At 02:40 PM Friday 10/13/2006, Deborah Harrell wrote:
> Alberto Monteiro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Yikes. I mistranslated. It's not Phenol, it's Formol
> (formaldeide, CH2O, whatever)...
> I think it's clothes that are contaminated.
<sudden flashback to Gross Anatomy, when everyone on
the elevator *knew* you were a freshman, because of
that distinctive "I've been dissecting a cadaver"
fragrance...eeuw!>
Howcum you think they call it "gross" . . . :P
Uh, good luck...
Most of us kept a couple of sets of clothing dedicated
to that class, and threw them away when done. But you
could try using rubbing alcohol or some other organic
solvent; I do not recommend gasoline, however,
although some do. Using Mexican vanilla (prepared
with propylene glycol# as well as grain alcohol) might
work also.
My first suggestion (which you may have read by
now) was to hang it outdoors to air for several
hours. Though I said that the effectiveness of
that would depend on just how much formaldehyde
there was on the garment(s) in question. I agree
that you might next try an organic solvent which
will not damage the fabric or finish (such as
waterproofing), and alcohol might be a first
choice for most, unless some sort of home
cleaning fluid is available there. (Some places
in the US you can get something called by the
brand name "Thoro" or other brands which is
intended as a spot or stain remover which might
be worth a try. It is reasonably safe: IOW, it is not CCl4 . . . ))
If you ever get most of the it out, you might try
that Febreze spray to hide the last bit of odor
and make it smell "fresh." Or perhaps hang it in
a plastic bag with some fabric freshener sheets
for a week or so. (I am assuming that the spray
and sheets are available where Alberto's friend
is located. If not, maybe it will suggest something which is.)
#Yep, radiator antifreeze -- I _do not_ advise it for
consumption at all!
Actually most antifreeze is _ethyl_ glycol, which
tastes sweet and so the taste attracts dogs to
drink from puddles and then the metabolic pathway
which breaks down EtOH in human and animal bodies
tries to break it down and the result is
formaldehyde which wrecks the liver, leading in a
few hours to days the whole cadaver being packed in formaldehyde . . .
(Yes, I know that _you_ know that. ;) )
-- Ronn! :)
_______________________________________________
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
