Questions tagged [everyday-chemistry]
Applications of chemistry to reagents, reactions and processes of everyday life. Use this tag for question on chemistry in an out-of-laboratory/class context. DO NOT use this tag merely because the question is about simple chemistry.
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Removing Naphthalene Odor caused by Snake-B-Gon [closed]
How to remove naphthalene's odor. Spread snake-b-gon in our basement. Didn’t realize for outdoor use only. House is full of odor now.
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Simple practical, non-toxic, non-flammable reaction for slow release of CO2
Someone I know (not me) has recently had problems with bed bugs. I have advised him his best bet is to (1) Buy a kick-ass steam cleaner and nuke the brutes from orbit, (2) get a professional pest ...
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Actives ph adjustments doubts
I hope someone can answer my question please.
Should I measure the pH value after each addition of active ingredients in my cosmetic formula to ensure that the active ingredient remains within its ...
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Does sulfuric acid in snow damage fabric?
Had to do an emergency work in deep snow, in results my black cotton clothes were soaked in it. To my basic knowledge “regular” snow may contain not only salts but also sulfuric acid.
Will snow-...
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How to tell the difference between paper made of wood pulp or cotton
I have two pads of 140 pound (300 gsm) watercolor paper.
One pad has a label saying it is acid-free and made of 100 percent cotton. The other pad also says it is acid-free but does not say what it is ...
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Does Oleyl Alcohol stain or discolor?
Will Oleyl Alcohol stain or discolor surfaces, just like short chains Ethanol or Isopropyl do?
There are many body or hair products containing Oleyl Alcohol (not volatile as ethanol is) which may rub ...
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What were the crystals I saw in a package of caffeinated mints?
I opened a package of caffeinated mints this morning, and I noticed that they seemed to sparkle in the light. When I examined it closely, I saw that the "empty space" in the package was full ...
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Does rubbing alcohol + bleach really produce chloroform?
A lot of sources on the internet claim that mixing rubbing alcohol with chlorinated bleach produces chloroform.
Rubbing alcohol is isopropanol, and bleach is sodium hypochlorite. Neither of these look ...
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What substance is used for staining brass?
While working at CNC engraving, I had at my disposal a small bottle of liquid used to stain brass for creating signs etc - engrave a writing, stain the engraving, then grind/polish the flat topmost ...
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How do I lower the surface tension of water without using a detergent?
For many years I've used a Rainbow vacuum, which uses a reservoir of water as the filter. While I'm quite pleased with it, I've found that when trying to vacuum cement dust or wood ash not all of ...
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Does cooling a phone in a fridge or freezer damage the battery (lithium-ion battery)?
I saw a fair amount of Reddit and Quora posts on whether cooling a phone in a fridge or freezer damage the lithium-ion battery but they give contradictory answers without any evidence or scientific ...
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Reviving a Li-ion battery in freezer?
I read on eHow's (now Sciencing) How to Revive Lithium Ion Batteries page that it is possible to revive a dead Li-ion battery by putting it in the freezer for three to seven days, and then letting it ...
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Why does a sealed plastic bag of dish soap, water and air expand when shaken?
I've noticed that when I put dish soap, water and a little air into a sealed plastic bag, and then shake the mixture, it forms soap suds and the bag expands significantly in volume. Why does it expand?...
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Can hydrogen peroxide dissolve rust?
WD-40's "help page" on "How To Loosen Rusty Bolts, Screws And Nuts" states:
Hydrogen peroxide can dissolve rust. Applying hydrogen peroxide to the
fasteners and letting it sit is ...
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Sugar burning with the assistance of ash
If a plain pile of sugar (or a sugar cube) is heated with a torch, it just melts and gives off smoke. However, if some paper or wood ashes are added, it burns quite easily. What are the ingredients of ...
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Please explain the difference between HFC technology and PEMFC technology
I understand how hydrogen fuel cells (HFCs) function, but what are the differences between them and PEMFC's?
I know that there are HT-PEMFCs and LT-PEMFCs, for low and high temperatures.
Do PEMFCs ...
