Clean CPU with alcohol you use for your hands?

[TeKNiQue]

I'm very sorry if this is in the wrong subforum. 

 

So, I need to clean my CPU from the thermal compound, and I don't have any of that fancy isopropyl alcohol. However, I do have some that you use to clean your hands with. So I was wondering if I could use that instead of buying some? I'm very sorry for not knowing exactly what kind of alcohol it is, and the box doesn't seem to help much.

 

 

[FireFox]

I'm very sorry if this is in the wrong subforum. 

 

So, I need to clean my CPU from the thermal compound, and I don't have any of that fancy isopropyl alcohol. However, I do have some that you use to clean your hands with. So I was wondering if I could use that instead of buying some? I'm very sorry for not knowing exactly what kind of alcohol it is, and the box doesn't seem to help much.

 

I wouldn't use that, I think those have like 70% alcohol in them, I think you need around 90+%

 

If you look around you can buy actual thermal paste remover that is cheap, I'd do that mate.

[helping]

If it's rubbing alcohol it should be the same. If you mean a medical alcohol pad then yes, if you mean some generic hand sanitizer wipe then I would probably use it as a last resort. I would buff it off with tissue or a towel before I'd use that. 


Alcohol isn't some magic compound that you absolutely NEED to clean a CPU. It's used for it's disassociative properties and high rate of evaporation. The whatever alcohol wipes you have should work, just keep those things in mind.

[JLCitadel]

I'm very sorry if this is in the wrong subforum. 

 

So, I need to clean my CPU from the thermal compound, and I don't have any of that fancy isopropyl alcohol. However, I do have some that you use to clean your hands with. So I was wondering if I could use that instead of buying some? I'm very sorry for not knowing exactly what kind of alcohol it is, and the box doesn't seem to help much.

 

Be more specific about what you have. Gosh linus.

[ba10s118]

I'm very sorry if this is in the wrong subforum. 

 

So, I need to clean my CPU from the thermal compound, and I don't have any of that fancy isopropyl alcohol. However, I do have some that you use to clean your hands with. So I was wondering if I could use that instead of buying some? I'm very sorry for not knowing exactly what kind of alcohol it is, and the box doesn't seem to help much.

That you use for your hands contains a lot of components for your skin, such as glycerol. I would highly recommend you NOT to use that.

[MeltyMoon]

I personally use this, and a coffee filter.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010

[TeKNiQue]

That you use for your hands contains a lot of components for your skin, such as glycerol. I would highly recommend you NOT to use that.

Hmm well it does say that it contains glycerin? Now that might be the swedish word for glycerol but google translate says it isn't. 

 

Thanks guys for your replies, and sorry for not being very specific. I will consider it. 

[Mozuto]

You can easily remove the thermal compound by a single Kleenex (or something like that)
I only use Isopropyl if I touched the CPU or the heatsink itself.

[ba10s118]

Hmm well it does say that it contains glycerin? Now that might be the swedish word for glycerol but google translate says it isn't. 

 

Thanks guys for your replies, and sorry for not being very specific. I will consider it. 

It's the same In danish glycerin is glycerol.

[dusty594]

Isopropyl is easy to come by. Pick some up at any pharmacy or "superstore." 90%+ is what you're looking for. It doesn't take very much to do the job, so I'd suggest buying the smallest container they have. Also I wouldn't suggest using kleenex or anything that leaves dust/particles behind. Use a microfibre cloth or coffee filters.

[TeKNiQue]

It's the same In danish glycerin is glycerol.

oh ok

[TeKNiQue]

Isopropyl is easy to come by. Pick some up at any pharmacy or "superstore." 90%+ is what you're looking for. It doesn't take very much to do the job, so I'd suggest buying the smallest container they have. Also I wouldn't suggest using kleenex or anything that leaves dust/particles behind. Use a microfibre cloth or coffee filters.

The problem here is that I'm poor as hell. I need all the money I can get for my mouse and keyboard, even if we're only talking a few bucks.

[needmorewood]

alcohol wipes should do the trick as far as i know

[mgsstar]

As long as it dries quickly and does the job it is fine. Just make sure that you don't get any of that on the motherboard.

[viliuks]

I use nail polish and some cotton.

[TeKNiQue]

As long as it dries quickly and does the job it is fine. Just make sure that you don't get any of that on the motherboard.

Yes it does dry fairly quickly. I tried it on a metal object and it worked good.

[SparkySamZa]

or u could use vinegar that's what i do aha molt vinegar works just fine haha 

[SMURG]

The stuff you use for your hands is specifically intended to not evaporate very quickly, since in order to adequately remove bacteria it has to hang around long enough to be effective. The stuff for cleaning CPUs is designed for the opposite - it's supposed to help you get the thermal paste off by acting as a solvent and then evaporate very quickly to leave a bone-dry surface behind.

[KamiKatze]

Unscented nail polish remover does the trick. The less ingredients there are on the bottle the better. Old nail polish remover is mostly made of acetone. be caerfull not to get it on plastic, it could dissolve it slightly. The new stuff is made of ethylacetate which is pretty much the same but less toxic. Nail pollish remover might also include glycerin and other shit, so be caerfull. Lesss ingredients is better. However i have already removed a good amount of paint off a fan without dissolving the fan itself. worked pretty cleanly except for the scent which i removed with isoprop.

 

Glycerin is another alcohol but also a component in most of the fats, it generally doesn't clean off as easy as other alcohols. It leaves a smeary layer.

 

You could go into the garage and see what kinds of fluids you have standing around there. Maybe some cleaner's naphtha, however that stuff ist even more dissolvative towardes plastic. It's basically a mixture of the most agressive solvents that you can find.

 

Those are some sponatnious ideas that came to my head.

[KamiKatze]

Gasoline from your lawnmower. Highly aggressive and highly flamable. But it's a good solvent (similar to cleaner's naphta) and evaporates easily.

[TeKNiQue]

Gasoline from your lawnmower. Highly aggressive and highly flamable. But it's a good solvent (similar to cleaner's naphta) and evaporates easily.

[Asgarth]

@FireFox is correct most the handwipes/ medical versions are on 70%

[Arndroid]

Nailpolish == Aceton

For what I know, Aceton is aggressive, and will also clean off the branding/logo on your CPU, it might leave ink marks because of that..?

 

I would avoid that option if I were you, and just get Artic Clean or/and 99.9% (or anything over 90%...) isopropyl alcohol.

I'm using 99.9% to clean the the CPU and cooler first till it is clean, and on top of that I use the Artic Clean solution.

 

Edit:

Also, don't use paper towels like toilet/kitchen paper.

If you don't have anything like an microfibre cloth, get some ol' coffee filters. (Coffee with hair? No thank you. )

[TeKNiQue]

Nailpolish == Aceton

For what I know, Aceton is aggressive, and will also clean off the branding/logo on your CPU, it might leave ink marks because of that..?

 

I would avoid that option if I were you, and just get Artic Clean or/and 99.9% (or anything over 90%...) isopropyl alcohol.

I'm using 99.9% to clean the the CPU and cooler first till it is clean, and on top of that I use the Artic Clean solution.

 

Edit:

Also, don't use paper towels like toilet/kitchen paper.

If you don't have anything like an microfibre cloth, get some ol' coffee filters. (Coffee with hair? No thank you. )

Thanks for the advice