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Where to buy Isopropyl alcohol locally?

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Where sells Isopropyl alcohol locally, what sort of shop do I need to go to, to get some today?


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 9:28 am
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If its brake cleaner stuff. Hellfords?


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 9:31 am
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I get mine from a local pharmacy, I avoid the big chains as they never seem to have any.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 9:32 am
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B&Q maybe, i get mine off amazon as you get deals now and again


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 9:33 am
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If its brake cleaner stuff. Hellfords?

I want it for cleaning forks out when doing a lowers service later on. I have some Motul brake cleaner, but it's really expensive so don't want to waste that...

I'll go down the local pharmacy at lunchtime and see if they have any. Cheers.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 9:35 am
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Have you got a euro car parts, LKQ, GSF or something near you?


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 9:37 am
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+1 for pharmacy but get the 99% stuff, I think 70% or better is considered ok for pharmaceutical use but won't shift stubborn oil on your brakes etc.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 9:38 am
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I got some from my pharmacy. The various online chemical suppliers are much cheaper though IME


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 9:42 am
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After lots of googling and inconclusive answers I got a 500ml bottle of surgical spirit from our local Boots for about £6 recently. It claims it's 99.9% IPA  and it was the only thing I could get locally at short notice. It seems to be doing the job.

https://www.boots.com/boots-surgical-spirit-500ml-10307173?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc-_-PLAs_HeroCompare-_--_-PMax:+UK_Smart_Shopping_Healthcare_Other&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnei0BhB-EiwAA2xuBmu6gVk6r4BM3jg5iQIKjuWaujfLtorhkBNNa2LgWLh8iOMe_3vjgBoCmHcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 9:59 am
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Acetone free nail polish remover is cheap and does a very similar job, although it’s ethyl acetate.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 10:17 am
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I bought some the other day in my local hardware shop. It was more expensive than I expected (no cheaper than some fancy branded brake cleaner) although a quick Google suggests it should be cheaper


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 10:20 am
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If you want it cheap then you need to buy in bulk really. We buy Shiny Hardware IPA for our workshop. £15 for 5 litres.

For suspension internals we use this: https://maximausa.com/products/suspension-clean


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 10:37 am
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I buy litre bottles off eBay as I gave up on finding it in an actual shop after Maplins closed


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 11:17 am
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Acetone free nail polish remover is cheap and does a very similar job

Don't use acetone as it is likely to dissolve a lot more than just grease.  IPA does dissolve some stuff like car paint, but I don't think it's as dangerous.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 11:25 am
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Acetone free! As the name suggests it doesn’t have acetone in…


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 11:27 am
 DT78
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I buy mine from amazon.  Loads of sellers.  Generally it arrives the next day, or if I order super early that evening.

(I get through a bit as I resin print)


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 11:28 am
 Yak
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Litre bottles of 99.9% stuff from ebay. I buy a few at a go and it lasts a decent length of time.

I don't think it's that available locally apart from b&q or similar.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 11:33 am
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I want it for cleaning forks out when doing a lowers service later on

I use Brake cleaner  This stuff


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 11:35 am
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Acetone free! As the name suggests it doesn’t have acetone in

Ah, I missed the most crucial word!


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 12:00 pm
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Amazon


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 12:06 pm
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Ebay,

I used to get it from a place that sold industrial cleaning products but I doubt it's any cheaper these days. 5l containers last years and seem to be the sweetspot for price Vs postage.

Brake cleaner isn't one thing.  IPA can be a brake cleaner, but not all brake cleaners are IPA.  That's not to say it won't do the job though, possibly even better than IPA.

Don't be tempted to use carb cleaner, that's very different stuff and will strip paint in seconds! I learnt this by using it to clean the outside of my carbs, it took the paint off the engine block, distributed it over everything else, then dried!


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 12:29 pm
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I want it for cleaning forks out when doing a lowers service later on.

Meths works well for that sort of thing and is readily available.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 1:25 pm
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Cheers all, went to a local hardware shop to change a gas bottle and asked in there £10 for a spray bottle of 99.9% stuff. Pease of Garforth if anyone is in the east Leeds area (good for campingaz 907 bottles as well (£39.99)). Might not be the cheapest but I can keep the spray bottle and buy bigger containers in future.

Woop, woop, fresh feeling forks for holidays next Thursday!!


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 1:59 pm
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I've bought it from Screwfix in aerosol form before

Otherwise brake cleaner is £4 a can (in my friendly local auto parts shop anyway)


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 2:19 pm
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I’ll go down the local pharmacy at lunchtime and see if they have any. Cheers.

Ask for it chilled if you're drinking it like foul 'ole Ron!


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 5:49 pm
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I saw an article somewhere saying white vinegar (the kind you use for domestic cleaning etc..) can be used for cleaning disc rotors etc. I tried it this afternoon on some howling brakes to clean the disc and pads and right enough they are working great again. Smell like a chip shop though.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 6:43 pm
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I work in pharmacy, but buy my IPA in 5L tubs from Amazon as it's cheaper than we can order 500ml - if it's in stock at all...

I then transfer it a bit at a time to an old 500ml bottle, so when I inevitably tip it over, I don't lose too much!

Surgical spirit should have methyl sal and castor oil in... what Boot's is selling there is not what I would  recognise as surgical spirit, and the proper stuff would make a poor degreaser.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 8:01 pm
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Superdrug sell surgical spirit - 200ml = £2.59, it has 95% Methylate Sprit and 5% Castor Oil.


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 8:12 pm
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Euro carparts or Wilco Motors. I usually buy it in the form of Holts brake cleaner. I like the Holts sprays because they work upside down. Wilco do 5 litre cans too for a good price


 
Posted : 19/07/2024 10:09 pm