CommunityBot
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How to remove salt from powdered soup mix?
Sometimes I carry powdered soup mix (Knorr/Maggi) when I travel but they are way too salty. Is there an efficient and simple chemical process to lower the salt content?
I know sodium is super soluble ...
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Why does bread soften when wet?
Why does bread structure weaken when wet (or cake, biscuit, corn puff, etc)?
This is really simple question, but I couldn't find answer myself for weeks.
First theory was that adding water dilutes ...
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Where to throw away water hardness tests?
I was recently at a relative's house where we tested the hardness of the water. The testing kit contained two bottles A and B. Addition of one drop of A followed by addition of drops of B until colour ...
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Why do homemade cleaning products often have both a base and an acid in them?
I received a kit to make DIY cleaning products. This kit contained a "recipes pamphlet" which, from a chemistry standpoint, I struggle to make sense of.
For example, the recipe to make ...
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Is there a reaction between rubbing alcohol and hot aluminum when they come together?
I was told by someone very persistent that there is a volatile reaction when rubbing alcohol comes in contact with hot aluminum (think rubbing alcohol squirted on a hot charcoal briquette chimney). ...
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Which agent is best for cleaning epoxyfloor from carbon black powder?
I have a question regarding carbon black powder. Which detergent/agent is best for removing carbon black powder from epoxy floors? large amounts of Carbon Black powder has leaked after production, all ...
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Are electronic descalers a scam?
It seems there are some electronic kits sold around nowadays by major retailers (e.g., Home Depot and Amazon) claimed to remove built-up scale from water pipes.
But, do they actually work? If so, ...
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Mystery crystals exuded from eastern redcedar heartwood
A dead eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) was recently cut and the wood saved for later woodworking. From the chainsawn face, a rime of acicular radii appeared only on the colored heartwood over ...
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Why is lemon mixed with water considered alkalizing water?
The benefits and facts of alkaline water are often skewed due to the marketing of companies and uneducated hype for the innocent idea of unlimited potential. I wanted to know the specific reactions ...
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I need to know whether Lead(II)Bisulfate is soluble because I couldn't find any information on it online [closed]
I need to know if Pb(HSO4)2 [Lead(II)Bisulfate] is soluble.
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Do polymerized cooking oils release free radicals
I am seasoning a carbon steel wok and from what I understand it basically involves heating cooking oil on it until it gets to the smoke point and then forms a polymerized layer that makes it like a ...
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The effects of acetic acid on porous concrete brick and mortar joints
I mistakenly applied a patio cleaner containing acetic acid to my porous concrete facing brick thinking it was biocide. The concentrate solution has a pH of 3 and I diluted it to one part concentrate ...
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How to make foggy and cloudy plastic fully transparent?
I used sandpaper of different grits to sand the surface of plastic. The surface is smooth but it looks dull after sanding. I read that one could use toothpaste to remove the foggy look but it did not ...
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Impact of ethanol vapors on surroundings
There’s a popular opinion that ethyl alcohol, when spot-applied to some fabrics or leather, may discolor or damage them.
But what about its vapors? Are these damaging as well?
On occasion, 70% ethanol ...
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How could chlorine dioxide be stabilized in aqueous solution?
There is a water-based mouthwash product which is advertised as having the ingredient "stabilized chlorine dioxide." The only other listed ingredients are trisodium phosphate and citric acid. I assume ...
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Concentrating acetic acid from vinegar
Vinegar seems to kill poison ivy or at least severely stunt their leaves. I am trying to increase the concentration of acetic acid and I put a bottle of vinegar in the freezer. I have looked at it and ...
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In cooking does KCl draw water from food "same as" NaCl? [closed]
For medicinal/health reasons, cardiac and high blood pressure in particular, Potassium Chloride (KCl) is often used in place of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) AKA table salt for food purposes. It is offered ...
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Formaldehyde concentration checking in furniture
I have bought IKEA cabinet and it had terrible formaldehyde smell from day one! So terrible that it was difficult to keep it inside the room.
I have ever shifted that in the garage to off-gas as much ...
