PSA: Don't use water in your windshield wiper fluid reservoir

[Zenmervolt]

Methanol is toxic low-cost bullshit. I use water and isopropyl alcohol, and that's what everybody should use. It boggles the mind that a substance that causes blindness and is toxic when inhaled is allowed to be used as windshield washer.

Isopropyl alcohol is also toxic you know, just less so than methanol. Also, the denatured ethanol used in most cases is denatured with... wait for it... methanol. This renders it undrinkable and therefore not subject to liquor taxes. So that ethanol and isopropyl alcohol you're advocating has methanol added to it for legal reasons.

Additionally, methanol is entirely biodegradable and does not persist in the environment nearly as long as other anti-freeze fluids (e.g. ethylene glycol).

All-told, methanol is an extremely safe substances unless you either:

1) Drink it.

or

2) Huff it.

Basically, you'd have to be a complete moron to poison yourself on methanol.

ZV

 

[Throckmorton]

Isopropyl alcohol is also toxic you know, just less so than methanol. Also, the denatured ethanol used in most cases is denatured with... wait for it... methanol. This renders it undrinkable and therefore not subject to liquor taxes. So that ethanol and isopropyl alcohol you're advocating has methanol added to it for legal reasons.

Additionally, methanol is entirely biodegradable and does not persist in the environment nearly as long as other anti-freeze fluids (e.g. ethylene glycol).

All-told, methanol is an extremely safe substances unless you either:

1) Drink it.

or

2) Huff it.

Basically, you'd have to be a complete moron to poison yourself on methanol.

ZV

Isopropyl is toxic yes, but methanol has that level of toxicity at least plus it causes blindness.

When you use washer fluid, you do end up breathing the fumes. With the isopropyl I can smell it. With methanol I can't, I assume because of the other chemicals they put in the washer fluid to make people think it's safe.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Isopropyl is toxic yes, but methanol has that level of toxicity at least plus it causes blindness.

When you use washer fluid, you do end up breathing the fumes. With the isopropyl I can smell it. With methanol I can't, I assume because of the other chemicals they put in the washer fluid to make people think it's safe.

Actually, it's just that there isn't as much smell to methanol or that there isn't as much added. As far as toxicity, yes, methanol is more toxic, but as I pointed out, almost all isopropyl alcohol has methanol added to it. Commercial ethanols are denatured to avoid liquor taxes and methanol is a very common denaturing agent. In fact, such ethanols are usually referred to as "methyalted spirits".

And, even though methanol is toxic when ingested, the fumes would need to be highly concentrated before they became dangerous; there's just no danger from the highly diluted fumes that might be released while washing a windshield.

ZV

 

[fbrdphreak]

All of this is so scary!! I know, everyone should just drain their wiper fluid reservoirs and never use them!!!! Otherwise we all might die, aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh