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Cleaning your PC with expired isopropyl alcohol can be risky — here's why

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Cleaning your PC with expired isopropyl alcohol can be risky — here's why

That bottle in your cabinet may not be as safe for electronics as you think.

Both the interior and exterior of your PC can get quite dirty, especially if you keep it on the floor. For many people, isopropyl alcohol is a go-to electronics cleanser, as it's known as one of the only safe-but-strong substances you can use to clean your phone screen. However, if your bottle has been sitting for a long time, it might not be as safe as you think.

Isopropyl alcohol has a pretty impressive shelf life, with a peak quality for about three years following its manufacturing date, depending on the brand. That doesn't mean it goes bad as soon as the calendar hits that date, particularly if it's been stored away from excessive heat and sunlight, but you might not want to use a bottle a decade past its prime on sensitive computer parts.

The general range for isopropyl alcohol that's safe for cleaning electronics is between 90 and 99 percent. These concentrations contain much less water and evaporate faster, leaving less chance for any lingering moisture to harm sensitive components. It doesn't take a technology buff to know that water plus electronics is generally a bad idea.

Isopropyl alcohol is also hygroscopic, which means it has the ability to attract water molecules from the surrounding environment. It can do this through tiny gaps, even with the cap closed, and slowly become diluted over time. Generally speaking, isopropyl alcohol will absorb moisture until it reaches an equilibrium of about 65 percent alcohol and 35 percent water.


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