Potassium Permanganate?

MrEd

Life Member
Feb 18, 2010
2,148
1,059
Surrey/Sussex
www.thetimechamber.co.uk
Used to use it years ago for wound care (foot ulcers and the like) in the NHS - not seen it in years though.

Used to do soaks with it - couple of tabs in a bowl of warm water and out whatever bit of the body needed soaking.
I’m doubt it’s even something pharmacy will get hold of now, it’s probably not on the formulary anymore

I can ask though?
 
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fenix

Forager
Jul 8, 2008
136
102
Kent
They sell it one ebay and amazon. Had a quick look at the rules and they appear to get excited when your using 100Kg a year.

Dont shove it in the post to anybody and be careful about where you store it. Because its an oxidiser keep it away from fuel (gas and oil). Could possibly go up if you have just used hand sanitiser and handle it. Still appears to be used in the NHS

If you want to get rid of it burning it is reasonably safe, dont dump in a river or down the bog. Wouldn't expect anybody on here to be that daft. Have had to sit through 8 hours of haz gas training today. I work with phosgene and chlorine for a living, also in charge of all our hazchem disposals (not by burning stuff usually).
 

FerlasDave

Full Member
Jun 18, 2008
1,857
622
Off the beaten track
I popped some in a steel water bottle once along with a good blob of glycerin. Sealed it, shook it lobbed it as far as I could.... Boy that thing went off with a bang!
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,657
2,727
Bedfordshire
It is meant to work fairly well as a wood stain. I reckon it would be safer than what I did have...which was a peanut butter jar of chromic acid granules. Didn't used it often and when I figured out the other name for it I was not happy. Managed to get it disposed of via the hazardous waste collection where I worked.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,885
3,302
W.Sussex
Really? I can buy 1kg, posted, for £25 from a UK in stock supplier. If it's so easy to get hold of why do you need to be subject to Home Office disposal regulations? I'm confused.

Because it’s a business it has to abide by sensible rules on disposal. It’s a good thing. Anyone can buy Glyphosate, and many other chemicals in quantity, and there are loads of them who’d not dispose of them safely.
 
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Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
8,490
8,368
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
Because it’s a business it has to abide by sensible rules on disposal. It’s a good thing. Anyone can buy Glyphosate, and many other chemicals in quantity, and there are loads of them who’d not dispose of them safely.

Yeh, to be honest, I wasn't really thinking; we couldn't just chuck our waste electronics in the local recycling centre either.
 
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scruff

Maker
Jun 24, 2005
1,106
216
44
West Yorkshire
Yeh, to be honest, I wasn't really thinking; we couldn't just chuck our waste electronics in the local recycling centre either.
Not JUST a business...a Uni. Lots of academics, young and old. Not an ounce of common sense between them.

Rules ARE different for different consumers and end uses, postage rules may be too. But ALL sales will (shall/should) be recorded and reported to the Home Orifice.

Big Brother will know if you've started a crack den or just turning Scouts purple.



Sent from my Armor X7 using Tapatalk
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,616
1,410
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
It is meant to work fairly well as a wood stain. I reckon it would be safer than what I did have...which was a peanut butter jar of chromic acid granules. Didn't used it often and when I figured out the other name for it I was not happy. Managed to get it disposed of via the hazardous waste collection where I worked.
And I think also used for dying antler?
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,657
2,727
Bedfordshire
Not JUST a business...a Uni. Lots of academics, young and old. Not an ounce of common sense between them.

Rules ARE different for different consumers and end uses, postage rules may be too. But ALL sales will (shall/should) be recorded and reported to the Home Orifice.

Big Brother will know if you've started a crack den or just turning Scouts purple.

Sent from my Armor X7 using Tapatalk
In this day and age I think you would be in less trouble for the crack den than purple dying scouts!
 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,885
3,302
W.Sussex
Yeh, to be honest, I wasn't really thinking; we couldn't just chuck our waste electronics in the local recycling centre either.

There’s still a lot of stuff that just runs down the drain, and I’m on about waste turps from cleaning paintbrushes to contact lenses, let alone an unused kilo of Potassium Permanganate. Contact lenses, changed daily by millions of people in front of the bathroom mirror and dropped in the loo are causing problems. I don’t need to expand, we’re all pretty sensible here with the leave no trace thing, but so many aren’t or don’t care, or just need educating.

Annoyingly, I had a couple of bits of brick in the car when I went to the tip the other day. While I was allowed to bung bits of plastic and old plant pots into the general household (mainly landfill) skip, the brick wasn’t allowed back to where it came from.
 
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bigbeewee

Full Member
Dec 18, 2010
32
9
worldwide
I’m a remote/austere environment medic and I carry a pot of it wherever I go (bought in Boots the chemist)
it has too many uses not to carry it.

But I mainly use it for feet, killing, drying out and disinfecting everything in a soak, hot water + crystals till purple, plonk feet in
 
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Silverclaws2

Nomad
Dec 30, 2019
287
155
57
Devon
I seem to remember the more common name for Potassium Permanganate is Condy's Crystals and they used to be recommended for inclusion in survival kits, for such things as would cleaning and fire lighting as others have said.

Not entirely certain as it has been a hell of a long time since I last saw the books I had in my youth but it was either Stay Alive with Eddie McGee or another I can't remember the title but by Gilbraith that recommended their inclusion in the mentioned survival kits.
 
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Tonyuk

Settler
Nov 30, 2011
938
86
Scotland
It's ideal for any cheesy feet issues.

Mix in a basin with warm water until you get a nice red colour and soak for 15 -20 mins. It'll turn your nails brown though but who cares.

Keep it in a glass jar, and away from any other chemicals. Be very careful not to inhale it or get it in your eyes.
 
Apr 4, 2021
5
2
31
Scotland
There’s still a lot of stuff that just runs down the drain, and I’m on about waste turps from cleaning paintbrushes to contact lenses, let alone an unused kilo of Potassium Permanganate. Contact lenses, changed daily by millions of people in front of the bathroom mirror and dropped in the loo are causing problems. I don’t need to expand, we’re all pretty sensible here with the leave no trace thing, but so many aren’t or don’t care, or just need educating.

Annoyingly, I had a couple of bits of brick in the car when I went to the tip the other day. While I was allowed to bung bits of plastic and old plant pots into the general household (mainly landfill) skip, the brick wasn’t allowed back to where it came from.
If you want to dispose of inert waste (rubble) then see if a local construction site has a designated skip for it. We recycle as much as possible on our site and most builders with accreditation will do the same
 

Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,672
McBride, BC
Here, the Regional District has established a dozen+ "Transfer Stations." Plot maybe 100m wide by 250m long. You drive in a circle. There is a location for everything around the perimeter, chemicals included. Probably 15 stops, if I had some of everything. Can't dump dead animals there.
Other than dumping tree branch prunings in the forest, nobody leaves garbage in the forest, it's too far to drive when the transfer station is both nearby and free.
 
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