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After boiling water in an electric kettle, should I empty it?
(I'm reposting my question from Physics SE where it got closed for being off-topic, but chat tells me that it might be on topic here.)
In the office I'm working in, there's an electric kettle for ...
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What is the chemistry underlying chlorine recommendations in spa water care guides for UV/Ozone pools?
An example is here: https://alpinespas.co.nz/content/uploads/2021/01/2020-Water-Care-Guide-Spa-Supplies-SSDEC08-WEB.pdf
It recommends ignoring test strips, using a "shock dose" of chlorine ...
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Making sense of these recipes for removing anodized coatings of aluminum
Background:
There are several black anodized aluminum optical mounting components I'd like to use inside a high vacuum chamber (circa $1 \times 10^{-7}$ Torr or mbar) but several people including the ...
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How can I make vinegar more concentrated?
I was under the impression that if I put a semi-full bottle of vinegar in the freezer the water would freeze but the vinegar would not until a lower temp. Therefore I could remove the bottle after ...
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Effect of heating alkyd enamel paint during drying/curing & maximum acceptable temperature
I will be painting some boat paddles with Solignum Marine Paint (Alkyd enamel) (compliant with new VOC regulations) for a relative. The label lists that it contains mineral spirits and Stoddard ...
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Is it known for sure that bases feel slippery because of the production of soap/surfactant?
Discussion around the question Why does bleach feel slippery? has started me thinking about the saponification explanation for the slippery feeling of basic solutions.
According to Wikipedia:
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Calculation of concentration for standard curve
for my enzyme fluorescent assay measurements in soil samples I have to calculate my standard curves. In a protocol, I have found this table where I cannot comprehend the reasoning how the author has ...
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Isopropyl Alcohol Vs Acetone for Dissolving Organic Contaminants on PCB
Acetone is widely used in labs as a solvent to clean vials and tubes as it is a good solvent for organic materials. Isopropyl alcohol is used as a rubbing alcohol for cleaning contaminants on the body ...
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Amination of 2,4 dichloroquinazoline - role of dioxane as solvent and required temperature
In the compound of 2,4 dichloroquinazoline; if an amination reaction is done on 2,4 poitions, why is dioxane used as solvent? Why this solvent in particular (what are its properties, effect , and the ...
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Ascorbic acid disolved in carbonated water
I pour 1 gram of ascorbic acid (a white powder sold by the kilogram as food-grade thus hopefully dextrorotatory) at 25°C (it's hot in Paris) into a 1 liter bottle of carbonated water at 6°C (drinking-...
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What ratio of bicarb to vinegar do I need in order for the result to be pH neutral?
This question stems from one I just asked over at Seasoned Advice, where my recipe tasted decidedly off because the pH was wrong.
The recipe called for $\pu{16 g}$ bicarb of soda (sodium bicarbonate, $...
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Are acids effective in removing soap scum?
In my experience, most of the commercial products intended for removing soap scum from bathroom surfaces are ineffective. No matter how long you leave it on or how hard you scrub, the soap scum doesn'...
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Classification of elements into strictly anions and cations [closed]
I want to know elements of the periodic table which are strictly cations and anions, unlike H, C, Si, Ge, As, Sb, At,etc which can be both (i.e. amphoteric elements). Also, kindly add to this list of ...
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Will CO2 dissolved in water change the tds reading of the water?
I have filtered water reading between 0 and 4 ppm on a tds meter. I add CO2 using a soda stream. The water reads 27-34 ppm after adding CO2.
Is the change in tds readings due to the CO2 or due to ...
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Why is the Molar mass of CO2 different than the weight of the sum of its particles?
The Molar mass of CO2 is stated to be 44.009 grams per mol
But in a calculation of the weight of each atom's particles((Electrons,Protons,Neutrons) times Avogadro's constant
I get 44.36 grams per mol
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Permeability of plastics to alcohol vapour
I was just wondering which plastics have the lowest permeability to alcohol vapour?
I am thinking about purchasing 70% isopropyl wipes for infrequent use around the home and worry that they may dry up ...
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