Summer is coming, mosquitoes are infested, toilet water is a common item in the home to repel mosquitoes and relieve itching. But you may not know that if used improperly, a small bottle of toilet water may endanger health and safety.
There are many brands of toilet water on the market. If you look closely at their labels, you will find that these products basically contain the same substance - ethanol. Ethanol, also known as alcohol, is a flammable substance. So the question is, can toilet water also be ignited?
Be careful not to "set yourself on fire" if you approach a fire source after spraying toilet water.
During the test, firefighters first poured toilet water into a plate, put on protective equipment, and then approached it with a fire source. After the fire source came into contact with the toilet water, although there was no obvious flame, there were fluctuations in the air.
Li Yujiang, Xicheng District Fire Rescue Detachment, Beijing: Although we can’t see the open fire burning with the naked eye, I am very close now and can already feel our fire burning. Now we take a piece of paper to test it, and we can see that our commonly used A4 paper has been ignited.
At the same time, the flames in the dish continued to burn. After more than 20 seconds, firefighters extinguished the fire.
Then the firefighters sprayed toilet water on the arms of the mannequin wearing clothes. At this time, they brought the fire source closer. Light-colored flames immediately jumped on the clothes, and the A4 paper was ignited instantly when they were close. The firefighter then sprayed toilet water on another part of the clothes, waited for half a minute, and then approached the fire source again.
Li Yujiang, Xicheng District Fire Rescue Detachment, Beijing: We can see that the alcohol in the toilet water has evaporated, and it can no longer ignite our A4 paper.
Firefighters remind you that improper use of toilet water is risky and you must be vigilant.
Li Yujiang, Xicheng District Fire Rescue Detachment, Beijing: When using toilet water, please be sure to pay attention to:
After spraying and applying toilet water, do not come into contact with an open flame for a short period of time. Be sure to wait until the alcohol in the toilet water has completely evaporated before touching an open flame.
When storing toilet water, it must be placed in a cool and ventilated place, away from high temperature and fire sources.
Toilet water may cause skin allergies. Usage and dosage vary from person to person.
In addition to being flammable, toilet water may cause skin allergies and even alcohol poisoning in infants and young children if used improperly. Doctors remind that the usage and dosage of toilet water vary from person to person, so don’t be careless.
The reporter learned at the hospital that every summer, cases of skin allergies caused by the use of toilet water are not uncommon.
Wang Ning, deputy chief physician of the Department of Dermatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences: Relatively speaking, there are many, because the main component of toilet water is alcohol and some traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. In addition, some anti-itch medicinal ingredients such as menthol and borneol may be added, as well as a small amount of spices and preservatives. These ingredients may cause skin allergies.
The doctor recalled that he had received a patient in his 60s in July last year. An elderly woman was bitten by mosquitoes while traveling and used toilet water provided by a group friend. She had never used this product before. After applying it several times, the symptoms worsened significantly, with blisters appearing accompanied by exudation and unbearable itching. Eventually, it was diagnosed as contact dermatitis caused by the use of toilet water. The patient gradually recovered after being treated with medication.
Wang Ning, Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Dermatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences: This is what we medically call contact dermatitis. It is most serious in the parts where the lotion (toilet water) is exposed or applied, and other parts have basically no rash or are relatively mild.
Are natural plant ingredients gentle and non-irritating? People with allergies should be careful
Regarding some toilet water on the market claiming to be "natural plant ingredients, mild and non-irritating", doctors said that natural ingredients do not mean 100% safe, because allergic reactions are related to the ingredients. As long as you are allergic to the ingredients in toilet water, you may have a reaction.
Which groups of people need special attention? Doctor reminds:
People who are allergic to alcohol, people who have had allergic reactions to toilet water or similar ingredients, and people with sensitive skin should use it with caution. You can try it on a small scale first to confirm that there is no discomfort before using it.
Infants and young children under two years of age have weak skin barrier function and strong absorption capacity. They also need to be careful and it is recommended to avoid use as much as possible.
In addition, the reporter also found that in terms of usage, there are rumors on the Internet that "adding toilet water to bath water can relieve itching and relieve prickly heat." Is this scientific? Doctors say that this approach has very limited effect.
