Chris ] wrote:

Thanks. In UK is denatured alcohol the same as methylated spirits?

Methylated spirits is one denatured alcohol. Surgical spirit is another.
Each has methanol added in various proportions in an attempt to render
the alcohol undrinkable. It can then be sold free of alcohol duty. Both
have other additives, in the case of methylated spirit pyridine and
petroleum spirit are added and some formulations include an emetic.
Surgical spirit has a lower proporation of methanol but has castor oil
and methyl salicylate added. Methyl salicylate gives surgical spirit its
characteristic smell.

Both meths and surgical spirit are poor choices for cleaning because
both tend to leave a residue on the object being cleaned. Isopropanol
can be bought without additives and it's an excellent cleaning solvent.
Where "meths" is required for cleaning in laboratories the solvent used
is "60/40 IMS" that's industrial methylated spirit which only containes
methanol and ethanol with a small proportion of water.