Surgical spirit

[Angie and Robert]

This is a good one, perhaps on a par with J&Cs fag end remedy.
I had been cutting grass around the fruit trees and noticed some tiny flying insects about, it wasnt until later I realised I had been badly bitten with a painful swollen itchy arm. Was showing to my neighbour Mario (he who knows everything) and he came out with a spray bottle into which he had decanted a pink liquid, gave it a squeeze, and I smelt like a hospital, he says it is called spirto (?) and is sold in supermarkets, and he uses it whilst out in his orto.
Anyone else heard of this ?, dont think repeated applications of surgical spirit is good for the skin, but after years under the sun perhaps he is immune. I shall offer him some of my skin so soft when it arrives, his wife will wonder where he had been!.
A

[Sally Donaldson]

From Wikipedia -

Uses

"Rubbing alcohol can be applied as a cooling, soothing application for bedridden patients and athletes. It helps soothe deep down cold bones (e.g., shins) if rubbed into skin during winter seasons. It is also widely used for cleansing surgeons' hands and instruments and for the disinfection of skin prior to penetration by a hypodermic needle. As an antiseptic it is good against vegetative bacteria and fair against fungi and viruses, but is ineffective against spores. It is widely believed that 99% ethanol provides the greatest reduction in bacterial count; however, this is incorrect. Other concentrations may be more effective, but their rate of kill is slower[citation needed][verification needed]. In order to reduce the skin bacterial count to 5% of normal, 99% ethanol must be left on the skin for at least 2 minutes. Rubbing alcohol is also a feeble anesthetic and a mild counterirritant. It is not drinkable, although people have been known to attempt ingestion.[citation needed]
Rubbing alcohol is recognized as a rubefacient because it evaporates quickly and is used to cool and soothe skin. It is, however, more widely used as an antiseptic for sterilizing surfaces or cleaning minor cuts or abrasions.[citation needed]
Isopropyl rubbing alcohol can also be supplied in a 99% concentration. This product can also be used to harden skin, such as in the case of the feet of novice hikers, or the fingertips of guitarists.[citation needed] Care should always be taken, and the label should be read carefully.[citation needed]
It is unsuited as a fuel in alcohol stoves because of the relatively low vapor pressure of isopropyl alcohol, and because the water content will vaporize to steam creating excessive pressure in the stove.[citation needed]
In the UK the equivalent skin preparation is surgical spirit which is always based on an ethyl alcohol-methyl alcohol mixture, and which often has the addition of small quantities of iodoform as a topical bactericide.[citation needed]
A typical modern composition for Surgical Spirit BP is: ethanol, methanol, water, castor oil, methyl salicylate, diethyl phthalate. It has a strong smell of wintergreen due to the presence of the methyl salicylate.[citation needed]
Rubbing alcohol can also be used as a remedy for fluid spills over laptop keyboards.[citation needed] The keyboard is submerged in an isopropyl alcohol bath, which shifts any water trapped in the keyboard, then it is left to dry — the isopropanol should evaporate relatively quickly??

I couldn't find any results with "spirto". Maybe there is another spelling.

[Geotherm]

Angie
You will find it in Eurospin, around the cleaning materials aisle. 1 Ltr bottles called Alcool .. cosmettico. Wife uses it before she has her injections to clean the skin.

[Angie and Robert]

Thanks Keith, but has Micky used it to keep away the mozzies?. I think I will stick to my herbal spray , and then come back to the forum on the values of skin so soft (probably smells just as bad!.)
Angie

[Geotherm]

Originally Posted by Angie and Robert

Thanks Keith, but has Micky used it to keep away the mozzies?. I think I will stick to my herbal spray , and then come back to the forum on the values of skin so soft (probably smells just as bad!.)
Angie

Must admit we had not thought of it for that scenario ........ will have to try it out. Feel sure it must be the same stuff though!!!

[Carole B]

Best thing to take the sting out of a mozzie bite is to dab it with neat ammonia immediately. I always carry one of the little 'pen sticks' which have an ammonia base and give quick relief fom the pain.

They are sold in chemists and most supermarkets here and 'look' like this one:
http://www.medichest.com/Images/K154443.jpg

I have found them to be very good!

[MargaretM]

Originally Posted by Carole B

Best thing to take the sting out of a mozzie bite is to dab it with neat ammonia immediately. I always carry one of the little 'pen sticks' which have an ammonia base and give quick relief fom the pain.

They are sold in chemists and most supermarkets here and 'look' like this one:
http://www.medichest.com/Images/K154443.jpg

I have found them to be very good!

I'd vouch for that too. We carry one around all the time. Would still rather avoid the bites in the first place though. At the first sign of mozzies I will be abandoning current shower gel and trying the skin so soft.