Alcohol disinfectants that are used less frequently these days. In fact, many of them have a three-year expiration date. In other words, what you bought in 3, when the pandemic began, will expire soon.

"What would you do with alcohol disinfectant?" when I interviewed him in the city, some people said,

"It's in the way, so I'm going to throw it in the sink." I tried to find out what to do with the alcohol disinfectant that I no longer use.

(Matsue Broadcasting Station Reporter Akiko Mitsui)

Don't throw it in the sink

First of all, the method I heard in the city was "throw the contents in the sink and put the container in the garbage."

It was a common answer I asked my colleagues, but it was no good.

It is easy to forget because it has become so integrated into our lives due to the Corona disaster, but most alcohol disinfectants have an alcohol concentration of 60% or more and are "dangerous goods" under the Fire Service Law.

It is volatile and easily flammable, so fire is strictly prohibited.

Expiring soon...

With the status of the new corona under the Infectious Diseases Act shifting to Class 5, alcohol disinfectants are disappearing from the entrance of stores.

In fact, many of them have an expiration date, which is about three years from the date of manufacture.

In other words, what you bought in 2020, when the pandemic began, will expire soon.

By the way, the disinfectant in the photo was in my house.

The expiration date will expire next month (June) ...

If you have a small amount leftover, "use a rag or waste paper."

So, what should you do if the alcohol disinfectant that cannot be thrown away in the sink has expired and is leftover?

In all of Tokyo's 23 wards, there was no word for alcohol disinfectant on the household garbage sorting table.

I contacted all local governments.

Then, I received similar answers from all the local governments.

To summarize:

In the case of Tokyo's 23 wards ▽ Liquids cannot
be collected ▽ If there is a small amount of
surplus, soak it into rags and waste paper ▽ Soak rags and waste paper after drying and then burn garbage

▽ Empty containers are sorted according to the material

In other words, if the alcohol and moisture soaked in rags and waste paper dries, they can be collected as burnable garbage.

As a precaution, when soaking a rag or waste paper, make sure that there is no fire nearby in a well-ventilated place such as outdoors.

They also want empty containers to be sorted and disposed of according to their respective materials, such as plastic and glass.

If you throw away the entire container with disinfectant in it, it may ignite in a garbage truck or incineration plant, which is dangerous.

Don't do it, just like throwing it in the sink.

In addition, if there is a large surplus that cannot be processed by this method, we would like you to ask a specialist who processes chemicals.

What are some uses other than hand disinfection?

However, most people feel that the alcohol disinfectant they bought is a waste and they don't want to throw it away if possible. I'm one of them, and I wonder if I can use my alcohol disinfectant effectively before it expires next month.

Therefore, I asked the manufacturer if there was any use other than hand disinfection.

Kenei Pharmaceutical representative
: "There are things that can be used as a countermeasure against food poisoning and mold that are of concern in the coming season."

According to the manufacturer, the important thing is to check the ingredients of the alcohol disinfectant.

Disinfectants with only ethanol and water can be used for a wide range of uses, and can be sterilized and disinfected by spraying cooking utensils such as cutting boards and kitchen knives and kitchen sinks.

It is also effective to soak a small amount into a cloth and quickly wipe the inside of the refrigerator or microwave oven, or spray it on the walls and ceiling of the bathroom as a measure against mold.

On the other hand, there are disinfectants that contain moisturizing ingredients such as glycerin and sodium hyaluronate, and we do not recommend using these products other than hand disinfection.

For details, please check the website of each manufacturing company.