Sciencemadness Discussion Board

stains form KMnO4

quest - 2-4-2004 at 04:11

How can I get them from my hands?

Saerynide - 2-4-2004 at 04:30

Yeah, I know they look nasty, but I dont think you can get them off. I just let them fade.

t_Pyro - 2-4-2004 at 07:51

Well, for glass aparatus, conc. HCl does the trick. Don't try it on your hand, though! :o

Soap & water at least 5 times. Next time, wear gloves!

Esplosivo - 2-4-2004 at 08:41

The stains get stuck to the skin very strongly. Once I also tried removing the stains with 30% H2O2. The skin was bleached but the stains persisted. Sometimes I note some change when I wash them out with some form of diluted alcohol. The stains won't vanish completely by washing, that's from personal experience. After sometime they will go away.

t_Pyro - 2-4-2004 at 09:05

Quote:

The stains won't vanish completely by washing


That's odd, if I accidentally get some stains on my hand, they usually go away in two to three days' time.

Saerynide - 2-4-2004 at 09:07

Quote:

After sometime they will go away.


I dont think he meant they will stay forvever :P

Marvin - 2-4-2004 at 11:29

Try a weak organic acid like citric. It will reduce and solvate. Takes a few mins though.

hodges - 2-4-2004 at 15:53

I seem to remember that sodium thiosulfate would remove these stains - but maybe I'm thinking of silver or iodine stains instead. Can't hurt to try though.

t_Pyro - 2-4-2004 at 20:41

Thiosulfate would be for the silver stains. Removal as a soluble complex.

unionised - 3-4-2004 at 06:04

Lemon juice works well and smells better than thiosulphate.

a_bab - 5-4-2004 at 04:00

Actually as Marvin said the citric acid works very well in this case. Sodium thiosulphate is good against iodine stains.
Didn't know about the silver stains though, but these are embeded in the skin.

All Chemist - 5-4-2004 at 23:08

I think you've all misunderstood! lol.
Look more closely at the topic, he is looking at stains FORMING pot. permanganate.

As far as I know, stains don't spontaneously form potassium permanganate, you may find that, for instance tomato sauce stains (organic staining) won't form pot permanganate. You actually need the constituent elements present in the stain. So unless the stain was made by some permanganate salt, or the elements K and Mn are present, you will have a hard time tryin to form KMnO4 from MnO.

Maybe someone else like a Mod can shed more light on this topic.

/Alchemist

ps. Don't use your own hands! LOL use someone elses! like acid test's!

a_bab - 6-4-2004 at 08:19

Alchemist, use your imagination (but not that hard as you did).

He said "stains form KMnO4". Now, because he seems to be a terrible speller corroborated with the fact that he is obviously not an anglophone, he must have made the mistake of changing the word FROM into FORM (a matter of the letters order, see?)

So if we take that route, the given answers are correct and related to the our new member's question.

Gee, what a waste of time for both of us...;)

quest - 6-4-2004 at 09:53

LOL
Im soory

I meant "from"......


english is not my mother language so yes. I am a terrible speller :-\

thunderfvck - 6-4-2004 at 11:08

rated as: insignificant

ahahahaha

All Chemist, I'm sorry, but that was a funny misinterpretation...

I have nothing more to say.

[Edited on 6-4-2004 by thunderfvck]

vulture - 6-4-2004 at 11:14

Now, will the children please return to their lego and actionmen?

There are vultures circling above your head.

pdb - 8-4-2004 at 02:35

Quest: sodium hydrogenosulfite NaHSO3 will instantaneously remove these KMnO4 stains.

4s2 - 18-5-2004 at 20:48

this weekend I found that the brand... GoJo Green, gets it out very well. I think its just a genaric pumice soap. ( don't know what its made from though)