question, I own a home and just started renting a room out to a friend. I
have been helping him sell some gadgets online (he makes them himself). he
purchased hard plastic tubing to make the items (it's pretty small tubing).
he buys the tubing in bulk. he uses pure acetone to remove some
manufacturing numbers that are stamped on one side of the tubing. he uses a
cotton swab and dips it in a pint bottle of pure acetone and then uses the
swab to blot out the stamped number. I think that's great. however, he's
doing it on my living room floor which concerns me. and what concerns me
even more, it he spreads out some newspapers to work on and lets the area of
the plastic tube dry (the area where he blotted out the stamped number). is
this safe? sorta safe? or not safe at all? and when I say safe, I mean
safe on the living room floor of someone's home. I really thought laying
newspapers under it is a stupid idea. I know nothing about pure acetone
other that I read it is flammable. my roomate just told me it was
fingernail polish remover (which women use all the time in the house) so it
should be no big deal to use in the house. all responses are much
appreciated. I asked him to take it outside, but he told me he would be
extra careful. it's starting to get cold where I live (that may be one of
the reasons he doesn't want to take it outside).


*Just read the labeling on the manufacturers container to see how nasty
acetone can be. It is a solvent and it can damage your floor finish.
Newspapers are not adequate protection. Nail polish remover is a diluted
version of acetone. You really do need ventilation when working with this
stuff. It evaporates very quickly into the air, but where does it go after
that. You could be exposing yourself to acetone vapors and not even know
it. A garage would be a healthier choice to work with it.