What and how can you quickly remove potassium permanganate stains from the skin of your hands?

A solution of potassium permanganate is very often used at home to disinfect wounds. Considering the fact that the liquid obtained after dissolving the crystals has a bright purple color, you need to know how to wash stubborn stains from your hands if you handle the product carelessly.

Preparing the skin of the hands before removing potassium permanganate stains

Contrary to popular belief, potassium permanganate can be washed off with water. The components of the composition dissolve under the influence of moisture, although this happens quite slowly. If you have at least a day left, then you just need to wash your hands every hour under running water without using soap. This will be enough to completely cleanse the surface of the skin in a few hours.

Even if you are short on time, you should take a few minutes to soak your hands under running warm water. After this, you need to rub your hands with a pumice stone, but do not press too hard; the goal is not to rub the product deeper, but to remove dead cells.

Only after such preliminary preparation, which in some cases is sufficient to remove stains, can you begin to use more aggressive components to wash potassium permanganate. Combining several products at once is highly not recommended.

The degree of their effectiveness is approximately the same; you need to adhere to the chosen technique and, if necessary, repeat the approaches.Attempts to combine products that have opposite or identical effects can cause irritation on the skin of the hands.

Intensive products recommended for combating traces of potassium permanganate

There are several proven components that can remove traces of potassium permanganate from the skin:

• Take 9% vinegar and 3% hydrogen peroxide in equal proportions and mix. Soak a cotton pad in the solution and use gentle movements directed in one direction to try to wipe off the stains.

Advice: Some craftsmen recommend washing off potassium permanganate with potato juice, but this approach will only achieve the opposite effect. Stains from purple will turn blue, and will be even more durable.

• Medical alcohol works well on fresh and old stains from purple antiseptic. First, apply the composition to the affected areas, then soak a cotton pad in the product and begin to scrub off the dirt with intense movements. If the formations are fresh, then you won’t have to rub too hard; the product will dissolve and disappear on its own.
• Sometimes potassium permanganate needs to be removed not only from the surface of the hands, but also from under the nails. Lemon or its juice can help with this. Cut the fruit into halves and begin to rub the stains with the cut. For some time, the fingertips need to be immersed in the pulp of the fruit. Then wash your hands with warm water without soap and repeat the procedure. You will first have to dilute citric acid with water, and to clean your nails, it is advisable to prepare a warm bath with dissolved powder.
• From laundry soap you can prepare a composition with which potassium permanganate can be washed not only from the surface of your hands, but also from soiled hard surfaces.Rub baby or laundry soap on a grater, fill the shavings with hot water and stir with a fork or whisk. You should get a homogeneous paste. Dissolve two tablespoons of soda and a couple of drops of any essential oil in it. Apply the active composition to the areas of skin with stains several times, each time rinsing it well with water.

• To reduce the brightness of stains, it is recommended to use a solution of ascorbic acid. It acts very gently, although it does not completely remove purple marks.
• Pure 3% hydrogen peroxide will also help remove unwanted marks, but you need to act carefully, otherwise you can cause a chemical burn.
• If you don't have anything else on hand, you can try white spirit. A universal solvent, even if it does not completely remove it, will noticeably lighten the stains.

After using the listed components, it is necessary to treat the skin with a nourishing or moisturizing cream, otherwise the tissue will begin to dry and peel. If the first approach fails to completely eliminate purple stains, you need to take a break, dry the skin, and then try again. It is strictly forbidden to apply active products and leave them on the skin for several hours. The spots from such exposure will go away, but in their place will come irritation and inflammatory processes.