r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/hipatyhopity • 14d ago

Image Mecca in 1953 and 2025

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u/whatisabaggins55 14d ago

According to Google, it's isopropyl alcohol for cleaning the wires of plastic residue before connecting them.

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u/Redneckia 14d ago

I thought just drinkable booze was forbidden. What about mouthwash...

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u/Low-Hovercraft-8791 14d ago

Yeah I'm guessing this story is apocrypha (or just made up). Even ethyl alcohol is fine to use in any application other than to get drunk.

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u/PM-ME-WATER-COOLER 13d ago

In gulf Arab nations you cant buy mouthwash with alcohol. (Source: me, a person who was upset that I couldn’t get any good mouthwash)

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u/Low-Hovercraft-8791 13d ago

Even in America, people drink that stuff. Cheaper than actual booze.

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u/SoliloquyBlue 13d ago

They sell mouthwash formulated without alcohol now. Good for Muslims and recovering alcoholics.

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u/CityExcellent8121 14d ago

Not so much plastic residue, so much as any residue. Adhesive, plastic, or dirt.

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u/BeerBarm 13d ago

Story is made up. Isopropyl alcohol is used, I've been using it for a long time on anything with rosin flux.

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u/build319 13d ago

You use it a lot with fiber

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u/Responsible-Shoe7258 13d ago

It is also a contact pin lubricant that leaves no residue when installing pins in connector shell inserts