Does isopropyl alcohol kill ALL bacteria?
There are two general types of rubbing alcohol, one made primarily from ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and the other from isopropyl alcohol. Both kill bacteria okay but are less effective on viruses. It is best if a surface is physically cleaned (washed with soap and water) before being rubbed with alcohol. As it evaporates, it sucks out the insides of bacteria and viruses and kills them. However, they won’t be dead until all the alcohol has evaporated. Wikipedia has a good article on rubbing alcohol that addresses its uses as an antiseptic. Also, isopropyl alcohol requires about 10 minutes on the skin’s surface to kill bacteria, and about 3 minutes on hard surfaces. The main purpose when they use alcohol on the skin before an injection, ect. is to clean and remove oil from the skin.
