Acetone is a colourless, volatile liquid made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. It was first produced around 700 years ago and is also found organically in plants, trees, volcanic gases, and as a natural metabolic by-product in the human body and animals. It’s even found extra-terrestrially.
But what can acetone be used for? It’s surprisingly versatile, being used for everything from cosmetics and cleaning to paint thinning and laboratory use.
In this post:
Key Takeaways
Acetone is a versatile solvent used across cosmetics, laboratories, industry, and domestic settings
Its ability to dissolve a wide range of substances makes it ideal for removing nail polish, adhesives, inks, paint, and oils
In scientific environments, acetone is valued for its miscibility, low freezing point, and role in specialised chemical reactions
Many everyday household products contain acetone, and safety precautions – like ventilation and protective equipment – are essential
Acetone can even help remove stubborn oil stains from concrete
5 Uses of Acetone
Nail Polish Remover
Let’s start with the one common use of acetone that most people will know, which is nail polish remover. Acetone is the active ingredient in this common cosmetic product and is used as it dissolves other compounds, in this case nail polish.
One side effect, however, is that it dries out the nail beds. This can leave them weak and brittle, so it is important to wash your hands after use.
As an added bonus, there are a number of other things that nail polish remover can be used for. For example, removing ink stains or permanent marker, removing residue from spilt glue or sticky tape and cleaning patent leather shoes.
Acetone also has other cosmetic uses. For example, make-up artists use acetone to remove stubborn adhesive from wigs, beards and moustaches after they’ve been worn.
They may either use a small amount on a cotton pad, or for the most hard-to-remove residue, place the item in an acetone bath. This softens the remaining glue, so it can be removed with a brush. However, there is a risk of damaging the wig using acetone, so it should be used sparingly and not frequently.
Laboratory Use
Acetone is an important solvent in the chemical laboratory, and is commonly used to rinse glass of residue and solids. Because it is miscible (meaning it will mix with other liquids and solutions), it is also used to rinse water from equipment. This enables a faster drying process. It also has the benefit of being fairly low-cost.
Acetone is also used as a component in various chemical reactions. It has a low freezing point of around -80˚C, and acetone/dry ice baths are used to conduct reactions at low temperatures. It’s used as a reagent in the Jones alcohol oxidation process, and as it is fluorescent under UV light its vapour can be used to trace fluorescence.
Paint Thinner
Acetone is a high-strength solvent for many plastics, and is also used for thinning oil-based paints and resin, as well as cleaning up after they’ve been used.
If you’re a model car or train enthusiast, you can use acetone to dissolve paint and glue from old models. This effectively degreases the surfaces, ready for repainting so that they look like new.
Just make sure you don’t pour your acetone into a styrofoam cup while using it (or afterwards), it will dissolve that as well.
Domestic Uses of Acetone
Many commonly used domestic products contain acetone. You’d be surprised at how many there are and the diversity – as acetone is found in everything from hair dye and baby wipes to sun tan lotion and furniture polish.
Domestic levels of exposure to acetone are common, safe and have undergone comprehensive reviews. However, over-exposure from inhalation or ingestion can be a health risk, with symptoms including nausea, headaches, and dizziness.
If you’re using acetone-containing products around the house, it’s important to take proper safety precautions. These include opening windows to ensure adequate ventilation, using gloves and eye protection, and keeping acetone products away from sources of ignitions.
Removing Oil Stains from Concrete
An oil-stained driveway is a common sight, but the stain is something that acetone can help to remove as part of a poultice, working best on small, stubborn stains.
A poultice can be made by saturating sawdust with acetone before smothering the stain with this mixture. This poultice then needs to be covered in plastic. The acetone will break down the oil, which will be absorbed into the sawdust through the process of osmosis. And voilà! One clean driveway.
Conclusion
Acetone is an incredibly useful solvent with applications ranging from beauty routines to scientific processes and household cleaning. Its versatility ensures it remains an essential substance across both everyday and specialist environments.
