators, washing machines, fax machines, ATMs, televisions, routers and so on. Along with using these, we need to take care of their maintenance too, as even a little negligence may damage them. They should be kept away from water, dust, fire and kept safe from falling.

Regularly cleaning them is vital too for their proper maintenance and proper functioning. There are certain measures which are needed to be considered which should not be ignored in any case that as always switching off the device before cleaning, protecting the device from any damage, and preventing you from getting an electric shock.

Never use direct water and spray to clean the device, always make sure to use a lint-free clean cloth to clean the device and ensure to use a good quality spray, which is 70% isopropyl for the outer part of the device and 90% isopropyl for the inner side. You may use the cloth damp in water, but it may not be as effective.

We discussed isopropyl as an alcohol, a compound made by using methyl, ethyl, and propyl, used for cleaning and also been uses as antiseptic, and certain products such as perfumes, body sprays, medicines, and aftershave lotions also require it in their production.

It is a good product to use if you do so by taking some precautions but can be dangerous if you don’t pay heed to the preventive measures.

Before using any product, it may be you should always read the guidelines or information provided on it, this will keep you away from any mishap or accident. Therefore, make sure you keep isopropyl solution away from the reach of children, and whenever you use it, wear gloves, keep away from eyes, keep at a proper distance from the fire, as it is highly flammable and can catch fire, resulting in putting you in an unexpected situation.

Winding up our discussion, before selecting a product to clean our device we should keep in mind the properties of the product, a product suitable for one may not be as same for the other, as different solutions and tools would be needed to clean the complicated wires and components which make up the electronic system, hence the functioning of the device installed in the inner part and the outer part may be simply made of plastic or metal which may not require so many tools, just a clean cloth, and an isopropyl solution. You can keep your device’s outer case, clean, and rust-free by using isopropyl 70%, as it is considered the best for this purpose!

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