Ten Uses For Regular Alcohol…Other Than Drinking It

Lizzie Bennett | Mar 03, 2014 | Comments 0

When the times comes that the supermarket shelves are empty, alcohol will be a valuable barter item. Make sure to stock up on the smallest bottles you can get, that way you can work out the ‘exchange rate’ far easier than if you just had large bottles.

Other than barter and having the odd glass yourself there are many uses for alcohol in a post-collapse world. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Sterilizing medium: surgical instruments, razor blades, hands, kitchen worktops, butchery equipment and anything else that needs to be cleaner than average. Remember to remove all surface soil first, and in the case of anything that contains protein, such as surgical instruments and butchery equipment clean them in COLD water. Protein, including blood denatures at 45*C, it sets solid, and an alcohol bath may not be able to penetrate and therefore clean properly.
2. Antiseptic: For shallow and surface wounds only. It will sting like hell but is effective in killing a good number of bacteria.Dabbing it onto mouth ulcers supposedly relieves the pain but you have to resist licking it off for it to work!
3. Fire starter: Catches fast and burns hot. It’s actually the vapor that is flammable not the liquid itself. Use sparingly and stand back, it goes up with a really good whoosh.
4. Cooking: The addition of a drop or two of wine can add a whole new dimension to a boring dish, and this can lift the spirits…no pun intended. Add a little wine to gravy or soup to make it taste much richer, or a little whiskey in a cup of instant coffee can make the mediocre into a treat.