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70% Isopropyl Alcohol (1000mL)

One litre of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA). This is the strength used across mycology for routine disinfection. The 30 percent water content slows evaporation, so the alcohol stays wet longer and has more contact time to kill bacteria and fungi on a surface.

Use it to wipe gloves, tools and the inside of your still air box or flow hood before clean work. It lowers contamination risk. It does not sterilise, and it does not kill resting bacterial or fungal spores, so it is one part of clean technique, not a substitute for pressure cooking.

£7.50

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Concentration70 percent IPA

Volume1000 mL

AdditivesNone

Flash pointapprox 18 to 22 C, highly flammable

RoleDisinfectant, not steriliser

What it is

Why 70 percent and not 99

It seems backwards, but 70 percent isopropyl alcohol is a better disinfectant than 91 or 99 percent. The water in the 70 percent mix slows evaporation, so the alcohol stays wet on the surface for longer and has time to penetrate the cell and coagulate its proteins. Water also helps that protein denaturing happen.

Higher strengths flash off fast and can coagulate the outer proteins of a cell so quickly that a protective skin forms, shielding what is inside. 70 percent gives a slower, more complete kill of vegetative bacteria and fungi. The CDC recommends alcohol in the 60 to 90 percent range for surface disinfection, and 70 percent sits in the middle of that. It is the standard cleaning strength because it works better here, not because it is weaker.

How to use it

Using it in your grow

Decant a working amount into a spray bottle or an alcohol wash bottle for controlled application. Keep the main litre sealed. Then work through your clean routine.

Wipe the work area

Spray and wipe the inside of your still air box, flow hood or clean surface. Let it sit wet for a short while before it dries, rather than wiping it off straight away. The wet contact time is what does the work.

Clean your gloves

Put on fresh disposable gloves, then wet and rub them with alcohol. Re-wipe your gloves through the session, not just at the start.

Cool flamed tools

After heating a scalpel or needle until it glows, let it cool, then an alcohol wipe helps cool it the rest of the way before it touches your culture. The flame does the sterilising, the alcohol does not. Never dip a still hot or still flaming tool into the bottle.

Do this every time before any clean work. It is routine, not a one off.

Storage and safety

Flammable, handle with care

This is a highly flammable liquid and vapour. The 70 percent solution has a flash point of around 18 to 22 degrees C, so at room temperature it can give off enough vapour to catch. Keep it away from heat, sparks and open flame, and keep the lid closed when you are not using it. The vapour can travel to an ignition source and flash back, and the flame can be hard to see in daylight.

Use it with good ventilation. Do not spray near a naked flame, and let surfaces dry before you bring a lighter or alcohol burner near them. Store the bottle upright, tightly closed, cool and out of reach of children.

Concentration	70 percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA)
Volume	1000 mL (1 litre)
Additives	None. No colourant, no fragrance
Flammability	Highly flammable, flash point approx 18 to 22 C
Action	Disinfectant, not a steriliser

Be clear

What it is not for

Alcohol disinfects surfaces, it does not sterilise them. It will not kill resting bacterial or fungal spores, so it cannot replace a pressure cooker or steriliser for your substrate and grain.

Think of it as the thing that keeps your hands, tools and surfaces clean while you work, the last step before your culture meets the air. The heavy lifting of sterilising your jars and bags still happens under pressure and heat.