# Buying isopropyl Alcohol and watering down
**URL:** https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [April 29, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372 "2015-04-29T21:20:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ian\_Bunting](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ian_Bunting)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/1 "2015-04-29T21:20:22Z")
Hello,
I’ve been online and to the local chemists and can only get 99% or 70% isopropyl Alcohol. Since 90% is recommended does any one know where I might be able to purchase some or whether it is chemically posible to dilute 99% down to 90%.
Many thanks.\_
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### Author:  [@Ian\_Bunting](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ian_Bunting)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/2 "2015-04-29T21:22:47Z")
I’m UK based and a soletrader not a company
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### Author:  [@Paul\_Schommer](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Paul_Schommer)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/3 "2015-04-29T21:46:05Z")
As I understand it, the remaining percentage is just water, so diluting it should not be an issue.
That being said, I have actually been testing out using ~70% to reduce my parts exposure to IPA. So far, things seem less brittle.
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### Author:  [@CraigBroady](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/CraigBroady)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/4 "2015-04-29T21:59:45Z")
We recommend 90% or higher. Using 99% is fine, and it will likely last you longer than 90% would.
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### Author:  [@Ian\_Bunting](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ian_Bunting)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2015, 6:53am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/5 "2015-04-30T06:53:57Z")
Fantastic. I’ll get a tin from Maplins then.
Cheers.
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### Author:  [@Andrew\_Miller](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Andrew_Miller)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2015, 9:48am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/6 "2015-04-30T09:48:35Z")
Maplins is seriously overpriced. Go on [eBay.co.uk](http://eBay.co.uk) and you can buy it delivered for a fraction of the cost, and a better grade, i.e.99.9% direct from proper chemical distributors.
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### Author:  [@EvanFoss](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/EvanFoss)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/7 "2015-04-30T13:15:55Z")
I always avoided the higher purity alcohols because to get above a certain point they have to switch from a water to benzine process. Sure it can only be 1% but I would not want to be regularly exposing myself to it in any way.
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### Author:  [@TheJubbez](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/TheJubbez)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/8 "2015-05-01T17:12:28Z")
Wallgreens has 55% 68% 72% 92% to 97% in large and small bottles. Wallgreens sells sprayable bottles in the same %. Very cheap I paid 5$ for 2 bottles and $2.45 for the sprayable one. I assume us only.
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### Author:  [@KenCitron](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/KenCitron)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/9 "2015-05-01T19:20:58Z")
You can use 70% without issue. Personally I no longer use IPA to clean parts because it does damage them and makes them very brittle.
A product called Yellow Magic from Bradley systems and an ultrasonic cleaner seems to do the trick but will take a couple of cycles 10-15min or so lightly heated. I have been trying to get them to sell small quantities.
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### Author:  [@Ian\_Bunting](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ian_Bunting)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/10 "2015-05-01T21:28:32Z")
Yellow Magic sounds very interesting. Since i’ve got an inquisitive four year old son i’m always interested in minimize potental hazards. Is it something that can be purchased in the UK?
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/buying-isopropyl-alcohol-and-watering-down/4372/11 "2015-05-15T21:28:32Z")
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