Re: cleaning harps

[John Santana <santana@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 27 Apr 1995, James Hanson wrote:

> 
>      I haven't had any problem with isopropyl alcohol cleaning my harps -
> just used the stuff you can get at the drugstore/grocery, probably
> "rubbing alcohol"; not the ultrapure microelectornic grade I have at
> work:).  But I used it very cautiously, primarily as a "disinfectant" instead
> of a cleaner!  

This is a common misconception.  Alcohol does not kill germs!
Nearly everyone seems to think that it does.  Maybe becuase it's used to 
swab off an area on your arm when they take blood, etc.  They do that not 
because it kills germs but becuase it cleans the skin and evaporates 
quickly.  The top layer of the skin holds germs and the alcohol desolves 
that skin layer,  carrying away the germs as it's wiped away.

Alcohol will not disinfect anything!  Hydrogen peroxide is another 
matter--it kills almost all germs it contacts.  It doesn't evaporate 
quickly though.

John